Both our son and daughter (ages 10 and 12) attended ID tech camp at Vanderbilt Campus this summer. THEY LOVED IT! My daughter was the only girl enrolled in the entire camp for that week and I was very impressed that ID Tech camp called ahead to let her know and give her the option to opt out or change weeks if that made her feel more comfortable. Our daughter (who is about as girly as one can get and NOT super techy) replied..."Of course I'm going mom. It's that much more important for us girls to be represented!" Security and the check-in, check-out process was top notch. I'm a very protective mother and I felt extremely comfortable with the safety of our children. I also felt communication from the moment I registered to the time we left camp was exceptional. It was easy to locate the camp on Vanderbilt campus due to the great computer directions and they also had signs at each cross road making it easy to find. Both my children took the game platform class which taught them how to create a game similar to those they love playing (Super Mario etc.) They found all of the counselors extremely knowledgeable and engaging. They had group and one-on-one instruction. Their classroom was set up in a campus building and it was very inviting with fun game posters and decorations throughout. Computers were fairly new and all working perfectly throughout the entire camp experience. I LOVED that they did not spend the entire time on the computers. The counselors did a fabulous job of creating social and physical games during breaks to prevent computer fatigue. My children met a lot of friends from all over the country this way. They especially loved the outside scavenger hunt. I also appreciated the positive motivation they provided throughout the week by allowing the kids to nominate other students (whom did something nice) and then the counselors giving them points for the good deeds. Ultimately all the campers received points for different reasons, but my kids were very excited to talk about their points. At the end of the week the points were 'turned in' for raffle prizes. I paid for the meal plan and my children were excited to eat in the Vanderbilt Campus cafeteria. They had plenty of choices there as it was a buffet and it was fun for them to get a feel of that part of a campus experience. They never came home hungry. The last day of camp included a small graduation where their instructor presented them with a certificate and also spoke about each individual child and what they had accomplished that week. My kids were beaming! They also received a zip drive necklace which contained the program and screen saver they had created. We also had an opportunity to visit the lab and tryout their games. Our kids had a wonderful time and are already asking about next year. Compared to other camps, this camp was pricey, but the reward of seeing our children engaged and excited was priceless! Kudos ID Tech. Keep up the great work! Kelly read more

Long time Yelp lurker who finally felt the need to sign up and comment... My 10 year old son spent a week as a day camper in "Game Creation - Arcade and Platform" at Bentley College this summer. The price was steep, but we decided to bite the bullet and give him a taste of what goes into the games he loves to play. In short, he had a blast, learned a lot and gained a lot of self-confidence. For the details, read on: From the first moment we entered the parking lot, we were extremely impressed at how energetic and engaging the counselors were. The kids seemed to warm up to them right away. In stark contrast with other, more sports-oriented camps, the campers in my son's group were *much* more interested in cooperation as opposed to competition with each other. The kids in my son's group varied from 10-15 years old, but they not only seemed to really respect each other's skills and areas of interest but also helped each other out and were genuinely interested in ensuring all their fellow campers succeed. There was not a hint of any kind of hierarchy. And whoever said "geek is the new chic" was right at this location - the campers all seemed to have their own individual sense of style...no cookie cutter appearances here! What a relief for my son, and I'm sure others who don't fit the classic 'jock' mold. As for the "tech" part of the camp - my 10 year old, who had absolutely no programming experience at all, was able to come to pretty decent grips with the programming environment, Clickteam Multimedia Fusion 2 Developer, and create 4...count 'em!... 4 levels in his arcade-style game in a week. He received all the support he wanted from the counselor in charge of this small group of campers and even assisted other older campers in how to use the software to create cut scenes. He was amazed at how fast he could progress, as was his counsellor and his parents! My son came away from the camp feeling like he had learned the software well enough to continue exploring it on his own, as well as about resources he could turn to for assistance. He gained a great deal of confidence in his computing abilities and a boost in personal self-confidence as well, due to the very positive, supportive atmosphere. The ultimate test, however, was when he was asked if he'd take another course at iDTech Camps. His instantaneous reply was "Really?! Can I sign up for another session?" (implying this summer). He already has a list of 2 or 3 other courses he'd love to take when he has the chance. Highly recommended, but as the yelp reviews reveal, this seems to vary widely by location. Bentley was a great location: easy to get to, convenient dropoff/pickup/parking and nice facilities for the campers. We will send him again next summer. read more

