Camp Overview

About This U & Maps

Staff Ratio Guarantee

Safety & Peace of Mind

Sample Week

In the News

Testimonials

FAQ

Computer Camps Located at Princeton University

iD Tech Camps (Ages 7-17) and iD Teen Academies (Ages 13-18)

Ignite your internalDrive and do something BIG this summer! iD Tech Camps is a family company – and our company is a unique place. Some call it magical. We’re the World’s #1 Tech Camp – consistently ranked a Top Workplace. One of our big secrets? Ridiculously small ratios. Small ratios mean personalized instruction – just 8 students per instructor or fewer – or you get a free week of camp, guaranteed! Our adult-only staff are tech-savvy undergraduates, graduate students and professionals, passionate about teaching game design, film, computer science and more.

At Princeton, we offer three distinct programs: iD Tech Camps, iD Programming Academy and iD Visual Arts Academy.

 

iD Tech Camps, Ages 7-17

WEEKLONG | CO-ED | DAY CAMPS | OVERNIGHT CAMPS
COURSE TOPICS: VIDEO GAME DESIGN, PROGRAMMING, APPS, WEB DESIGN & MORE
This is our 7th season hosting summer camps at our Princeton University location. Our popular Princeton University summer day camps and overnight camps are located in the Princeton area, NJ. We strike the right balance between off-computer activities (creative games, sports, life skills, etc.) and essential technology education to foster STEM skill development (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

We cover cool topics from video game design to iPhone® app development, Flash® animation, programming, video editing, web design, robotics and more. Most courses are for beginner to advanced learners. Learn the best brand name products from Adobe®, Apple®, Autodesk®, Google, Microsoft® and more. Ultimate Gaming Weekends serve as a bridge for overnight students attending multiple weeks.

Continue to Step 2 (iD Tech Camps) for Course Availability, Tuition & Dates or jump to the iD Programming Academy or iD Visual Arts Academy.

Additionally at Princeton University

iD Programming Academy, Ages 13-18

TWO-WEEKS | CO-ED | OVERNIGHT ONLY | TEEN-ONLY | INTENSIVE PRE-COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING & APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

The iD Programming Academy offers 2–week sessions of intensive study in computer science programming. Gain a deep understanding of application development–and a broader knowledge of how programming can be applied to the real world. The iD Programming Academy is perfect for students with previous programming experience who are looking to take their code to a whole different level.

iD Visual Arts Academy, Ages 13-18

TWO-WEEKS | CO-ED | OVERNIGHT AND DAY | TEEN-ONLY | INTENSIVE PRE-COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IN FILM PRODUCTION, SPECIAL EFFECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHY

The iD Visual Arts Academy is a two-week, teen-only program. Learn courses in filmmaking, motion graphics, special effects and professional photography with top-tier equipment and software. All graduates leave the Academy with a portfolio and the tools to excel in the rapidly changing field of visual arts. Students will also take fun, supervised excursions and visit nearby studios to see how the pros work.

About Princeton University

NOTE: Looking for our exact location on campus? You must first be enrolled; you can then access that information through My Account. Not yet enrolled? Go to Step 2 to enroll. The maps included here are for general information only.

Many students use their summer camp experience with iD Tech Camps to explore colleges that they’re interested in attending in the future. Learn on campus, eat in the dining halls and ages 10+ can even stay overnight (at most campuses).

We have chosen Princeton University to host our summer computer camps and teen camps in New Jersey because of its status as one of the best universities in the entire world. Princeton’s main campus is located within the boundaries of Princeton Township, West Windsor Township and the Borough of Princeton. This beautiful campus is adorned with well-known sculptures and holds man-made Lake Carnegie. Princeton’s campus is located about one hour from both Philadelphia and New York City, making it the perfect summer camp location. International airports are conveniently located in New York, Newark and Philadelphia for easy access to the Princeton campus. Come check out our New Jersey summer camps!

Princeton University

Princeton is consistently ranked among the top universities, both in the U.S. and internationally.

