I think it is a fair question.  Here’s what I know.  My team and I care deeply and passionately about delivering the top summer technology camps in the country.  Are we perfect?  Absolutely not.  Are we a human business that needs to continually refine?  Absolutely.  Are we an inexpensive camp?  No.  But are we worth the cost?  Here is why I say “yes!”  And here are some of the reasons why we are the World’s #1 Tech Camp.

• Track Record.  We’ve been running technology programs since 1999, and we are entering out 14^th season.  When I started, I didn’t have any gray hair (now I have plenty)—but I knew that kids and teens were not getting the exposure to technology that would be necessary to compete in the new economy.  It was clear back in 1999.  It is even more clear today.  In 1999, my family set out to do things differently.  We’re still an independently run family company that defines quality on our terms.
• Personal Approach.  The iD Pedagogy is quite simple…we guarantee ratios of 8 students per instructor for personalized, 1-on-1 instruction.  Kids have different learning styles.  If you have 20 or 30 kids per educator, the end result is what you’d expect…you have to teach to the middle.   Likewise, if you are an educator and have a maximum of 8 students, you can deliver a whole lot better instruction, on a much more personal level.  It’s much more expensive to guarantee our small ratios—but the end result speaks for itself.  And when we say guarantee, we mean it.  If we go beyond ratio, you get a free week of camp.  Read more about the iD Guarantee.
• Risk Management.  Safety has to be job 1.  I am personally involved in developing our risk management training.  It evolves every season.  I ask myself one simple question… “would I send my own kids to iD Tech Camps?  Would I trust every staff member to care after my own kids?”  The short answer?  Yes.  And Yes.  Then we get to work.
• Software.  Anybody can go to the Web and learn just about anything these days.  But let’s face it, I am not going to spend 30-40 hours in a week teaching myself how to make iPhone Apps, learn Maya, edit in Final Cut Pro or program in C++ or Java.  It is great to have an energetic coach and role model who is passionate about teaching the specific software applications.  At iD Tech Camps, we teach the best of the best…products from Adobe, Apple, Autodesk, Microsoft, etc.  And staff better know their stuff!!
• Adult-Only Instructors.  Years ago, we bucked the summer camp trend.  We decided on a “No Counselors in Training” policy.  We just saw that too many camps were cutting corners by “hiring” 15 and 16 and 17 year old teens to actually be the counselors.    Imagine running a camp and not having to pay anyone to work there.  That’s how many camps cut costs.  We do things differently.  We seek out the best talents, pay them better than other summer programs, and attract (and retain) the best.
• Top University Locations.  A college degree is pretty much a must-have for the new generation.  It is important to get kids and teens thinking about college right now.  Expose them to as many university campuses as possible.  At iD, they can experience over 6o of the top Universities in the country.  Down the road, when it’s time to apply to college, they can make a more informed decision.  “Hey, I studied a week at iD Tech Camps Stanford, I really love the campus.”  “I got to spend 2 weeks learning programming at MIT.  I want to apply there!”
• Where Are the Jobs?  STEM-based jobs (those focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are some of the highest paid in the country.  And recently in January of 2012, CNN Money reported that college grads in this field are the top paid, and most sought-after grads in the country.  Take that to the bank!
• Top Workplace.  We’ve been named a Top Workplace by the San Jose Mercury News for the past two years.  It may seem like a just another award, but I know that happy staff = happy campers.  If our staff hated their jobs, what kind of camps would they deliver?  Likewise, if they love their jobs and love the iD mission, what kind of camps will they deliver?  It’s not math, but it kind of is.
• Continuing Education Units from Stanford.  Students who want to beef up their portfolios for college can purchase Continuing Education Units at ALL iD locations.  CEUs are accredited by Stanford Continuing Studies or Villanova University (depending on the iD program you attend).
• Culture of Excellence.  It starts with the little things.  Do we pick up the phone when you call?  If you email us, do we get right back to you?  When you drop off your student at camp, do you fee comfortable that we are on top of the details?   Are we delivering on our promises?  The answer should be “yes” to all of the above.  Talk is cheap.  We want to deliver on our promises.  That is the expectation.

