My son had a poor experience. Material was given to them as powerpoint slides without any higher level instruction to help participants understand concepts. It was just a rote presentation that the kids had to re-type. My son came out understanding nothing about the topic, in fact he was more confused than going into it. It seems like the program is trying to cash in on the current tech boom but offering impressive sounding courses. The problem is, the instructors seem to lack the foundational understanding to present it to kids in an understandable way. read more

Please be careful before registering as the amount for deposit will not be refunded after 24hrs.

My son is a spanish speaking teen and went to Florida Atlantic University on the summer of 2017. He had a great time, learned a lot of programming and everyone in the staff was very welcoming and dedicated to the kids. This year he is going again, even if for us it is a long airplane trip!!! read more

If I could give ZERO stars I would. We have done robotic courses around the Bay Area before (for much cheaper I should add) and this one (Robotics + VEX programming) was the WORST. Like another reviewer (Tunam A.) said this camp is "babysitting." The Craigslist-hired "teachers" were inept kids themselves who could not get things working. Today, they couldn't get the software working (the other day it was not enough components to go around) so the whole class played GAMES ALL DAY. My son can do that at home! For $1,200. I was hoping he would learn something. My son is 13 and he thought it was boring, intellectually insulting and a total ripoff. This is obviously a huge scam where they say "STANFORD IDTech camp!!!" and you, the unsuspecting parent plunk down a wad of cash and assume some young, bright computer science major will be imparting some shred of wisdom to your kids. Nope. Not at all. It is purely a fraudulent money-making scam. We have done several camps around the Bay Area. This is just....complete horse manure. Save your money and go to TechShop. REally great value there. Your kids will actually LEARN things, MAKE things and love it. I am sooooo angry.... read more

My then 14 year old son attended this camp for a week for C++ programming in the summer of 2015. In his words, it was: " baby-sitting". He said it was awful, a disappointment. He thought he might be better able to teach the course than the instructor ( though my son is a smart kid, he self-taught what he knows about computer programming, so it is not like he is a pro with the stuff - and to think an instructor was almost less qualified than himself to teach speaks for the level of the instruction). It was a hefty price and a long drive for us every day, we did the sacrifice since my son is so interested in this stuff, but he won't go near it again - he went back to self-teaching... read more

About a year ago I went to take Advanced Video Editing. The instructor who was teaching us about Adobe After Effects did not seem to know how to use it at all. When I asked a question, most of the time he said that he didn't know. Later, I came home and bought the program. I managed to learn twice as much in half the time by just playing around and testing. I also found a website which teaches you After Effects for free and is much more helpful than the camp.( http://www.videocopilot.net ) ID Tech is also really really expensive. Not going there this summer! read more

My son went to idTech for a week at Columbus circle...and it was a huge disappointment. My son learned absolute nothing; they played video games non-stop. At the last day of camp they demonstrate what they've learned and him and his partner could not show anything.... What a waist of money and time! read more

When you look over the reviews, pay special attention to the most recent ones. I don't think iD Tech is what it was a couple of years ago, it seems. I would have given just 1 star, but camp director "Hawk Girl" was very kind and did her best within her control to help out with all the problems we had with this camp. I wish there was a separate section to rate her 5 star customer service, but unfortunately the camp overall was bad. I still want to thank Hawk Girl for all she has done for us to make my kids' 2 weeks of camp less painful, so iD Tech gets an additional star for hiring her in the first place. My kids actually attended the week of June 22, but I needed a long time to calm down from my anger to write this review fairly. I will just highlight the complaints and leave out the emotional turmoil. - My kids starved until lunch. There was no morning snack time. - I packed lunches for my kids. The kids were left to wander the Stanford cafeteria to find seats for themselves. There's no designated seating for the campers and a camp counselor wasn't present while they ate. What if they choked?! My kids are only 7 and 9 years old. - Instructions weren't clear as to when and where to meet after eating lunch. My kids also didn't know what the rules were about going to the bathroom, or where it was for that matter. - They were enrolled in the Minecraft Modding class. The program wasn't uploading correctly and there was only one counselor there to try to fix the problems. He spent so much time working on the issues, my kids only got a few minutes on the program. By the way, this camp runs from 9am - 5pm. - Someone with no iD Tech badge or t-shirt approached my son and offered to take his backpack to the classroom. Luckily I taught my son well and he refused because he felt "stranger danger". Where were my kids that there was an opportunity for a stranger to approach my son? - Day camp check out system is very inefficient. On the first day it took an hour to pick up my kids from the time I got to the parking lot. - At the end of the week, there was a showcase of what was supposedly learned. My kids didn't learn anything more than they already knew. And the instructor admitted that he was majoring in programming, but not an expert in Minecraft. Really?! The website brags about highly qualified and inspirational instructors and they don't use "Counselors-In-Training". I beg to differ. One week of camp costs almost $1000. That's what I got for my money?! My kids have learned more and have actually enjoyed themselves at other camps for half the cost. The website says they are the world's #1 summer tech camp. I should have researched the evaluation criteria and who made that assessment. Clearly it's not. My highlights above don't include the two weeks of back and forth complaints I did with the main office. That's another 1-star topic in itself. read more

