Camp Overview

About This U & Maps

Staff Ratio Guarantee

Safety & Peace of Mind

Sample Week

In the News

Testimonials

FAQ

Computer Camps Held at Carnegie Mellon University

iD Tech Camps, Ages 7-17

WEEKLONG | CO-ED | DAY CAMPS | OVERNIGHT CAMPS
COURSE TOPICS: VIDEO GAME DESIGN, PROGRAMMING, APPS, WEB DESIGN & MORE

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.

This is our 11th season hosting summer camps at our Carnegie Mellon University location. 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). Our popular Carnegie Mellon University summer day camps and overnight camps are located in the Pittsburgh area, PA.

We offer a variety of cutting-edge summer camp courses for beginner through advanced learners. Kids and teens learn one course topic per week, specializing in video game design, iPhone® app development, Flash® animation, programming, video editing and more – using the best brand name products from Adobe®, Apple®, Autodesk®, Google, Microsoft® and beyond. Come explore the college campus and gain skills that will last long after summer camp ends. Continue to Step 2 for Course Availability, Tuition & Dates.

About Carnegie Mellon 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).

Did you know the co-founder of iD Tech Camps, Kathryn Ingram, is from Fox Chapel? She’s a die-hard Steelers fan. She attended Penn State and now resides in the Silicon Valley in California.

We have chosen the CMU campus to host our academic summer camps because it is one of the nation’s leading private research universities. Carnegie Mellon’s position of leadership in the arts and in technology is unusual in higher education today. The institution has become a national leader in technological fields such as computer science, robotics and engineering. The Pittsburgh International Airport is 22 miles (and approximately 45 minutes driving time) from Carnegie Mellon University, making Carnegie Mellon University an excellent option for a day camp or overnight camp program. Come check out our elite summer camps in Pennsylvania!

Carnegie Mellon University

Our Pittsburgh summer camps, located five miles from downtown Pittsburgh, thrive in the heart of the business and research community in the Oakland district. Bordered by quaint residential neighborhoods and the wooded hills of a scenic park, the 100-acre campus provides an academic environment that combines the best of both worlds: an urban campus in a wooded setting.

Carnegie Mellon University Facts

Nickname: Tartans
Founded: 1900
Schools at Carnegie Mellon University: Carnegie Institute of Technology, College of Fine Arts, H. John Heinz III College, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mellon College of Science, School of Computer Science, Tepper School of Business.
Student Population: The CMU student population consists of over 5,500 undergraduates and over 5,000 postgraduates.
Rankings: Carnegie Mellon is known for its “tech” heritage. Carnegie Mellon’s rankings in computer science, engineering, business and economics, public policy and information systems, psychology, and the arts are considered among the most elite in the world. The university is one of 60 elected members of the Association of American Universities and its academic reputation has led it to be included in Newsweek’s list of “New Ivies.”
Athletics: The CMU Tartans were a founding part of the University Athletic Association of the NCAA Division III. Before WWII, Carnegie Mellon (previously known as Carnegie Tech) played with NCAA Division I teams and in 1939 the Tartan football team won a birth to the NCAA National Championship at the Sugar Bowl. The Tartans have a deep tradition of athletic rivalry with the Washington University in St. Louis Football team.
Distinguished Alumni & Personnel: CEO of Sun Microsystems Jonathan I. Schwartz; founding CEO of Activision Jim Levy; and founder of Alice (software) and author of The Last Lecture Randy Pausch.

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. Lunch is provided to all students on Fridays, as part of an iD-style picnic.

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 Carnegie Mellon University over the years.

