The Tennessean

As appeared in The Tennessean June 2009

Tech camp brings real-life teamwork to video games

By Jamie Sarrio

Jordan Cammon always brings the conversation back to video games.
Like other passionate gamers, the 10-year-old wants to talk about the characters, the levels, the sequences and the challenges that make his favorite games so exciting. And this summer he’s in good company – working with other students to create his own computer games during iD Tech Camp at Vanderbilt University.

“I love to talk about video games,” he said, fidgeting in his chair. “Since I love video games so much, I wanted to make games.”

The weeklong camp is held every year at universities all over the country for students age 7 to 17 who want to learn how to create 2D and 3D video games. Sessions in Nashville will run through July 17, and the camp starts at $700 and goes up to $1,200 a week, if campers elect to stay overnight.
Counselors, who are given gamer nicknames like “Sonic,” work with students to teach them how to use new programs and make their own video games. There’s also camaraderie among students, many of whom have a rare passion for video games.

“A lot of these kids have no identity at their regular schools,” said Tracey Price, camp director. “Tech camp is a great place for them to come and do what they love instead of doing it at home alone.”

Younger students start simple by picking characters, scenic backgrounds and objectives – older students build 3-D role-playing games or enhance existing games to make them their own. There’s one instructor for every eight campers, so the instruction is very personalized, Price said.

No applications are required, and students are separated based on ability and age. That’s partly to prevent younger students from being exposed to video games that are too violent or mature, she said.

Kids get taste of college

Campers also get exposed to life on a college campus and future careers in computer programming, though many are too young to know what they want to do just yet. They also take frequent breaks from the screen to play outside and share jokes.

Ethan Sloan, an 11-year-old from Franklin, says the food – dining hall style – is also a perk. “I think I am learning life-long skills I can use later,” he said. “It’s really helpful.”

Mostly boys attend the camp, but a few girls, like Kyra Tyler, sign up, as well. Tyler, a 12-year-old David Lipscomb Middle School student, wanted to come to the camp because she loves to play alternative reality games, like The Sims. At this camp, she’s working on building her own. “Most of my friends go to cheer camp or the mall, and I’ll do that stuff,” she said. “But I’d rather do this.”

Copyright © 2009 The Tennessean. All rights reserved

The Potpourri Tomball

As appeared in the The Potpourri Tomball June 2009
While peers play games, 6th grader creates them in summer camp
By Anna Schuman

Northpointe Intermediate student Gabe Shah is creating a 15-level multi-player Mario computer game in his iD Tech camp.

When Gabe Shah returns to school in August, his friends might tell stories of places they visited in the summer, of sites they’ve seen, of games they’ve played, but few can say they have done what the 11-year-old has.

The soon-to-be sixth grader at Northpointe Intermediate said he wishes he could spend all day every day at iD Tech Camp, held at the University of Houston. In just a few days, he has learned to create, and has completed, his very own 15-level, multiplayer “Mario” computer game.

An avid game player, Shah has had his sights set on becoming a game maker and working for Jagex Games, an independent game publisher and developer based in England. He, like many of his peers, was already familiar with playing games, but now he knows how to make them as well.

Creating games, he said, takes a lot of creativity. He was given few guidelines about the type of game to create, so most of it is straight from his imagination. Not only do he and his fellow campers leave at the end of the week knowing they were able to create something, they get to take their game home with them.

“It’d really be cool if my friends could play my game, and think it’s really cool, then they can ask where I got it and I can say I made it,” he said. “I’m the only one who can say they’ve made their own game.”

Students like Shah, ranging in age from 7 to 18, can participate in iD Tech’s gaming, film and programming camps nationwide. Some students travel across the country to go to the camps, others from across the world.

Anela Wenger, the camp director at U of H, said one of Shah’s fellow campers flew in from Japan for two weeks to participate in the camp in Houston. Wenger said she believes the popularity, though Houston is one of the smaller camps, is due to the program’s reputation.

“Some people might be skeptical to send their kids to a camp where they play video games all day,” she said. “Yeah, they do play games, but here they create the games.”

An educator by profession, Wenger said she is amazed by the focus the campers have when they start their projects. When they are doing other camp activities, indoors and outdoors, and even during lunch, campers ask if they can go back to work on their projects.

There’s more to what the campers learn than just how to program computers, design and create games, she said. They also learn great problem-solving skills through the medium of game creation.

Shah plans to return to the camp each year, taking different classes at different levels, learning everything he can, and hopes to one day be among the college and graduate students who teach the camp classes.

He said people might think of people who love computers as nerdy, but he wants people to remember how Bill Gates got his start, and said he and future campers might be among the next Albert Einsteins and Bill Gates’ of the world. Until then, he plans to spread the word about his favorite camp and the importance of computers to everyone.

“They always say reading, writing and math are what you need to know, but I think everyone should know computers these days,” he said. “Kids don’t have to love computers to come to this camp, but I bet they will when they leave.”
Share the Experience

iD Tech Camps run at the University of Houston through July 24. For more information or to reserve your spot, go to www.internalDrive.com.

In addition to our other Do Something Big stories, Jake Petroules stands out because after only a year of attending iD Tech Camps, he’s developed some mighty big plans for himself including attending college and starting his own software company!

Read on to discover how iD Tech Camps helped to inspire this talented 17-year-old to develop a solid plan to reach his goals by providing outstanding technology training as well as a place to improve social skills!

Excerpt from interview with Jake:

iD: Which iD location did you attend?

Jake: Merrimack College in North Andover, MA

iD: What course did you enroll in?

J: 3D Game Design II

iD: What do you do for fun when you aren’t at camp?

J: I love to create software, play computer games, hike, bike, etc.!

iD: What’s your favorite computer game?

J: My favorite computer game is RuneScape, an MMO (like World of Warcraft) which I play often and have gotten to the top ranks of!

iD: What are your favorite things about our summer camp?

J: I loved how everyone was friendly and fun to be around. I also got a great introduction to what college life might be like by being an Overnight camper and living in the dorms then going to my class!

iD: Is iD a good place to make friends?

J: As I mentioned, everyone at iD was friendly and open, so it’s certainly a great place to make friends. I made a few new friends myself!

iD: What are your goals for the future?

J: After attending college, my future goal is to start a software company focused on game design from the start, then possibly branching off into general applications in the future.

iD: How has iD impacted these goals?

J: iD Tech Camps helped me further my skills in the field of game design and introduced me to some of the tools used in the game design industry, which will help me be better prepared for a possible future career in this field.

iD: Does coming to iD help you improve in other aspects of your life besides technology?

J: I think it certainly improves social skills. Everyone is encouraged to interact and everyone at iD is very friendly. Also, in my case, I was introduced to some new outdoor activities which were a lot of fun! I played my first games of Capture the Flag and Ultimate Frisbee at iD Tech Camps.

iD: Anything else you’d like to add?

J: I had a lot of fun at iD. My roommate was very friendly and easy to get along with, as were the other campers I interacted with at camp. Also, my teacher was one of the funniest people I’ve ever met! He was full of knowledge and was always adding some comedy to the iD experience–which made it all the better!

iD Tech Camps inspires kids and teens to take what they learn and experience at summer camp and apply it to their future. We spoke with Jake today to follow up regarding his college choices. We were excited to hear that he has already been accepted to Drexel University, Hofstra, Neumont and Wentworth. Good luck choosing your school Jake, we wish you all the best. Please keep us posted on how things go, we can’t wait to hear about your future success!

Learn more about our campers who have gone on to Do Something Big. Also, check out our courses and locations to find the best fit for you!