My 13 yo son attended the game platform day camp at Purdue. He had a GREAT time and he and I were both very pleased with the experience. He wants to go back next year and stay overnight. He has Aspergers, but had absolutely no problems getting along with the other kids. This is unusual for him. Usually he finds at least 1 annoying kid. He said everyone was nice and they came in all ready to do the same thing. This is the first activity I have EVER enrolled him in that there was not one annoying kid the entire week. This is huge!!! He did the meal plan, which was eating in a dorm cafeteria. I'm an alumni, so I knew the quality and variety of food was good. To the posters that were disappointed with the food on other campuses, I think you have to keep in mind that the meal plan is going to consist of standard dorm fare, and understand that ID Tech isn't going to have much control over the quality/variety. Some colleges have great dorm food, and some do not. Don't assume that the college's academic reputation has anything to do with the quality of their food. If that's important to you, do your homework on the food and consider choosing an ID camp at a different campus if your campus of choice has bad reviews. The instructors were great. All but one of the instructors was a grad student, and I believe the undergrad was a senior. I liked that they gave us a handout at the beginning with pictures and the backgrounds of each staff member. They all had a lot of very relevant experience, were friendly, and professional. Check-in, check-out was organized, and I appreciated knowing he was safe at all times. I loved that they took breaks during the day to play games & have some fun to blow off steam. They were outside every day I went to pick him up and he had a big smile on his face every time He was fully engaged in whatever game they were playing. Again, for him, this is huge!! He usually does not enjoy outside activities. I enjoyed the graduation ceremony at the end of the week. It was nice to see organized equipment and facilities. And again, since I am alumni, I knew exactly what to expect with my son's campus experience. Don't assume all campuses are created equal. The academic reputation of the college may have nothing to do with the physical surroundings. I would be hesitant to enroll my son for a camp on a campus that I had not already personally visited and liked. Overall, our experience was very similar to Kelly G.'s post, except of course he is a boy. We will be back next year! read more

My 13 year old son attended iD Tech Camp at Carnegie Mellon University in June 2011. This was his second year taking an iD Tech course and he loved it even more than last year. He was excited about taking FPS Game Design using the Unreal Engine Software because he was too young to take the course last year. He really enjoyed the camp and was excited to talk about everything he did each day when I picked him up. We live in Pittsburgh and my son attends a private school in the city that is very close to Carnegie Mellon, so we were very comfortable with their campus. Both of my children have attended other camps at CMU (including their C-Mites program) and we found the iD Tech Camps to be far better. The counselor in charge of my son's group was outstanding! He had the perfect teaching balance with teenage kids who are already very tech savvy. He knew how to get them started and show them what they need to know to create their game, but he was smart enough to let them go and allow them to explore the software on their own to challenge their ability to work through the process both technically and creatively. It has been difficult for us to find camps for our son because his main interests are computers and video games. It was so nice to hear him say that he enjoyed the camp not just because he got to create his own game, but also because he enjoyed being with other kids that were "just like him". We also appreciated how his counselor presented the camp certificates to each student with a very personalized message for each one. He told my son that he really showed a talent for this type of work and that meant a lot to him. We were very impressed with the game he created especially when he showed us the complicated tools he used to create it. We know that his ability to understand such a complicated process while making his game will help as he is presented with more challenging and complex work in high school. iD Tech Camp is the most expensive camp that my kids have every done, but I feel it was definitely worth it. read more

