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December 7th, 2011 by: Pete-V
My father is an incredible photographer. I remember being very young, smelling the chemicals from his improvised dark room – a staple of just about every weekend in my house. He has an unimpressive Pentax (maybe Nikon) SLR from the 60′s that he used to capture some vibrant and sobering imagery from the Vietnam War, particularly of children playing or talking to soldiers.
The Sunrise in New Orleans, by Pete Vigeant
I grew up with this level as the standard of photography and I can’t remember not having a camera of my own. Unfortunately, for years I was never able to get the same level of detail or focus in my photos. I was given an endless array of basic film cameras that (at first) had no focus at all or handled everything automatically. And these were film cameras, meaning that every photo cost money and was taken with a large dose of mystery. I remember sitting underneath a race track trying to get a single photo of a Hot Wheels car flying through the air… I never saw that picture, which likely means that by the time I got the film developed, I was stuck with a couple of ceiling shots that made no sense.
I met several photographers in college. They had similar cameras to my father and spent endless hours taking photo after photo, nervous that the exact shot they need wasn’t going to make it to film. As an outgoing dynamic performer, I was the subject of many long and tedious shoots – solidifying my concession that I would never be a male model (yes, that was my decision and I’m sticking to it!)
The Riverboat, by Pete Vigeant
Near the end of my college career, I took an Adobe Photoshop class. I had already used Photoshop a million times, but on a very shallow level. The professor had taught photography for over a decade and completely quit film in the early 2000′s, much to her peer’s dismay.
“A revolution is coming,” she told us, “The revolution of digital.”
I marveled at the power of Photoshop and I believed her that digital was the future, although my photography friends argued otherwise.
Eventually, I was given a digital SLR from my wife. It’s the greatest camera I’ve ever had – and I’ve always had a camera. Finally I was able to take the photos that I saw in my head. I can review the pictures instantly and still have advanced control over my scene – although I’m still (after years) fuzzy on all of the functionality. Truth be told, if I could take the class at iD, I would!
New Zealand - Mount Tongariro, by Pete Vigeant
I can experiment in ways I never could with film and bring my pictures to a new place using tools like Photoshop. In general, though, I don’t even need to get that far – I have the ability to take stunning memories and capture them the way I remember (like a pensive!)
Anita on a Pumpkin, by Pete Vigeant
I don’t think it’s likely that I will ever out-photograph my father, but because I am committed to documenting my world, my family and friends will remember the world from my point of view – and I will be able to share that point of view exactly as I want.
December 7th, 2011 | Tags: adobe photoshop, digital photography, photography, Photoshop, summer camp, summer photography class
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, Summer Camps
August 19th, 2011 by: Audrey
With August drawing to a close and school just around the corner, it may feel like summer is over. Unless, of course, you’re an iD Tech Camps student. For that exclusive group, the fun of summer camp extends all year round.
How? iD’s free online workshops!
Every month, iD students registered for the current season and alumni of the previous season get exclusive access to a series of free online workshops. The workshops allow students to keep up the skills they learned at camp and explore new STEM technology directions, all with the guidance of a live iD instructor. The free workshops have been offered since the fall of 2009, and past topics have covered everything from video game design to Android apps and web design.
For August 2011, the workshop offered covers the basics of PHP, one of the most common web scripting languages used today. A live instructor will run the online workshop, starting with an overview of the subject, continuing on to demonstrate PHP techniques, and closing with a Q&A opportunity.
All workshops are held on Saturdays, and students interested participating must RSVP to workshops@internalDrive.com by the Friday the week prior to the workshop. To see updated information on what free online workshops are coming up, visit the Year-Round Learning page.
Still worried about summer camp withdrawals? Check out iDTech365.com for another cool way to extend the iD experience. The new subscription service will launch in November, but you can take a sneak peek now!
August 19th, 2011 | Tags: free online workshops, id alumni, idtech365, summer camp
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers, iD Tech Camps
June 29th, 2011 by: Elise
Rollins sprouts tech kids
By Amy Simpson
Throughout the summer, students on break from school will spend many hours in front of a computer. But one group isn’t playing video games or surfing apps; they are learning to create them.