I could keep going and going and going.  In the end, iD Tech Camps is really about bringing out the internalDrive in each student.  Did you know that is what the i and D stand for?  Yep.  internalDrive.  We hear from students every year… “I learned more at iD Tech Camps in one week than I learned in a semester at school.”   Maybe the reason is that we have built a culture that is un-school.  We package learning in a summer camp setting…so our students learn to love technology without feeling like they will be tested.  They can unleash their creativity without being competitive.

So, if you want to know if iD Tech Camps are worth the price, at least now you have heard from me.  I will never say we are a perfect summer program, bu we set extremely high expectations for ourselves–and that is part of the reason we have such a loyal following.  Feel free to leave a comment on my blog–I’d love to hear from you.  I hope to see you out there this summer, and I hope to start you on your path toward doing something BIG, like so many students have already done.

Yours Truly,

Pete

Last month, some of us here at the iD Tech Camps corporate office were able to take some time to volunteer with the Family Giving Tree organization. We look forward to this every year! So, we carpooled to the warehouse location, bundled up and got to work. Four hours later, we had sorted and wrapped hundreds of presents for delivery to Bay Area kids in need. And as usual, we had a great time in the process.

Now that we’re three weeks into January, it’s likely that you’ve put away your holiday decorations and bid adieu to visiting relatives. If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands now that you aren’t busy shopping for presents and stringing up lights, why not put a little of that time toward a good cause? Maybe you even made a New Year’s resolution involving philanthropy or volunteerism.

Just giving an hour of your time can make a difference that you may not even be aware of. Want to help but not sure where to start? Check out Volunteer Match or google “volunteer opportunities in [insert your city here]” – and you’re well on your way to making a difference in 2012.

Don’t have time to volunteer? You can still promote awareness of your favorite causes on social networking sites like facebook or LinkedIn. It appears Justin Timberlake caught the social networking bug and has big plans for revamping Myspace – so if you happen to still have an account, let your cause of choice be known there as well. If you’re lucky, Justin Bieber might even pop up!

Basic Hollywood knowledge suggests that robots will eventually take over the planet (see the Matrix, Terminator, i,Robot, 2001, etc). The only question for us lowly, carbon-based beings is when. Luckily, there are several steps along the way before automatons take arms against us that will make life pretty sweet (that is, of course, as long as the Grey Goo scenario doesn’t play out first).

1. You will never run out of milk.

Let’s get this out of the way – robots will do menial tasks for a long time before they start firing. Right now, robots are already cleaning our floors and vacuuming our rugs. Soon, they’ll be going out at 2am to make sure we have enough milk for breakfast – and I can’t wait!

2. The Earth will become significantly smaller.

Robots will allow for new forms of mass transportation that are virtually accident-free and completely automated. This allows you to constantly travel the globe without consideration of the normal time restrictions or hassles. In addition, you can always have a surrogate attend your meetings while you’re out and about, completely eliminating the need to stay stationary ever.

3. You will lose weight.

Although Wall*E alarmed us of the dystopian possibility of sitting around doing nothing and becoming fat slugs, I suggest that the opposite will occur. Without having to run around doing chores all the time, the average workday will include a significant amount of recreational time that can be spent on healthy activities. And I don’t mean boring treadmills – I mean full out sports simulations from partnerless tennis to a fully automated game of football. Personal training robotic assistants will be so common and so persistent that perhaps the revolution actually starts from their sense of empowerment… All of that extra exercise will come in handy once the revolution goes into full swing!

4. You will not need a kitchen.

Why have a kitchen, when a centralized super-kitchen serving robots only will allow all of your epicurean delights be met every day and night? Your robot will simply scoot off, gather precise amounts of the freshest ingredients, cook them to perfection and deliver them in the sealed warmth of their inner chamber – you know, the one that’s farthest away from the waste chamber.

5. No one will bully you.

Well, perhaps they will bully you, but you won’t have to take it for long! Robots will fight our battles for us, to the extent that fighting in general becomes completely pointless. Sure, there will be professional robot fights (ala Rock’em Sock’em Robots) but us regular folks won’t want to damage our expensive companions by pitting them against one another constantly. You wouldn’t smack someone in the face using an iPad, would you?