My son spent a day and a half of his week-long camp playing computer games, because there wasn't enough planned for them on one day and he didn't want to make another, more experienced, child on his "team" get off the one computer they could use on their project on the other day. I don't need to pay $700 for computer games. Furthermore, during the day, the students are in a large multipurpose room in the basement of a dorm, which has been set up as a make-shift computer lab -- hardly a "campus experience." read more

Invest your hundreds of dollars on actual books. ID tech is a fairly nice summer camp if you want to meet people who may have an interest in programming. I attended a class at ID tech, also being aware of the price tag. Coming in with a little bit of prior knowledge (aka 60$ book I bought to learn python), I had nearly learned most of the course besides maybe low level computer science. Most of the time, your peers are less focused on programming, as this camp is more dedicated to having fun. If you really want your kid to learn how to code, don't send them here, and buy them the resources to learn by themselves, or look at another summer camp. read more

My son did one week at ID Tech at MIT in Cambridge, MA last year and 2 weeks this year. I echo other parents' sentiment that I was expecting a lot more for the exorbitant price they charge. I was told by my son this morning that yesterday they had THREE hours of free time, an hour of which they stayed inside with little to do. Today is what they dub as "Family Showcase" that starts at 2:45 where parents are subjected to what I think are really pointless activities. This effectively cuts the day - when the kids should be learning and we are paying for - by 2-3 hours. It just seems like they are mainly interested in their profits and minimizing the amount of time where they are actually instructing the kids. Very shortsighted strategy! My son takes the Minecraft class and what he learns is no more than what he would have picked up watching a few Youtube videos. All in all, pretty disappointed. Definitely not going back next year. read more

This was my son's favorite camp this summer. He enrolled in the Java Programming course at the UC Berkeley campus location. While the price is high, I felt it was worth it. My experience was that the staff and instructors were all professional, friendly, and knowledgeable, and the facilities and equipment were all up to date. Most importantly, my son was given the motivation by the class to continue programming without any additional parental encouragement. read more

I enrolled my son hoping to make a big family trip out of it and go to Seattle for a week. We live in the country. Anyhow, our lodging friends cancelled so I called to see if I could postpone my registration one year until I could make it work. They not only said no, but the charged me $280 cancellation fee. I did this 3 months prior to summer. I am very disappointed in them and won't do this again. read more

My son and daughter who are now teenagers have been going to iD Tech for several years now and they love it! They always come home eager to share their projects and stories. It's a bit pricey like most summer camps, but at iD they get a unique university campus experience. We love the variety of classes iD Tech offers. iD Tech has great safety protocol and I trust that when my children are there they are in good hands. Overall, iD Tech has been a wonderful learning and social experience for my children. read more

iD Tech Camps is perfect. Great variety of classes to choose from. Instructors are very flexible and knowledgeable about their subjects. The Stanford location offers tons of activities for day and overnight campers, including tours of campus, scavenger hunts, movie nights, talent show, etc. Overall, I would definitely recommend this camp. read more

Good camp last year for my 12 year old who took the RPG design course and loved it. If he could go the entire summer he would. He learnt some rudimentary basics and nothing more, but had a blast and sat with 8 other kids who spoke Geek video game jargon the whole day just like him. Worth every penny. This year he's signed for FPS I think and is very excited. He's a lifer for sure. I personally found the end result last year pretty basic and it was a bit chaotic on parent's day, but that's what happens when college kids lead! Nothing new there and not very hampering to my son's experience and that's all that matters really. read more