For beginners and tech-geniuses alike, iD Tech Camps offer students ages 7-17 the opportunity to spend a week learning how to create games, programs, apps, websites and more. More than 200 will participate in the camp held at Rollins College this summer, and even more will attend at one of the other 60 universities around the nation…
Click here to read more about our summer camps in Orlando
June 29th, 2011 | Tags: summer camp, teen summer camps, video game camp
Posted in: Emory University, iD In The News, Rollins College, University of Miami
May 21st, 2010 by: Josh
Big news at Columbia and another Rendezvous Dilemma!!! Hey guys! I just got back from a whirlwind trip to the East Coast, visiting some of iD’s most prestigious locations, Princeton and Columbia. Mainly, I was there to put some finishing touches on our lab spaces at both. Our big news is that due to popular demand, we are adding two weeks to our schedule at Columbia!!!
Also, while at Columbia, I had another amazing chance rendezvous, similar to when I ran into Jen at OSU. However, this one involves one of my oldest friends ever, Jon B. who I met at summer camp(!) just before my first year of kindergarten (which was with him as well)! When I ran into him, he was on duty as a Columbia EMT, safety first!
Below is a then and now comparison, the first is of myself (right) as a lobster and Jon (left) as a fish during a 1st grade school play, the second is of our encounter at Columbia:
Again, I’ve decided to calculate the odds of us randomly running into each other. I’ve made some adjustments to my original equation to suit this scenario. First of all, (for the purposes of this study) we are eliminating the odds that Jon could have ended up anywhere else; the program he is in is highly specific and his choice to enroll was deliberate, so his relationship to Columbia and NYC is given. It is also given that Jon will be spending a significant amount of time publicly traversing the campus as an EMT shift-worker, we will assume that he is working part-time (as being a Ph.D. candidate is a lot of work!) which is standardly 20 hours per week. This equation is much simpler then my original as I’ve reduced almost all of the variables to time and space;
(FYI – All of Jon’s assumptions are contrived, I have no idea what Jon’s actual work hours and habits are!!!!)
We are still missing one thing. Just as we started the equation with the odds of Jon being on campus at a given time, we must also consider my timing on campus. Of the 40 potential work week hours that my visit may occur, only a portion would involve a public part of the campus (as I’m typically behind doors in meetings in the pre-season). I’m going to estimate that variable at half an hour.
Below is the final solution. Sorry for mixing decimals and fractions below (don’t you hate that?), I’m hoping that it may help some people visualize the variables:
Though the solution is an extremely small number, this is significantly higher than the probability of running into Jen at OSU (which was taken to the power of -26). However, with an entirely different equation it isn’t nearly apples to apples.
Can anyone do better? I’m sure there are lots of ways to solve this! Bonus points if you can create an equation that isn’t limited to specific geographical scenarios (as mine are). E.g., it wouldn’t matter whether the rendezvous occurred at one of our Florida summer camps, or one of our Illinois summer camps, or even one of our Vancouver summer camps, it would still employ all the same variables and constants.
May 21st, 2010 | Tags: alfred lerner hall, lobster, prestigious locations, summer camp
Posted in: iD Tech Bloggers
January 27th, 2010 by: Pete
On the heels of the 2009 summer camp season, our team huddled together in our office in Silicon Valley and we hit on a major theme moving forward. 2009 was a tough year for many companies–and this was true for lots of camps out there–computer camps, sports camps, any type of summer camp, really. We fared better than most. Some camps are no longer standing. We’re still standing–and we might say, thriving. And we’re appreciative.
We made a little money. We tightened the belt while still running amazing camps. But we still had this feeling that we wanted to take our company to a whole new space. We thought, “We worked hard to survive the Great Recession, so how can we thrive in 2010? What are we going to do differently to take it to another level?”
One of our initiatives? POSITIVELY OUTRAGEOUS SERVICE. Southwest Airlines is one of my favorite companies…and we already have a bit of a whacky culture anyways. So, we stole the POS acronym from them. (Full disclosure.) But I cannot expect my staff to provide POS if I don’t live it myself. Today, I made Cuban coffee for the team and went around the office with a cart.