To sum it up in several words...It was a fabulous experience. In my son's words: "I loved it. It was so fun!" My 7 year old son is usually anxious in new settings, especially when he knows no one. The camp leaders stepped right up to him, introduced themselves and took him into the group. He was at ease instantly. He was so excited about camp everyday and could not wait to get back the next day to keep working on his project. I know his ideas were pretty grand prior to getting to camp. (He was planning a 3-D virtual on-line game). I was pleased to see that he was encouraged to downsize his ideas without feeling rejected or disappointed. He really liked his counselor (Allen) and even said that when he comes back next year, he wants to be in his class again! You have a good team in place at Rollins College in Winter Park FL. Tamika did an excellent job leading the team! All of the counselors seemed to interact with all of the kids, not just those in their own classes which gave a nice feel of togetherness. The only suggestion that I can provide it that when the kids' projects are put on the flashdrives that their names be written on the flashdrives or that the flashdrives be attached to the kids' name tags to keep them separated. My son, in his excitement to share his project with his friends, mixed up his flashdrive with someone elses. Thank goodness, Allen checked to make sure they had the correct ones before they left. This was the first experience we have had with a camp setting and are so glad that we chose Tech Camps. All in all it was a great experience for my son and for us as parents. We look forward to coming back next year! Thank you for all of your hard work. The preparation and training that you provide for your counselors and directors shines through the positive camp experience that is provided read more

My son has attended iD Tech Camps for the past 5 years, from the ages of 13 through 17. He went to the one at CMU in Pittsburgh. He has enjoyed every year of tech camp, and actually more and more each year. We received a grant for the first 3 years, but not the past two years b/c Pennsylvania's governor and "budget crisis" didn't allow us to receive a grant these past two years. However, he enjoys it so much that we just made sure to find a way for him to attend. He has created some wonderful games at camp, to the point where I'm amazed at his abilities! The instructors are wonderful, caring young men and women who go out of their way to help and guide the students. The certificates the students receive are personalized, listing their strengths and accomplishments. I would highly recommend iD Tech Camps to anyone! As we were leaving this year, for the final time since my son is 17 and won't be attending next year, he kept looking back at CMU and I said, "Why are you looking back?" He said, "I want to remember this place and how much I loved going to iD Tech Camp all these years and the beautiful school here." I felt happy, proud and a little sentimental. It was bittersweet. He/we loved and enjoyed every minute of that one-week period over the past five years, but sad that he has now "graduated" and our iD Tech Camp days are gone. I will always have a special place in my heart for iD Tech Camps, the instructors, the facility at CMU, and how my son loved it so much! read more

AMAZING PROGRAMS! Both my kids have been enrolled with id tech for 10 month they have tried both online and in-person. They both have learned so much. The online is really good experience some instructors are better that others but they do operate in small classes to make sure they can give the best experience. Recently we tried their winter camp in-person and my kids absolutely love it. We joined the camp in Santa Clara, CA and both my kids LOVE IT! My daughter said that her teaches is one of the best and most fun teacher she had. That is HUGE deal! I met some of the team and they are amazing. Even though it was a whole day my kids ended up not wanting the camp to end. But they also were very challenged with the projects. So that is really good. I highly recommend both online and in-person, but if you have an in-person opportunity- that is the BEST choice. The whole experience is just great! And the best part is after their camp - they have a graduation and the students gets to show the parents all the hard work they did the entire week. And honestly I don't see that elsewhere. So I give the stars for thinking of all the things that will make a camp really a great experience. It is just not fun my son did coding and it was a challenge and I see that as a positive. It means they are really teaching you some real stuff. Camp is a whole day camp ours was 9-5pm Lunch is provided (different restaurants everyday) We love it! read more

My son 14 year old Cole had a fantastic experience at iD Tech held at Adelphi University in New York, this past summer. He took both Intro Coding for Machine Learning and Cybersecurity and Encryption. His instructor, for both courses, Vince, went above and beyond to help Cole and answer the MANY questions he had!! Cole spoke VERY highly of him! And BELIEVE me, my son would have been very vocal about his opinion if he didn't like Vince or felt he wasn't a good instructor!! All of the counselors were great too, very helpful! Vince said Cole picked his brain for every ounce of information, LOL- Sounds about right! And that Cole was very determined to figure things out on his own as well! He said Cole should definitely continue pursuing work in the IT Field, because he could tell he had a passion for it and it will take him far! I was very impressed with what Cole learned in just one week. He loves All things related to IT and programming! They held a nice award ceremony at the end of each week where the instructor said some nice words about each student and handed them their certificate. We paid a little extra to get CEU's - continuing education units, so Cole could add that to his portfolio for college! If you're child is like mine, I would definitely recommend iD Tech summer camp! Thank you Vince and all of the other wonderful counselors and instructors! read more