I wanted to sign my kid to 2 classes in two different weeks, but accidentally signed in the same week. This was unfortunately not picked by the ID tech program and I did not realized it until yesterday. I called to ask transfer/cancel and refund, but was told 1) they can not refund and cancel, 2) I have to pay additional 285$ to transfer. I feel very disappointed and I am not planning to go back in the future because I will try another tech camp next year which has long time learning program throughout the year, not just a few weeks in the summer. This incident makes me wonder if ID tech only cares about making money from parents than anything else. read more

My 14-y/o just completed the one week Java camp at Cal Poly Pomona. She had a great experience and this was a great intro to CS. The staff was terrific, friendly and helpful. I definitely recommend! read more

My son attended the Robocontenders iD Tech Camp at U.C. Berkeley recently. He absolutely loved it! The instructors were knowledgeable, outgoing, and very cool. He made some new friends, learned about robots, and had a great overall experience being around the Berkeley campus. He is already looking forward to attending camp next summer and would like to try the video camp and even stay on campus for the week. No doubt he will enjoy that camp as well. I would have liked to have seen a bit more in-depth focus on robotics, as the kids did have down time. I would also like to see the various camps divided into different rooms, as it seemed a bit crowded for all of them to be in one room. Overall, however, it was a good experience. The cost may be a bit high for some families, but it is worth it. read more

Fantastic camp! It's not every day that I experience this kind of service. I've been sending my boys for several years now and they just don't give me a reason to not come back. I called the office today at 7 am and I actually got a live voice and gott signed up for camp in only a few minutes. My kids' past experiences have been very special and my kids have learned a ton--and that's good because this is not the price of a Y camp. We love done the Santa Clara U and the Stanford U programs and both are incredible. One of my kids wants to be a game designer and the other a film maker. I know they are dreaming, but why not? The camp makes it feel like it is possible--and that is the confidence-building that is priceless. Thanks for running an amazing program. My kids dream of this place each summer. Cheers! read more

ID Tech camp is by far the BEST camp I have ever had experience with! It was my daughters favorite camp and wants to come back next year and years to come. She was in tears the last day, because she didn't want it to be over. Thanks for everything! The staff was nothing less then outstanding! They had made a great impact on my daughters life and future! read more

My son attended the 3d design role playing games camp from 6/27 to 07/01 at the beautiful Santa Clara U Campus. The campus was amazingly beautiful. There was a very easy well managed drop off and pick up process that took place in a very pretty courtyard setting. The instructors moved everyone through the process quickly and were sure to greet each camper as they arrived for check in, immediately interacting with the kids and playing games to occupy them. My son loved the instructors, who are just young enough to really engage with the kids and make them comfortable. Every evening when I picked him up I really enjoyed the car ride home. Good bonding time discussing with him his day, what he learned and how excited he was to go the following day and learn the next step. There were some glitches in the program, but it is a Windows based program so this was a good learning experience as well. When you do programming you have to learn to work within the confines of the program so the glitches are a good inherent teaching tool as they are caused by the programmer. This was my sons second ID Tech camp and he really loves the program and the people. He has already started looking at what course he wants to take next year, we will be back for sure. Thank you all at ID Tech for a great week of camp for my son. read more

My 10 years old son attended the Adventures in Robotics camp at iD Tech Camp in UC Berkeley, California this summer and He loves it!! He loved it so much that he wanted to continue throughout the rest of the summer. I also wanted that but this price is steep for me however is worth every penny. As a mother I recommend very high this camp, so much that we already began saving money to go back next year... Thanks to all the staff of iD Tech UC berkeley by their excellent academic and responsibility in caring for the children. read more

My 8 year old son attended the Adventures in Gaming week in Seatlle, 2013. He has repeatedly told us it was the best week of his life and continues to thank us for sending him. The price tag is steep, but worth every penny. Our son has continued to use his skills at home and can't wait to go back next year! read more

This was my son's favorite camp this summer. He is 10yrs., old and is had not experience with computer programming, etc. The instructors were fun and the class experience very informative for my son. He was able to grasp the concepts of computer gaming and wants to know more about computers! read more