Princeton University Facts

Nickname: The Princeton Tigers
Founded: 1746
Princeton University History: Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is considered one of the “Colonial Colleges,” being that it was chartered in the American Colonies before the American Revolution. Princeton is also part of the Ivy League, alongside Brown, Columbia and Harvard.
Student Population: Even though undergraduate education has traditionally been Princeton’s focus, the university currently enrolls 2,500 graduate students. This brings Princeton’s combined undergraduate and graduate population to just over 7,000.
Rankings: For years, U.S. News & World Report ranked Princeton first among national universities (from 2001 – 2008), making it the perfect academic camp location. After a brief hiatus from the number one spot in 2009 (ranking second to Harvard), Princeton returned to number one in 2010. Among world universities, Princeton was ranked eighth by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Forbes had Princeton ranked first among all national colleges and universities on their 2008 list of “America’s Best Colleges.” Aside from academics, Princeton is also recognized for other aspects of the college experience. Princeton Review ranked Princeton first in “Students Happy with Financial Aid,” and third in “Happiest Students,” two spots behind Brown University.
Athletics: Sports Illustrated ranked Princeton as a “Top 10″ school for athletics. This ranking is justified by the fact that Princeton captured 36 Ivy League conference championships between 2001 and 2004. One of Princeton’s top sports is field hockey, with the team taking every conference title since 1994.
Distinguished Alumni & Personnel: Notable Princeton University alumni include former United States presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson. First Lady Michelle Obama is also a Princeton graduate. In Business, Princeton alumni include CEO of eBay Meg Whitman and CEO of Google Eric E. Schmidt. Former Tiger athletes include San Diego Padre teammates Will Venable and Chris Young, and also 2007 Stanley Cup Champion with Anaheim Ducks George Parros. Actor David Duchovny and actress Brooke Shields also graduated from Princeton.

Meals

All meals are included with our overnight and extended day programs. Day campers have the option of purchasing the lunch plan or bringing a sack lunch. The lunch plan is recommended, but not mandatory. If the lunch plan is purchased, lunch is provided Monday-Friday. Many university dining facilities do not permit outside food to be brought into the dining hall; students bringing bag lunches may eat outside of the dining hall with their classmates and instructors.

Maps/Carpool

See maps and driving directions in My Account for detailed directions on how to get to our exact location on campus. Want to Carpool? Go green and save some green when you carpool to camp! Sign up for our Carpool app in My Account to see the other families in your area that are interested in carpooling.

Staff Ratio Guarantee

iD Guarantee

Students learn in small classes for a personalized experience. How small? Classes typically have 5, 6, 7, or 8 students – but never more than 8 per instructor. That's the iD Guarantee - if we ever go over an 8:1 ratio, you get a free week of camp!

Adult-Only Instructors

iD Tech Camps recruits energetic, experienced instructors to teach our technology courses and supervise our students. Our summer staff is adult-only, with no Counselors-in-Training.

Personalized Instruction

Courses are personalized to students' abilities, and therefore suitable for beginner to advanced levels in most cases. Because of the ridiculously small ratios (max 8:1 or a free week with the iD Guarantee), instructors have time to consistently work with students 1-on-1 and adjust curriculum to their interests and experience level.

Project-Based Curriculum

We encourage a hands-on approach to technology; students learn by doing. Each student is provided with a computer and learns to work with the same products that professionals use in their fields. Students complete a project showing off their new technology skills by the end of each weeklong session they attend. By focusing on practical applications of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills, iD prepares students to take their new tech knowledge back into the real world.

Staff at this Location

Meet some of the amazing instructors that have taught at Princeton University over the years.

• “Megatron”: Megatron has been with iD Tech Camps for many years, serving as an instructor, assistant director and most recently director.  She graduated in 2009 from the College of William & Mary with a master’s degree in Operations Research and has spent the past two years teaching high school math in Washington, D.C.
• “Gadget”: Gadget is a returning iD Tech Camps instructor with over 10 years of experience in the design industry. She has worked on commercials for Cher, Bette Midler and Celine Dion, in addition to projects for National Geographic, FELD Entertainment and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. She is a graduate of the International Academy of Design & Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Animation. Most recently, she has started teaching Art and Technology to grades K-5.
• “Dash Retro”: Dash Retro is a student at Rutgers University where he studies Visual Arts. He started out as a camper at iD Tech Camps learning to edit video, and now he has returned for multiple years as an instructor in game creation.  When not in school or at camp, Dash Retro writes and directs film and graphic novel projects.
• “pH”: pH is a Computer Science major at NYU and loves sharing his passion for technology with students. Outside of computers and technology, he is an active fencer and a theater enthusiast. He was able to combine these interests into a fencing iPhone app. It was very well received by the fencing community and has sold over 3,000 copies internationally.
• “Princess Nyan”: Princess Nyan will soon be graduating from the University of Advancing Technology with a B.A. in Game Art and Animation. Kim’s love of 3D art has followed her through high school and she has now been working with 3D programs for 5 years. She has also recently worked on the Game Trade Secret which will (hopefully) appear on Steam or Kongregate later this year.
• “Spidermonkey”: Smonkey is a graduate student in Game Design and Development at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She also holds a B.S. in Math and Computer Science and an M.S. in Applied Math. She has worked on many tech projects such as a Kinect interface for a Facebook game that’s being developed at RIT.  She has taught programming for multiple years, and is looking forward to teaching many more campers how to code!
•  “.SWF”: .SWF is a Lehigh University student majoring in Computer Science and Business. He has been obsessed with game design since he was twelve years old and has made numerous games, one of which won 1st place in the Technology Student Association (TSA) 2010 National Video Game Design competition.  He is very excited to share his knowledge with students!