6. Your “bucket list” will appear much more ambitious.

Climb Mt. Everest? Sure. Learn another language? Why not 5? Do a handstand on 7 continents? No problem! Your robot dream team will always be there to make sure your every goal and need is being met – they’ll even identify goals before you do. You’ll never need to write another New Year’s Resolution, knowing that you’ll have a companion with you 24 hours a day dedicated to controlling you bettering your life.

7. You will never ever have to wait in another line again.

From getting a coffee to shopping during the holidays to Disney World, you will always have a robot there to jump into a queue and wait patiently for your turn. All you will need to do is listen for an alert and proceed to the front, where you will be served instantly. This is, of course, if you need to physically be present, because in many cases, your robot will simply deliver the goods to you as you need them. In fact, robots may be able to replace the need for your to physically be at a specific place at all…

8. You will never need to use a public toilet.

Being a robot is messy work and you will be the main beneficiary of that fact until, of course, the robot decides that enough is enough…

9. You will never have to see another lolcat.

With robots around, there will be more than enough memes centered around their zany antics to fill much of your digital humor inbox. 100% customizable creations that are free from cruelty protestations of the masses will make for some of the funniest bloopers on the web! There will be borderline hilarity when the robots start “misunderstanding” human desires in an attempt to subtly take over, before the facade drops completely and the human race is enslaved.

10. You will never be too far away from home.

Regardless of where you travel, your home will only be a short bit of manual (automated) labor away. No one needs a permanent piece of property when a robot will construct a perfect replica of your home (or office, or bedroom) wherever you desire. Time to move on? No worries! The robot will simply deconstruct everything as if the house was never there!

11. You will be a better artist.

For many of us, our artistic hopes were dashed the first time that we picked up a paintbrush – no matter how many classes or layers of color can produce exactly what’s in our mind. Other media offers similar results, particularly when I picture Cinderella’s Castle in the sand and get a crummy old shack instead. Robots will change all of that. If I want a 40 foot tall sculpture of Mr. Belding made out of limestone, my wish can be granted perfectly in a series of hours. Now that’s progress!

12. You will never have to hear Nickelback again. Ever.

The robots will take over music as well – at least formulaic pop-alternative. Sure, there will be human contributions, but they will be offering complexity and beautiful mistakes, concepts that are too counterintuitive for robots to comprehend. The entirety of pop music, however, from Gaga to Bieber, will be outdone by machines with perfect pitch, rhythm, rhymes and a lyrical body supported by every top 100 hit to nonsensically blather about love, parties, and misused emotional cliches.

While the coming Robopocalypse may seem terrifying, we have a long time to enjoy the perks before our extinction. And who knows? If you decide to hop on board the robotics bandwagon and help bring about this dismal future, you may be spared and even celebrated!

Anyway, I attend a conference every year called “Games for Change,” where professional designers, educators, programmers and more all gather together to figure out how to educate (and other things) better using games. This past year, Gabe Newell gave a talk about using Valve software in education – particularly centered around a game called “Portal 2.”

After the talk, I met with Gabe and talked with him about – no joke – iD Tech Camps. One of our most popular outdoor games is “Outdoor Left 4 Dead,” inspired by one of Valves best-selling franchises. He said that he’d love to play! Perhaps we can get him at iD as a zombie this summer?

ANYWAY, Portal 2 is an incredible game and a perfect way to learn level design and develop critical thinking skills. And it happens to be the subject of a one of our new courses – 3D Game Modding. But the most important part of this post is that the STEAM THANKSGIVING SALE is happening RIGHT NOW (please forgive the caps, this is important!). From the timestamp on this very post, you have roughly 15 hours left to buy Portal 2 for $10. For a little more than $11, you can get the original Portal as well!

So don’t just sit there – buy the game now! And, when you realize how amazing it is (perhaps one of the top ten games of the last decade), sign up for 3D Game Modding. You won’t regret it.

So, I guess it was only a matter of time before an Angry Birds movie was given the green light.  And for those wondering how a movie could possibly be made from such a straightforward concept, its creation appears to have some real firepower behind it with former Marvel Studios Chairman David Maisel tapped to handle overall production.  Maisel served as Executive Producer for Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and other recent Marvel projects.  Rumors of a full-length feature film have been running rampant for a while, but the movie has been officially confirmed.