What an amazing experience! My 8yo son is addicted to MineCraft. I found ID on a random web search. The closest camp with openings was Amherst MA, so I took a week vacation and stayed at a local hotel. My son (who we thought was on the spectrum) had a blissful week learning about MineCraft from expert teachers. They took great care and he had an amazing experience. He participated and go so much out of the experience. I cannot wait to sign him up for next year. I may even do the sleep over session!!! read more

My sons are enrolled in ID Tech this summer. Under the circumstances, the school where his camp is located is not reopening until the new school year. I called to get information about a refund and was denied stating that I signed an agreement that even in the event of any communicable diseases the deposit remains non-refundable. This deposit also included the first year for my younger son and his course was robotics .. extremely hands on. Even that course is non-refundable. So, I have to basically force my son to take a course he is not interested in via a Virtual Tech Camp. This is not the more common communicable disease situations. We have been required to stay at home, the schools are closed until further notice, we are experiencing a pandemic, a mark in history that hasn't occurred in over a hundred years, not in my lifetime and hopefully never again in my children's lifetime. Colleges are reimbursing student for college expenses due to closing, airports and hotels are issuing refunds. I was told that the deposit is non-refundable because they need it for "curriculum and supplies". Curriculum and supplies for classes that are not being held? I am more than upset and very disappointed in the way ID Tech is handling this unprecedented situation. read more

My 8 1/2 years old nephew attended the camp (adventure of mindcraft - day camp) on July 27-31 at Trinity College in CT. Although my nephew said he liked the camp, I wouldn't send him back next year or recommend the camp to anyone. I had to pack a bottle of water everyday for my nephew (he actually asked for it) because water wasn't provided during the day even when the kids were playing outside. They had to go inside the building and drink from a fountain. I paid additional $ for his lunch and I assumed water would be included. On the last day of show/tell to parents session, my nephew showed me a map of mindcraft he created. I asked the instructor twice if he could explain to me which part was done/created by my nephew and how much help he was provided. I would like to know what exactly my nephew did/learned. This is a learning camp after all and mindcraft was supposed to help improve math/science (as they advertised). The instructor was unable to give me the answer. I overheard another parent asking the same question later and he was given the same 'wishy washy technical bla bla bla' answer. Maybe the instructor was so high level of knowledge in mindcraft that he couldn't come down to my level to explain it. If that is the case, there should have been a site director or program manager who can explain and talk to the parents in simple English. The session started ~3:10PM and we were basically told to leave ~3:30PM. My nephew did like the camp - but again he's 8 1/2 and he is not paying ~$1000 for 4 1/2 days of camp. He also liked a YMCA camp where he played all day long and it only cost me ~$300. And where they provided water! read more

My son had an excellent time last summer, hence my 4-star ranking. He participated in the Game design course offered at Berkeley. I did not sit in on the classes, just dropped him off and picked him up a week later. From my observation, he appeared to learn a great deal about game design, established great relationships and enjoyed being on a university campus (he was 14 at the time). We are considering the Robotics course at Stanford this summer. Although some of these comments are a bit concerning given the high price tag for the course. read more

My son had a great time at iD Tech camp at UC Irvine. He actually had so much fun we signed him up for a second week and he wants to return again (this is an even-keeled kid who doesn't get super-excited about stuff, so we were very surprised). He still talks about what a great time he had last summer and remembers everything he learned. He can't wait to go back this summer! read more

My son attended two camps this summer in St. Louis - one on Mine Craft and the other on iPhone games. He loved both of them and we will be back next summer - definitely. On the practical side, we loved the long range of allowable pickup and drop-off times - very convenient. read more

My 8 year old son attended the "Adventures in Game Design" course in Sacramento. The camp was held at the CSUS campus. We were very impressed with the three games he programmed during the week and were excited to hear about his day every night at dinner. We were worried that the camp might be too stressful or advanced for such a young person, but the program is so well rounded with fun activities outside of just programming that even elementary school aged kids can enjoy a looooong day of camp (8am - 5pm...longer than a school day!) More than once since camp ended my son has said to us, "I wish I still had computer camp." This experience was so much more than what we expected. The facilities were amazing, the staff was beyond amazing! Everything was organized and fun. We will definitely be returning next year! Many thanks to the staff for all their hard work and for creating such a positive learning environment. read more