Safety & Peace of Mind

Risk Management

Adult staff and instructors supervise all activities. iD has a policy of never using Counselors-in-Training (CITs).

American Camp Association^® Accreditation

iD Tech Camps is accredited by the ACA at multiple locations, meaning we have met over 300 health and safety requirements. All camps follow ACA guidelines.

Background Checks

We conduct criminal background checks, sexual offender background checks, multiple reference checks and identification checks on all summer staff.

CPR & First Aid

All camps have Directors and Staff that are CPR and First Aid Certified.

Sample Week

A typical day varies depending on session and location, but it might look something like this:

	SUNDAY	MONDAY - THURSDAY	FRIDAY
7:30 am		Extended Day Campers – Check In Overnight & Extended Day Campers - Breakfast
8:30 am		Day Campers - Drop Off & Arrival Activities
9 am		Welcome & Opening Activity	Finesse Projects to Gold Version
9:30 am		Instruction – Jump on the computers!
10 am
11 am			Friday Activity
12 pm		Lunch – Overnight and Extended Day Campers eat in the campus dining hall.  Day Campers can choose to bring a bag lunch or purchase the meal plan.	Picnic Lunch
			Raffle
1 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs, woo hoo!	Showcase Prep
2 pm			Family Showcase
2:30 pm		Techtivities – Ultimate Frisbee?  Apples to Apples anyone?  Gaming tournaments?  We’ve got it all!
			All campers - Check Out
3:30 pm		Instruction – Back to the labs!	Ultimate Gaming Weekends – Option available at select locations.
5 pm		Day Campers - Pick Up & Closing Activities Overnight & Extended Day Campers – Open Lab/Free Time
5:30 pm	Overnight Campers - Check In
6 pm	Welcome	Dinner
6:30 pm	Dinner	Evening Activity - Movie Nights, Local Outings, Gaming Tournaments & more!
7 pm		Extended Day Campers – Pick Up
7:30 pm	Evening Activity	Evening Activity – cont’d.
8 pm
8:30 pm	Drills
9 pm	Chillax
10 pm	PreTeen Lights Out
11 pm	Lights Out!

Off-Computer Camp Activities

Students typically spend 5-6 hours on the computer each day. iD Tech Camps is careful to balance technology and fun - giving students Tech-Reation time. When they're not on the computer, students participate in fun summer activities like talent shows, play board games, compete in sports, take part in gaming tournaments and more.

Family Showcase

Every Friday afternoon, we invite parents and friends to come and experience iD Tech Camps. See the labs where students learn, explore campus, meet our staff, applaud students' course projects and attend the personalized diploma ceremony.

Hours/ Camp Options

Day Camp - Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with drop off between 8:30 - 9 am and pick up between 5 - 5:30 pm (3:30 pm on Fridays).
Extended Day - Extended Day Camp runs Monday through Friday, with drop off at 7:30 am and pick up at 7 pm (3:30 pm on Fridays).
Overnight Options - Overnight camps are available at most locations for students ages 10 and up. Overnight camp runs Sunday through Friday, with drop off at 6 pm on Sunday and pick up at 3:30 pm on Friday.
Ultimate Gaming Weekends - Stay the weekend and game with us. UGW is fully supervised and includes housing, meals and supervision. It is available at the end of an Overnight Camp week or as a bridge between two consecutive weeks of Overnight Camp. Not available at all locations.

Attention New Jersey Teens!

Our summer camps in New Jersey at Princeton University just got even cooler for our teen students. We have specialized teen activities including free time to hang out, movie nights, extra project time, and as always, plenty of gaming. Check out our other cool teen-only programs like the iD Gaming Academy, iD Programming Academy, iD Visual Arts Academy and Ultimate Gaming Weekends (offered at select locations).

iD in the News

Princeton University News

Watch iD Tech Camps on NBC's Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda!

Apr 12th, 2012

Summer Camps in NJ and PA News - As Appeared in the Princeton Packet

Feb 1st, 2012

As appeared in the News-Record - Youths burrow into computers at local tech camp

Jul 26th, 2011

As appeared in the Princeton Packet - article about our NJ summer camps held at Princeton

Jul 7th, 2011

CNN Money Reports on iD Tech Camps - Build iPhone apps at summer camp!

