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Ask Slashdot: Setting Up a Summer Camp Tech Center?

Posted by timothy on from the wish-I-was-the-right-age dept.

First time accepted submitter michaelknauf writes "I'm running a large summer camp that's primarily concerned with performing arts: music, dance, circus, magic, theater, art, and I want to add some more tech into the program. We already do some iOS game design with Stencyl. We also have an extensive model railroad and remote control car program and a pretty big computer lab (about 100 Apple machines). Our program provides all materials as part of tuition, so I've stayed away from robotics as a matter of cost, but I'd love to buy a 3D printer and do classes with that and the Arduino is cheap enough to make some small electronics projects sensible... where do I find the sort of people who could teach such a program as a summer gig? What projects make sense without spending too much cash on a per project basis but would be cool fun for kids and would teach them?"

9 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Screw tech. by mbstone · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The little bastards already spend too much time hunched over keyboards and phones as it is. Get them outside. They'll have their whole lives to spend in cubes.

    1. Re:Screw tech. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The little bastards already spend too much time hunched over keyboards and phones as it is. Get them outside. They'll have their whole lives to spend in cubes.

      Why is it that every time there is a discussion about teaching tech to kids, some goober makes the point that since kids shouldn't be spending 100% of their time on tech, therefore they should be spending 0% on it, and we shouldn't even be discussing it?

      Nobody is saying that they will spend 100% of their time on tech. Summer camps have plenty of physical activities. Most likely there is already a block of time set aside for "computer skills", and the submitter is just looking for the best way to fill that time rather than just leaving the kids to update their Facebook profiles.

  2. 100 apple computers and cash-concerned ? by richlv · · Score: 2

    wait, you have 100 apple systems and one of your main requirements is "without spending too much cash" ? :D

    --
    Rich
  3. you should consider leaving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    find a job/calling that suits you

    allow the camp to flourish under a person who embraces it for what it is

    maybe return as a camper one day

  4. Teach them to make a website by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 2

    My non-nerdy daughter learned to make a website at summer camp. They used some WYSIWYG tools so the learning curve was shallow. They learned some Photoshop to prepare images. She loved it. She made a website about how to grow flowers.

    My very-nerdy son did robotics at summer camp using Lego Mindstorms. He loved it, but it costs $$$, and may not appeal to the "music, dance, theater" crowd.

    A 3D printer is a good idea and lots of fun for both nerds and artists. Since it is just for a few weeks, you might look at borrowing or renting the machine instead of buying.

  5. To what end? by kenh · · Score: 4, Informative

    Why do you want to add tech into fairly diverse offering? Is the camp trying to get more campers? Are you wanting to experiment? Why?

    If you want to get more campers, why not teach programming on the 100 computers you already have?

    If you want to experiment, I'd say speak to the other counselers and see where tech could help them (playwriting for drama, notation tools for music, etc.) and if you really want to get adventurous, pick up some Aurdinos and copies of one of the intro books and have the various existing disciplines adopt tech into their offerings.

    Maybe a micro controller that runs the lights for a play, maybe they create an instrument in music lass, maybe they construct an interactive ate installation in art class.

    Tech is not a destination, it is a tool to solve problems - find out what problems/opportunities the programs have and address them.

    Robotics camps lready exist, why turn your camp into another one?

    --
    Ken
  6. Makes no sense... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You're an arts summer camp... why are you making it tech?

    Video editing and post-production
    Audio/video encoding
    Posting stuff online (though you kids probably know more about this than you already)
    Sound composition
    Lighting controls
    Animation

    I parents wanted their kids to go to tech camp, they would send them to tech camp.

  7. Focus on the arts by Revotron · · Score: 2

    Don't dilute your camp's offerings with excessive technology. If parents are sending their kids to summer camp, it's because they want them to get OFF the computer, get active, and learn about the arts. Video game design is not an "art".

    I believe today's generation of children needs even greater exposure to the real arts like music (orchestral and choral, not the shit they hear on the radio), dance (ballet and tap, not that "high school cheerleader dance team" bullshit), theater, etc. I'd understand if you wanted to add a very in-depth Photoshop/graphic design program as that's moreso art than it is technology, but iOS game design is hardly something a parent would consider "art" when camp registration rolls around.

  8. Theater tech? by fimion · · Score: 2

    As a theater tech, have you considered technical theater? Lighting design, sound design, set design.... All of which go with your seemingly arts based camp? There is plenty in that frame work that translates back into real world usefulness....