In 2015, I signed up my daughter for a one-year on line course launched and promoted by ID Tech Camps called Tech Rockets. The course cost $229 for one year. It was abundantly clear that the course was a one-year subscription. However, unbeknownst to me, id Tech automatically renewed my subscription in 2016 and charged my credit card another $229. They never sent an email and sadly I never noticed on my bill until recently, when shockingly, they tried to automatically charge my credit card again in March of 2017. The charge did not go through and that was when they saw fit to actually email me, asking me to give them a new credit card number. WOW. Completely deceptive behavior from their end. DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THEIR ON LINE COURSE! read more

My sons have been attending the ID Tech summer camps at St Edwards for 4 to 5 years. My older son began overnight sessions last year, he loved it. The counselors are very organized and enthusiastic. The counselors are also college age or just graduated, so they are very up to date with the present state of tech. My sons learn a lot and our experience has been that the staff is focused on safety as much as they are on fun. read more

I wish I had done my research and read through the reviews. Purchased a Coding in C++ camp for my 15 year old daughter for nearly $1000, in hopes of exposing her the "T" (technology) in STEM. What a complete waste of money!! The course is at UNC-CH, but clearly not affiliated. There is absolutely nothing being taught by the instructors, who are more like summer camp kid advisors. On day 1, my daughter was literally given an online 55 lesson "learn-it-yourself" module that she reads and follows on her own. The software used is actually free by Microsoft, so nothing special there. Each day so far has been the same thing...read & follow the module. The instructor plays on his iPad or phone during "computer/online time" and is only there if a question comes up. My daughter would rather stay home...LISTEN TO THE REVIEWS & SKIP ID TECH. Look for a technology camp DIRECTLY through the university/college. read more

My son attended a week long camp at Penn to learn how to code an app. The overall experience was very meh. He was not able to finish the app, even though the marketing lit said he would. And the instructors told me he was one of the best in the class, so I'm assuming no one finished (we verified this). The real issue is that I've sent THREE emails to their web address to see how I can get access to the tools he was using so that he can finish. **No response** It's really sad that you spend $1000 and don't get what you're promised...and not even an email response. Look elsewhere. read more

My 9 year old son attended the ID Tech camp @ MIT BOSTON MA. Pretty big deal since he always mentions MIT as one of the schools he wants to attend. We signed up late so the class he really wanted to attend was not available. However he liked the one I picked which was adventure in the game designing. The instructor was very nice and he had a great time. The price was a bit steep but when you look at DayJams (band camp) it runs about the same and I would never send him back to that camp. This camp does run about $200 more then regular and specialty camps in the area however as long as he is learning something I am ok with the fees. We are looking forward to signing him up for next year and this time I better get him into the robotic one if not I will never hear the end of the story. read more

My 10 year old son just finished his very first week of ID Tech camp. He took the Adventures in Gaming class at UCLA and had a great time. He came home after the first day telling me me that this was "the best camp ever", and by the end he wanted to enroll in another week, He went to camp like most 10 year old boys-loving video games but having no idea what it really meant to develop one. He came out with a game (all be it fairly basic) that he created all by himself, and some understanding of all the choices a programmer has to make while creating a game. The software they used was complex enough to challenge him, but not so confusing that he couldn't learn to work independently at the camp's computers. My son also really likes the staff. They all had "crazy" names like "sharkbait" and "danger" and were playful with the kids but also knowledgeable in the computer skills they needed. There was a good mix of indoor computer time as well as time to run outside and play games. The cost of the program is expensive, and there isn't too much to say about that. The kids have access to their own computer, in a university computer lab, and I imagine their rent and liability insurance is high. The camp was also all day 9:00-5:00, except on the last day, which most day camps are not. I will definitely enroll my son again next year, maybe for two week seeing how happy he was every day after camp. I found all of the staff to be friendly, knowledgeable and ready to help. read more