Photo courtesy of Rovio.com

You wouldn’t be incorrect in saying that Angry Birds has fueled a lot of the excitement behind apps, both from a user and developer perspective.  Since Angry Birds first hit the smartphone, there have been countless games developed in a similar manner, mimicking much of the same gameplay and feel.  Those who have played the game have probably wondered how to build an iPhone app like Angry Birds because it’s addicting, yet seemingly so simple.

Of course, Angry Birds isn’t the first “video game” to move to film – there have been many successful crossovers, most notably Tomb Raider, Prince of Persia and the successful Resident Evil franchise.  It might not even be the first app rumored for movie treatment, as popular Facebook game Mafia Wars could also be headed for the silver screen.

With that said, Angry Birds is sure to be the most popular app to movie transformation, setting the stage for other games to follow suit.

I was really interested in how a game is made outside of the computer lab – from the idea; to gathering a team; to pouring your talents into something you love. My favorite course at iD Tech Camp is Game Creation: Arcade & Platform because I love Super Mario Bros., Sonic the Hedgehog and LittleBigPlanet (as well as Terraria!) There is so much you can do with a 2D game and I’ve never seen two iD game projects created in Multimedia Fusion that are the same. Anyway, I hope that this interview inspires everyone to follow their passion and create something awesome!

There is no such thing as an educational game. Wait, that’s wrong. What I mean to say is that Every game is an educational game. Even Farmville. The question is not, “Can people learn from games?” but instead, “What do people learn from games?”

And it turns out, I have a lot of answers to that question.

Field Games for Change

I recently attended the Games for Change conference in New York. Researchers, educators and designers talked up games as the secret sauce to engage 21st century learners and save our educational system (as well as tons of other incredible aspirations). For the most part, however, the topic was screen-based video games. Board games can’t change people? How about sports or field games?

My training in outdoor activities is largely influenced by the experiential and adventure education movement. Outward Bound and Project Adventure, among many other organizations, use group games as a way to teach problem solving, collaboration, team work, trust and character development. I bring games to iD that encourage unique and positive social experiences, a tactic that creates a comfortable environment for collaboration and friendships. Some of the games are used to spice up the imaginations of the campers and expose the young designers to new dynamics that can be integrated into project work.

The campers will likely mention “fun” as the main quality of the games, but I include that as a prerequisite for all “games.”

Another type of game that occurs at iD that is not necessarily screen-based is iDX. This Colors War variant pits all of the camps in a battle to get the most points by the end of the season. Each camp is placed on one of four teams and campers earn points by completing self-guided activity sheets. These challenges give campers an opportunity to self-organize and take leadership positions while attempting to set world records on Record Setter (formerly URDB). I believe that iD Tech as a whole has over 60 standing world records, but the summer is only half complete.

Formerly VGC

Every now and then I get to cameo for a week as an iD instructor. My favorite class to teach used to be called “Video Game Creation,” now is called “Game Creation – Arcade & Platform.” I also taught “Adventures in Game Design” which has similar content aimed at a younger audience. These are really core classes of iD Tech – classes that have been sell-out landmarks for over a decade. Anyone that has taught these classes would readily agree that learning how to create a game helps teach essential universal concepts that everyone needs.

My campers would start with a plan.

We turned off the screens and brainstormed about what kind of games to create. What is the story? Who are the characters? Why is this fun? The young designers would sketch out the project early on, so they could continue to refine it over the week and leave with a blueprint for further development.

My campers had to learn about UI.

The user interface of most computer programs, from the way that drop down menu items work to learning about icons and how to find exactly what they do, is based on universal conventions – meaning that if a user can master Adobe Photoshop, then they can figure out how to use with a novice proficiency any other piece of software. I had campers that could not confidently read, yet could manipulate Photoshop and Fusion without a single issue.

My campers learned about coding.

Neither class I taught contained any true coding, only action and reaction statements that are made in a graphical and easy to comprehend way. The campers did, though, learn about the fundamentals of creating a program, particularly that someone had to create every little aspect of their favorite games. Campers from iD leave looking at games in a whole new way, possibly encouraging them to further explore more complex systems.

My campers learned about story.

I would constantly ask my game creators what the story was – “What are you trying to tell?” I’m sure they got sick of it! The outcome, however, was that instead of simply making something that was “cool,” the campers were able to relate a comprehensive narrative that slowly built to a climax and had a conclusion.

