May 27th, 2011 by: Audrey
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
February 28th, 2011 by: Audrey
A crusade that started with Katie Goldman is being picked up by iD Tech Camps. 7-year-old Katie was teased for carrying a Star Wars water bottle – something that was “only for boys.” Her story quickly went viral, and supporters from every corner of the web chimed in to let her know that she was not alone. In her honor, iD Tech Camps has created a Girls in Technology scholarship to encourage girls to pursue anything that they love – be it Star Wars or technology – and to dispel the myth that certain things are “only for boys.”
iD Tech Camps is a summer youth technology program that offers courses in game design, iPhone® app development, web design, programming, filmmaking, robotics and other subjects. Students learn in small classes (average size 6, maximum 8 students) during weeklong sessions at 60 prestigious universities nationwide. At the end of each week, students put their tech skills to the test by completing a challenging final project.
But the final project is just the beginning – iD students take what they’ve learned back into the real world and keep building on their skills. Katherine, for instance, is an inspirational camper who learned animation with Maya® at one of iD’s Los Angeles summer camps held at UCLA, and went on to win 1st place, place and “Best of Show” at a statewide film festival. With the Girls in Technology scholarship, iD Tech Camps aims to produce more role models like Katherine who show that girls and technology are a winning combination.
For its 2011 summer camp season, iD Tech Camps awarded the Girls in Technology scholarship through Starlight Children’s Foundation™ to Anna Kimmel, 13, of Eagan, MN. She is an impressive student who uses technology to break through boundaries daily. Born with arthrogryposis, Anna started using computers before she was three for adaptive speech. Now she uses a laptop at school every day, interfacing with a smart board to write and participate in all of her classes.
Anna is an example of how stereotypes, gender and otherwise, don’t hold. “Anna’s life thus far has been about fighting assumptions – just because she’s in a wheelchair, doesn’t mean she isn’t extremely smart and capable,” says Anna’s mother. “And technology comes intuitively to her – she’ll get a new computer and just figure it out. She teaches me how to do things on my iPhone. She loves technology and explores it every way she can.”
Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech Camps, seconds Anna’s mother. “Part of iD Tech Camps’ mission is to make sure that everyone understands that tech camp is a creative, vibrant environment. Girls don’t feel bored or excluded, they learn cool skills that are very necessary in today’s high-tech world.”
If iD Tech Camps has anything to do with it, the force will be with Katie – the force of a tech-savvy generation of girls.
ABOUT STARLIGHT CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than 25 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation™ has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.
February 28th, 2011 | Tags: girls in STEM, scholarships, STEM education, video game design
Posted in: iD Tech Camps