My son attended iD Tech Camps here in Atlanta on the Emory University campus this summer (June 2011). He was excited about attending and his excitement grew with each passing day. He learned a tremendous amount of information about creating games on the computer. The family showcase was really nice. He was really proud of the game he created. And, I was very impressed with his game and how each student was recognized with a personal note from their instructor during their certificate presentation ceremony. The camp was very friendly, organized, professional, and efficient. My son felt included and part of the group which is very rare for him. I'm not sure how the curriculum for the camp was delivered but I sure wish school would adopt this style of teaching. He had a blast and we plan to attend next year. read more

iD Tech Camp (3D Minecraft) was not at all as advertised... Let's start with the overnight accommodations, which were filthy. We arrived from a 700-mile trip to find a totally trashed room, with our son's bed linens balled up on the floor, mattress askew,and the roommates/ other camper's possessions and foodstuffs scattered across the entire room and our son's bed and chair. We asked that "Pixel" (no joke) help get things set straight with the roommate, which he assured us he would. Despite that assurance, nothing was done. In fact, the roommate stayed up playing tablet games with a bluetooth speaker until after 2am, much to our son's frustration. The next morning, he was awakened by an "instructor" kicking the bottom of their door repeatedly. The kids are herded to a dining facility in another building, where they get 30 minutes to eat. Then some stretching and mild calisthenics, and to a Computer Lab, shared with another course (in this case, Robotics). One instructor, a late teens/early 20's guy with blue-painted hair using the alias of "Sprocket", was apparently well-versed in MC and actually helped our son learn a few things. Our son DID find the fact that Spocket spent a lot of time drawing "My Little Pony" sketches a little creepy. He also made sure our son was kept busy earning tickets by helping to teach others in the course instead of working on his own project, an "adventure map". To be honest, there was no "mod development" taught, just basic reskinning, and a few create your own element, customizing villages, etc using MC Edit, a freeware program available online. Most of the time, however, the kids were "free-ranged" playing whatever games they wished. Unfortunately, "Sprocket" seemed to be the one "instructor" to the course who knew anything about Minecraft. The other one proudly said he never played. Seriously. The second night, the situation with the roommate didn't change at all, despite a call from us to an "assistant director" about the problems, so our son spent yet another night without sleep. (The roommate was apparently powered by 8-9 Dr. Pepper sodas per night). On the second full day, we received an email from our son saying he had been punched in the face by another attendee, The incident occurred when our son, somewhat tired and dazed after 2-3 nights with little or no sleep, bumped into a much larger (8" taller, 50 lbs heavier) kid as he was viewing some of the Robotics projects in the other half of the Computer Lab. The kid, a "regular" iD Tech attendee who apparently came along from California also, stood back, sized up our son, and punched him in the face. Our son ran to "Sprocket". who said the "regular' would probably have a different story, so he really couldn't do anything, so he wouldn't bother. I came to the campus with a new cellphone for my son and a few snacks at about 8:00pm, and asked to speak with a supervisor. The second "assistant supervisor", named Virginia, listened intently, agreed that "Sprocket" had completely violated all policy regarding reporting the assault and would be disciplined. She also assured she would also address the roommate issue and speak with "Pixel" about his inaction despite our requests. I also advised her that given the atmosphere and accomodations, our son wouldn't stay for the "Ultimate Gaming Weekend" part, and she said only 6 kids were going to anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem getting removed from our package. Too good to be true, right? Yep. Sure enough, I get a call within 30 minutes stating that, after investigating, she had in fact determined that our son WAS punched in the face by the larger kid from California (whom they all seemed to know well). He had been warned and his parents in California were contacted, I was told. BUUUUUTT, after talking to the "counsellors" in question, they said they "seemed to remember" our son (just turned 11, 5'0", 75 lbs) at some time hitting another unidentified attendee the day before, which they ALSO didn't report, so she was warning me that is our son showed any violence, she would eject HIM instead. She also said he would be moved into another room. 45 minutes later? Guess what? After ransacking the snacks I'd brought my son, the counsellors urged a kid to smack our son in the back of the head with a ping pong ball while he watched television. He turned around and slapped the other kid, while they watched, laughed, and advised him that now HE was thrown out for violence. So, At 1030pm they called with him present and said they were "no longer responsible" for him (he's just turned 11 and 700 miles from home) and that he'd be packing him and bringing outside to be picked up. Thankfully, i was still in town To top it all off, they frog-marched him downstairs with a 6' 230 lb body-armoured security guard. Pathetic. Crappy instructors, crappy facilities, and topped off by this hellish experience for an 11 y/o kid. Congratulations, iD Tech. You fooled another. read more