Aug 13th, 2010

Testimonials From Princeton University

What Parents Are Saying

“We were truly impressed by the level of instruction and attention the students received at iD Tech Camps. My son would come home every day with a huge smile and couldn’t wait to return the next day! Thank you for all your time and efforts! Donna C., parent, Princeton University

“We had two boys, 8 and 10, in different classes and they both were so excited each day to tell us about their experiences – they fought in the car ride home over who would talk first! The campus is beautiful, the facility cool and conducive to learning. Apparently the lunches were right up their ally as well. Thanks for making learning fun! Colleen B., parent, Princeton University

“What a great camp experience. This was our first tech camp and I have to say, the program offered a balanced camp experience tailored to my son’s interests. He came away having gained the programming knowledge he was looking for, while also being able to spend time out of the lab being active. Thank you. Robin A., parent, Princeton University

“Camp was extremely organized and structured; camper and parent-friendly. Also, excellent online resources for visibility into course content. Margaret T., parent, Princeton University

“What a great, fun and educational way for a bright and creative kid to spend a week. This week will inspire more self-education all summer long. Thanks for the positive attitudes and enthusiasm. Great work. Virginia M., parent, Princeton University

What Campers Are Saying

“This camp was fun, cool and I learned a lot! I definitely want to come back next year if I can! I know I will miss this camp and all the people in it for a long time. I have made lots of new friends, and it will be hard to say goodbye for the summer. Mason B., student, Princeton University

“iD Tech Camps has done so much for me in one single week…it has made me more independent, given me knowledge of programming, and made me the best programmer I could be. Thank you so much iD Tech Camps. Tanya M., student, Princeton University

“My instructor was great, giving helpful tips and teaching valuable lessons about new software and applications. Keandre C., student, Princeton University

“This was a week of iD Tech Camps I will never forget. My instructor taught really well and was helpful whenever I had trouble. I’ve learned how make a website and had amazing experiences in Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Flash Animation. I hope I can attend iD Tech Camps next year. Atif A., student, Princeton University

“Your teaching was great! The instructors here totally changed my life, and the camp activities were awesome. In my opinion, this is the #1 camp I’ve ever been to! I now know how to make video games. Thanks so much for making this camp awesome! Jacob R., student, Princeton University

Frequently Asked Questions

What courses are offered at this location?
Go to Step 2.

When does camp start?
See Step 2 for the dates of our weeklong university summer computer camps.

How much does camp cost?
The cost of tuition varies depending on the course, location and camp option that you choose. Basic Day Camp ranges from $749 to $1,049 per weeklong course. There are additional costs for program add-ons.

How can I save on tuition?
There are many ways for you to save!

• Register early to take advantage of our seasonal promotions.
• Refer-a-Friend and you and your friend both save $50.
• Sign up for multiple weeks to save $50 off each additional week.
• Register multiple siblings and save $50 for each sibling.

Do you offer financial aid?
iD Tech Camps is proud to offer tuition assistance for families who qualify. Application deadlines are announced each year in the Spring.

What is your cancellation policy?
Balance payments, less the non-refundable deposit, are refundable up until 3 weeks prior to the start of the confirmed camp week/session. No refunds will be issued for cancellations or withdrawals within 3 weeks of the start of confirmed camp weeks/sessions. All cancellations must be made online in My Account or submitted in writing to the internalDrive Inc. office no later than 3 weeks prior to the start of camp. For more details, please see our Terms & Conditions.

Does my child need to have a high computer IQ?
No, our courses are for beginner to advanced students. Because of our small ratios, instructors can work with students 1-on-1 and personalize the curriculum for each student's level.

Should my child bring a personal laptop to camp?
No, students do not need to bring laptops to camp. We provide a computer for each student to use for the week. All materials necessary for the course will be provided.

Do you have any teen programs?
iD Tech Camps has a Teen Scene that provides older students with a more independent experience on campus. Teens enjoy extra privileges appropriate for their environment and maturity levels, and although we maintain standard supervision ratios, teens will feel a sense of freedom. Special Teen Scene activities include computer gaming tournaments and Gamingpalooza.

iD also offers specialized iD Teen Academies in Gaming, Programming and Visual Arts at select locations across the country. These teen camps are intensive, two-week courses with tours of nearby industry hot spots and bi-weekly portfolio building workshops. See our iD Teen Academies page for more information.

How do I register? How do I contact you?
To register, find availability at the location you desire, and you'll be guided through the process. Registering online is the fastest way to get into camp. Or, you can phone us at 1-888-709-TECH (8324) or 1-408-871-2227. You can also email us at info@internalDrive.com. And, if you'd like a brochure sent to you, please click the brochure link.

Course Tuition (Program options are found on the next step)