My 12 year old son attended the C++ programming class at Vanderbilt University. I felt that the camp met or exceeded all our expectations. The instructors were knowledgable and well qualified to teach this course. Their approach was age appropriate, and kept the students fully engaged, even with widely varying student abilities. Security measures were a major concern with me; after the first day I was completely at ease due to the attention they gave to making sure the students were safe. I was concerned initially that the course would either be over his head, or so simple he wouldn't really learn anything. Instead, he was SO excited to go back the second day, and he seemed to genuinely comprehend what he was doing. He even used a pointer in his program! I couldn't believe they even approached that level of difficulty in such a short course. They also visited the campus bookstore, ate in the cafeteria, and toured some of the campus, giving the kids good exposure to what a college campus is like. My son is really looking forward to going back next year and learning more. I'm thrilled that he was able to learn so much of a very difficult subject in such a short time, and he wants to learn more! I'm very pleased with every aspect of this camp. read more

This summer was the third time my 15-year old daughter went to the idTech camp held at the University of Denver. Last year (2010) she did the 3D Game Design and liked the camp so much that on Thursday she asked me if she could go to the same camp the following week. Luckily we were able to send her to that one too and it really helped her finish the game she was designing. This summer (2011) she went for a week of Video Editing and Special Effects. She enjoyed this class a lot too and said she learned quite a bit about how to use Final Cut, the program that was used for the video editing. She wanted to stay for a second week again, but couldn't due to conflicts in her summer schedule. When I visited the camp I was impressed by the amount of computers that were available for the kids to use and the facilities where it was held. Both instructors that my daughter had were very knowledgeable in their subjects and provided a lot of support and help when she ran into trouble understanding something. The supervision (night and day) was superb and the extra-curricular activities were well-planned. She always asks to go back to this camp; she has made a lot of friends while there, learned a lot, and she just loves it! read more

This is the second summer that my grandson has been to iD Tech Camps (Cal State Sacramento) and this year he took a week of C++ programming and a week of Unreal Tournament game design. The C++ class project was a question/answer type of interactive game much like the earliest computer games. Not as elaborate as the version of Startrek I played on a timeshare computer in 1976 but it was just a matter of scale, not concepts. It's a start... The Unreal Tournament class was the highlight of the summer. Who doesn't like creating 'capture the flag' games? UDK software makes it possible. His project was fantastic. It's really amazing what a motivated kid can learn in a week. Next year he will be back for the Half-Life modding class. He is already talking about installing the tool kit. The success of these classes is dependent on the quality of the instructors. The few I have talked to are highly capable and really enjoy what they are doing. Kids can easily relate to them and they are able to present the material in a way that young people can understand. This is my first review on Yelp. I hope it is helpful. read more

Our 16-yr. old son took FPS Unreal Engine at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH) in July, 2011 & is already talking about what class he'll take next year! After reading some of the other posts, I think its important to recognize that computers & computer-related activities are the primary focus of the programs at idTech, although there was time to simply relax doing goofy outdoor activities, too. Registration was easy, communication was excellent, & we really appreciated the photos posted by idTech throughout the week as a means to allow us to share in our son's experience. The facilities were clean & safe; the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is that there was no air-conditioning -- so take a fan! The camp director & staff were well-educated & enthusiastic about the classes they taught, & when we picked him up, he shared the project he had created that week. Also nice was that during the concluding program, the instructors publicly recognized each student's strengths & encouraged them to continue building on the skills they learned at the camp. He'll be back next summer! read more

Last year was my grand daughter's first visit to iD Tech day camp at UC Berkeley and it was such a complete success for her, and for me, that we signed up for the 2011 camp as soon as the camp schedule was available. I felt secure about the care that was given to my grandchild as an individual. She is an Asperger's 15 year old and was able to enjoy every day of her day camp. Even though it was an 8 hour day she was excited and happy when I picked her up at the end of the day. The system that was used to insure that the children were safe and accounted for in arriving and at pick up put me at ease so that I was able to enjoy my time while she was in camp . All of the staff was upbeat and made us feel like we were in the right place. I would highly reccomend iD Tech to any one who is looking for a top quality, life experience for their child. I know we plan to attend every year. My grand daughter claims that it has changed her life. She sees a bigger picture. We feel like we are a part of "something big" read more