That's me, serving my Client Service manager.
We don’t want to feel good about what we’re doing. We want to feel great about it. Most of our moms, dads, campers and staff know that we have a passion for service, but we always think we can do better. In this case, I think my team was excited about the fact that I would go out of my way to make them coffee, and serve it to them personally. They didn’t ask for it, and didn’t expect it. And that’s the basis for how we define POS.
It looks staged, but they truly loved the coffee.
OK, back to POS. Here are some things we already do. We’ve been doing things this way since iD was born. It’s just part of our DNA:
- We don’t have a phone tree. When you call us up, our benchmark is to pick up the phone within 3 rings.
- I personally don’t have an office. I sit with the client services group. It keeps me in the know, and close to our clients. It allows me to listen, and to act fast.
- When a client emails us, I expect the email to get answered the same day. Max 24 hours.
- Out at camp, we expect personalized diplomas from our staff.
- We expect our summer staff to assist with luggage for our overnight campers.
- We expect our technology instruction to be energetic, informative, and unlike anything the students have done before.
These are simple examples of some of our current expectations–and things we do very well already.
So, where do we want to go this year? Here’s what Positively Outrageous Service means to us:
- We know we want to routinely perform “the unexpected.” (Think delivering coffee at 3 PM on a random afternoon!)
- We want people to talk about our organization and our brand. (The CEO of iD made coffee and carted it around!)
- We don’t want to pre-define POS in concrete terms. It limits our creativity. (What will I come up with next?)
- We do, however, want to illustrate samples of POS for our internal departments and summer staff, so individuals can visualize what the possibilities are.
- We want our employees to feel empowered to deliver POS–to take some risks and have fun along the way. (It was fun today. It gave people a reason to laugh.)
- POS can come in many forms, but the bottom line is to thrill the client in new and unexpected ways. (It is OK to thrill your employees too!) Sometimes it might cost a few dollars to make a client happy. But it is not about money. Is is about going the extra mile on behalf of the client or camper–and not treating them like another number or commodity.
POS, to us, is something that comes to our team naturally. It doesn’t bend us in unnatural ways. We can only deliver POS if we already have a strong culture of service–and if all the people in the company “get it.” So, be careful who you hire! We have an awesome foundation already. The team has to want it, and understand it. And be smart enough, and sensitive enough, to deliver it.
I am meeting with my client service group weekly to ask each individual how they have delivered POS. I want to see the proof. I want the stories. And I want people to talk about us. This attitude extends out to our summer camps as well. The spirit of service is partly why we survived 2009, and will thrive even more in 2010. A lot of companies talk about great customer service. Most of it is blah blah blah, right. Truly, few companies get it. We do.
And, if you have any doubts about POS, please remember this. You can always call Captain Curry. The Captain heads up our Client Services group. Really. Don’t believe me? Give us a call. We’ll pick up in 3 rings or less. If we don’t, I owe you a coffee!
Hope to see you out at camp!
Sincerely,
Pete I-C
Captain Curry delivers POS
January 27th, 2010 | Tags: computer camps, summer camp, Summer Camps
Posted in: CEO's Blog, Summer Camps
April 23rd, 2009 by: Pete
iD Nation,
We’re rounding the corner to Summer 2009. Our camps are thriving right now, and interest is at an all-time high for our summer computer camps. But what makes a camp unique? What makes iD Tech Camps unique? SImply put: It’s people. Check out a few of the cool photos from a few of the very cool and creative people that are responsible for bringing iD Tech Camps to you.
A company that celebrates its employees is a company that thrives.
From our team of Regional Managers, Client Services Representatives, Admin folks, Field Services, IT and Marketing…the best team in the camp business is counting down the days until summer. We are ready for an amazing summer. Climb aboard!
-Pete
April 23rd, 2009 | Tags: computer camp, computer camps, summer camp, Summer Camps
Posted in: CEO's Blog, Summer Camps
April 13th, 2009 by: Pete
It is always fun to keep tabs on former iD Tech Camps employees. Bryan used to work in accounting, but several of our people still keep in contact with him. It is also a good idea to keep tabs on MC Hammer. It looks like he is doing well.