• “Voltron”: Voltron is excited to be taking charge of the robotics class! He is a senior at Ohio University, majoring in digital media. For the past two summers he interned at Foster Miller, a national robotics corporation with a branch in Cranberry. He enjoys programming, reading, playing and making video games.
• “Codex”: Codex is finishing up her studies in Information Systems Management at Slippery Rock University. She enjoys gaming (particularly RPGs), and she has experience both in robotics and programming with C++ and Java.  She loves working with children and can’t wait to share her knowledge!
• “Maverick”: Maverick has been a gamer since the tender age of 5.  He turned his passion into a career by helping to manage a popular gaming cafe in Squirrel Hill for several years, and hopes to apply those skills to his instruction at camp. In addition to video games, Maverick enjoys writing game reviews and learning more about video game design and development.
• “Pixel”: Pixel hails from Savannah, GA. She is a teaching assistant for the Savannah-Chatham Co. Board of Education working towards becoming a certified art teacher in public schools.  Pixel has a MFA in Sequential Art, Storyboarding and Comics Art.  Originally from upstate New York, Pixel has been with iD Tech Camps for many years now and has taught such courses at Adventures in Comics, Game Creation, and Graphic Arts.  Her favorite phrase of the day is “Hey now!”
• “Ace”: Ace is a returning iD Tech Camps instructor and a veteran camp director. A former camper himself, Ace is a recent graduate of Emerson College in Boston, MA. He is an audio engineer who enjoys working in film and music production as well as playing and learning about video games and the world of technology. He is psyched to be back, leading campers to great things.

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 Pennsylvania Teens!

Our summer camps in Pennsylvania at Carnegie Mellon 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

Carnegie Mellon University News

As appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - article about our PA summer camps held at CMU

Jul 25th, 2010

As appeared in The Pittsburgh Tribune - article about PA summer camp activities

Jun 3rd, 2010

As appeared in Parent's Express - article about youth summer camps

Mar 26th, 2010

As appeared in The Chronicle Telegram - article about our Ohio summer camps in Cleveland

Jul 13th, 2007

As appeared in The Chagrin Valley Times - article about our Ohio summer camps for kids and teens

Mar 8th, 2007

Testimonials From Carnegie Mellon University

What Parents Are Saying

“This was a wonderful camp. The camp director was very personable, qualified and was always well prepared. I felt very comfortable dropping my son off each morning because I knew he would be taken care of and that he would have a wonderful day. We will be back next year for sure. Dara H., parent, Carnegie Mellon University

“My son LOVED his experience at camp. In addition to having the best tech experience of his life, he also scored the first soccer goal of his life (and then two more!!). Lauren R., parent, Carnegie Mellon University

“I was very impressed with the staff: excitement and energy. All were very engaging with the students and encouraged each student to achieve his/her very best. We will return next year!!! Lisa M., parent, Carnegie Mellon University

“My son’s “what I want to be when I grow up” ambition is currently to be a robotics engineer. iD Tech Camps gave him an opportunity to explore and learn about building robots, while having a ton of fun! Bethany S., parent, Carnegie Mellon University

“This is a wonderful program for those children who are considering pursuing tech related fields as a career or major in college! Thanks!  Breanna/Chris M., parent, Carnegie Mellon University

What Campers Are Saying

“iD Tech Camps is great for everyone because you don’t need to know anything about virtual design beforehand. Plus, you make friends and take part in physical activities every day. I recommend iD Tech Camps for everyone because it’s not just some summer camp…it’s a memory that you will hold on to for your whole life. Joe R., student, Carnegie Mellon University

“An immersive camp that brings students closer to whatever engine/program he/she desires to be involved with. Max K., student, Carnegie Mellon University

“Before this camp, I had no prior knowledge about how to create a game. But, once I got started, I began to learn all there was to know about Unreal Engine 3, and how to make awesome games. I would recommend this course to anyone… Greg T., student, Carnegie Mellon University

“If I could rate the overall experience better than “Great,” I would in a heartbeat. This is the best summer camp in existence. Stephen C., student, Carnegie Mellon University

“This place is the BEST camp I have ever been to! Why? You get to do stuff that a real game designer does. For example, you get to use advanced software to create your own game. Now lets not even talk about the food! The food is fabulous! Andrej M., student, Carnegie Mellon 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)