We sent my stepdaughter there for a week in the digital movie course. She really was excited to go but as a parent I was skeptical. The people on the phones at the company were nice and answered all of our questions. When we go there the staff was great. They checked us in and I liked that they immediately started talking to our daughter and got her engaged. They have a really solid check in process. Check out took a little longer the first day as a lot of parents got there at once and you have to dign out your student. I liked it as it made me feel safe. As for her movie, I was really blown away by what she did that week. She had a music video that she filmed and edited and it was awesome. All week she came home and kept talking about what she was working on and how great her instructor was. It's nice to see that they had female staff members as I think it helped our daughter feel more comfortable. This was a great experience and our daughter is now working on digital video projects at home. read more

If You're Looking For The Best Experience For Your Child - iD Tech Is The Absolute Best In The World! I started as a student in the summer of 2005 at Stanford, and got to learn programming in C++. My connection with my instructors was amazing, something that I would never have found in any classroom, ever. I later went on to become an instructor at Stanford University, and it was amazing. I felt absolutely well prepared for the first day of events when all the kids came to start learning, and having fun! I know that having these massive shifts from in person to online can be challenging for parents, children, and staff alike. What I can say is that the people who work at iD Tech really truly care about the success and impact that each kid will have during their time with the camp. I know that they will completely make it through this time, they are good people, and I am really happy that I got to dedicate some amazing months and years to being part of the iD Tech family. read more

I am 14 years old, and this summer was my third time at ID Tech camp. I have always had an enjoyable time at this camp the other times I went, back when I was around 6 and 7, but this time was different. Maybe because I'm older now, I'm don't know why, but I had what might have been the best week of my life there, and by the 3rd day I emailed my parents to tell them to sign me up for the rest of the summer! The classes are perfectly balanced in every way, not to hard but extremely engaging and satisfying, as well as not to short or too long. Same for the break sessions. But what really makes this place so special is the enthusiastic and capable instructors, all of whom have more than adequate knowledge and skills required for both teaching their classes and stayin' chill with us kids. Bottom line, the only reason for not sending your 8-16 year old kid here is if your not ready for them to beg you to bring them back. 20+/10 read more

Yes this camp is expensive, but like most things you get what you pay for and at IDTech you get a large number of high level pros in the subjects they are teaching. Another point is that the camp day last longer than the majority of other camps -- which means the kids have more time to really explore their subjects and software they are using. The kids eat at one of the Stanford Cafes where the Stanford students eat -- having seen the wide selection of items that are there it is hard to imagine not being able to find some thing that a child would love to eat. There is some not so healthy food, but there is also a very wide variety of fresh food and healthy choices. Our son started when he was seven and has had many fun years at IDTech -- some sessions there is a wider mix of ages but he has always had fun with the older kids! I suggest talking to the staff before the summer and learning more about this terrific camp. read more

My kids have been attending iDTech camps for the last three years and have always come away with a positive experience. They make new friends from all over the country. They get one on one time with instructors who are either currently studying a field in college that my kids are interested in or are working in that field. They learn all kinds of programming which makes them the computer gurus at their school. AND they get to visit colleges and experience campus life well before most kids in their quests for choosing a higher learning institution. My daughter just finished her first two week stint at iDTech with a gaming weekend between and, while she was exhausted and ready to come home, she had one of the "best time(s) EVER!" My kids recommend these camps and I feel confident that they are not only learning and having fun, but they are also well taken care of and safe while they are there. read more

This camp was great for my daughter. She took a video game creation course at iD Tech Camps last year. At first I was nervous about her attending camp at a University and also a technology camp. She was eager to go but I was not sure she would pick up on the information. After the first day, I knew I was wrong. She came home excited about her project, she was having fun and she really liked her instructor. She also really liked playing Guitar Hero during activity time. I noticed after camp that her confidence level had risen dramatically, especially with things on the computer. I would definitely recommend this camp to anyone looking for a fun educational summer activity. The tuition is not the cheapest but it was worth every penny. She is looking forward to going back this summer read more