This is pretty much a random post–although it should be mentioned that the “Can’t Touch This” video blazed the trail with superior cinematography–the kind of music video kids can get a taste for creating in our Digital Video camp course at iD Tech Camps. (The plug had to happen!)
Can’t touch this! Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh…
Bryan hanging with MC Hammer
April 13th, 2009 | Tags: digital video camps, summer camp, tech camps
Posted in: CEO's Blog, Do Something Big
April 10th, 2009 by: Pete
Don’t get me wrong, I love running summer camps, but my wife gave me the night off last night and I hit Blowfish Sushi with DJ Roque (one of our awesome new client services representatives at iD Tech Camps).
Roque let me take over the tables and taught me a lot about music and the industry. Heck, we run a summer camp, so I hope I know how to have some fun. I must say, the crowd was hopping and the transitions were pretty smooth. Roque was nervous at first-especially after about 30 people left the place (it was like a small exodus) but my natural Maltese-Irish-American rhythm was on display and it’s something you either have, or you don’t. I quickly hit my groove, and even Roque decided to get up and dance. “Play that funky music, Pete Boy” the crowd chanted. I turned it up and the rest was history. Or infamy.
Roque sent out a few pics to the company this AM and here are a few comments. Thanks for your support, folks. Based on all the enthusiasm and fan support, you just might find me bringing down the house in a location near you! It feels good to be the first CEO / DJ ever at Blowfish Sushi. We did make history.
“We need this on the blog, this is awesome!! Great pic!”
“Get down Pete! You look like a natural!”
“DJ PETE ROCK specializes in providing professional services for a variety of special events from Wedding Receptions, School Dances, Corporate Events & Private Parties!”
“So I guess this means you’ll be officiating, cooking and dj-ing at our wedding. Sweet! What other hidden talents do you have that I can utilize?”
“And Barack thought he was cool! Ha!”
“Did you just get out of jail?”
“Who dresses you?”
“You are totally faking it.”
“When you started, there were 100 people on the dance floor. Three minutes into it, I thought they had closed the club. But the cleaning crew appreciated getting out of there early.”
It is all about the Facial Expressions
You got it or you don't
April 10th, 2009 | Tags: music dj, summer camp, Summer Camps, tech camp, tech ceo
Posted in: CEO's Blog
March 17th, 2009 by: Pete
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Nina started the day off right by playing a jig/reel every hour on the hour from the hallway. You should have heard this place! The only time things went silent today was when Nina had to sneak off to the dentist.
Nina playing a jig
Not to be outdone, we had two of iD Tech Camps new Client Services representatives get into the spirit as well! Side note, I checked back in with them at 4:45PM today and they still had their hats on. Good stuff, guys! This proves you can work, have fun, and still run the best summer computer camps in the country. Keep it up team!
The CS Team is into it!
Janine and Roque showing their spirit
March 17th, 2009 | Tags: computer camps, summer camp, Summer Camps
Posted in: CEO's Blog
February 13th, 2009 by: Donna
You may have already heard the news, but just in case you haven’t, iD Tech Camps has expanded to several new locations for our 2009 season! Recognizing the importance of exposing students to the wonderful world of technology, the arts, science, and beyond, we’ve also introduced the iD Programming Academy for teens ages 13-18. Students in this program will stay at Stanford University, learn from and personally work with industry professionals and real NASA researchers.
Be sure to check out our new and exciting locations, listed below. Our goal was to both respond to parent and student feedback about where they’d like to see our camps and simultaneously spread out to new and awesome areas.
• Stanford University -New Programming Academy
• Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO
• Wesleyan University in Middleton, CT
• Rollins College in Orlando, FL
• Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN
• University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS
• Long Island Summer Camp in Long Island, NY
• New York University (NYU) in New York, NY
• Ohio State University in Columbus, OH
• American University in Washington D.C.
• McGill University-New iD Film Academy Location in Montreal, Quebec
We also offer Continuing Education Units for our teen students! Get a jump start on your college units at iD Tech Camps and our Teen Academies!
February 13th, 2009 | Tags: summer camp, summer camp locations, teen summer camps
Posted in: iD Tech Camps, Locations, Uncategorized
