New Graphic Design for Advertising Course Engages Girls in STEM
There’s a new way to tap into your creative side this summer – through technology. iD Tech Camps, a leader in summer technology education, is introducing a brand new course that combines hot industry software with digital media design concepts: Graphic Design for Advertising.
The new class is the summer education company’s response to a low number of girls involved in STEM. Recent stats are worrisome – only 20% of degrees in fields like engineering and computer science are earned by women. A 2010 study by the American Association of University Women researched the factors that contribute to this imbalance, and chief among them are (1) girls’ low self-assessment of their STEM aptitude, and (2) a lack of engaging STEM coursework at a young age.
The new iD Tech Camps course addresses both issues, encouraging students to branch out and develop core technology skills while showing them the hands-on, real-life applications of their skills. Designed to appeal to all creative types, the Graphic Design for Advertising curriculum explores the inventive side of technology and reveals the artistic applications of STEM skills.
Students ages 10-17 will cultivate a strong foundation in Photoshop® and Illustrator® as they learn how to design advertising essentials such as logos and business cards. Students also experiment with Wacom® pen-tablets and Spore™ Creature Creator to fully develop their creative ideas. As in all iD Tech Camps subjects, the weeklong course culminates in a final project that shows off a student’s new abilities.
Past iD Tech Camps alumnae have used the STEM skills they developed at camp back in the real world with great success. Katherine, for instance, attended iD Tech Camps held at UCLA for multiple years and took courses in everything from video game design to programming. She discovered a passion for modeling and animation, and kept on creating short films even after camp was over. When her teacher convinced her to enter them into a statewide youth film festival, she walked away with 1st place.
Karen, who attended iD Tech Camps in Texas, took on a leadership role in her school’s literary magazine thanks to the Photoshop skills she gained from camp. As Art Chief, she leads her own team in editing photos for publication and mentors everyone in the functions of Photoshop – even her photography teacher!
Karen and Katherine both plan to continue their STEM educations, and even aspire to pursue their interests professionally. Katherine hopes to work as an animator at Pixar one day, and Karen dreams of traveling the world as a photojournalist. With the new Graphic Design for Advertising course, iD Tech Camps hopes to provide even more girls with the tech skills to realize their dreams.
May 27th, 2011 | Tags: 3D modeling with Maya, animation, girls in STEM, girls summer camp, graphic design, photoshop camps
Posted in: iD Tech Camps