There are many other abstract ideas that my campers encountered, whether creating art assets, learning how to use a camera or tablet, creating a linear storyboard, or collaborating over a large group project, as well as any camper that happened to be lucky enough to take a course at iD Tech.

Good for Gaming

I sat through the Games for Change conference listening to people that desperately want to integrate gaming into curriculums and had to smile. I am lucky enough to serve a summer camp (that still has last-minute camp openings for July and August sessions!) that has understood the power of gaming (whether on the screen, table or field) for over 10 years! iD Tech doesn’t treat gaming as simply a frivolous time waster, nor needs to use gaming as an engagement trick. Games are like a shared language that the iD audience speaks; and through this communication method, we are able to give our campers tremendous learning opportunities for life.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) –  Campers are working hard at creating video game and websites.

Director Katie Taylor said that the camp doesn’t just focus on a single kind of game.

“We have a variety of classes offered. Everything from game creation, arcade and platform, to programming C++ and Java and designing FPS games which are First Person Shooter games, and also role playing games,” said Taylor.

Campers enjoyed the experience of meeting and collaborating with others who shared their interests.

“It’s just so much fun to learn how to do everything and make your game so your person can run around in it and play with other people,” said camper Nolan Risse.

Campers collaborate on games, websites: wlfi.com

What do Bay Area’s Top Workplaces awards, Nerf guns and bubble wrap have in common? iD Tech Camps. We’ve got ‘em all, and we’ve got lots of ‘em.

Our company culture is all about providing POS (Positively Outrageous Service) – for our students, and for our co-workers. That special iD blend of work and fun at our summer camps? It flows from the top down.

“Between Nerf gun fights and bubble wrap pranks, we all set and meet really cool goals,” says iD Tech Camps Client Services Manager Patrick Hile. “There’s nothing better than making a difference in kids’ lives.”

This company culture is part of what catapulted iD Tech Camps into the Bay Area’s Top Workplaces list for the second year in a row. The Top Workplaces awards are compiled annually by the Bay Area News Group, publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, and based on confidential employee surveys. With questions covering leadership, career opportunities and company values, the surveys take a comprehensive look at workplace culture and conditions. Only 65 companies made the list this year, and iD Tech Camps placed 7th in the Small Companies category.

Why are our employees so happy? The same reason that we’re the World’s #1 Tech Camp. We’re a family-run company, and we focus on quality. We never cut corners. We push our students to do something BIG, and our employees know that they’re a part of something big.

How big? Try 20,000 trees big. We’ve gone green in our mission to educate the next generation with essential STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills. This year marks the start of One Camper One Tree, an initiative that works with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant one tree for every camper in the 2011 season. And with over 18,000 trees already planted, we’re close to hitting our 20,000 tree goal for 2011. Our ultimate target is to recruit other camps to the initiative and plant one million trees by 2015.

“It feels great to work for a company that so obviously cares,” says Karen Thurm Safran, VP of Marketing & Business Development. “Everyone is highly motivated – who wouldn’t want to help educate kids, or plant trees?”

This strong motivation translates into an unparalleled summer program for students.  With energetic instructors and a solid corporate support structure, the iD experience is about hands-on technology, cool projects and ridiculously fun Tech-Reation.  And maybe the occasional whipped-cream pie in an instructor’s face.  After all, the shenanigans can’t be confined to the main office.

• Arizona State University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Purdue University
• Rollins College
• Southern Methodist University
• St. Edward’s University
• UC Berkeley
• Washington University
• University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
• University of Denver
• University of Houston
• University of Miami

Check out cool camp photos from our video game design camps, app development camps, web design camps and other gifted summer programs.

It’s all about the Tech at our Emory University summer camps.

Outdoor fun at Carnegie Mellon University camps.

University of Denver students serenade their instructors during a talent show.

Students play Apples to Apples at kids summer camps held at the University of Houston.

Relaxing with some air hockey at Tempe summer camps held at Arizona State University.

Hanging out at Texas summer camps held at the University of Houston.

Girls have fun with technology at Washington University summer camps.

Emory University students get ready for a fun day of kids summer camp.

Hanging out before a video game design course at the University of Miami.

Students at our University of Denver summer camps get ready, set…

And go!