A computer camp is a summer camp

Summer camp

Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....

 which focuses on computer

Computer

A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...

 instruction. These camps usually operate on college campuses during the summer months due to the availability of housing, computer labs, and dining facilities. Campers are usually between 8–18 years old.

Computer camps teach courses in a wide range of subjects such as hardware

Computer hardware

Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...

, networking

Computer network

A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....

, programming

Computer programming

Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...

, game design

Game design

Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...

, image manipulation, video production

Video production

Video production is videography, the process of capturing moving images on electronic media even streaming media. The term includes methods of production and post-production...

, web design

Web design

Web design is the process of planning and creating a website. Text, images, digital media and interactive elements are used by web designers to produce the page seen on the web browser...

, robotics

Robotics

Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...

, A+

CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association , a non-profit trade association, was created in 1982 as the Association of Better Computer Dealers, Inc. by representatives of five microcomputer dealerships...

 and Network+ certification preparation, and software applications

Application software

Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...

 including office and productivity suites

Office suite

In computing, an office suite, sometimes called an office software suite or productivity suite is a collection of programs intended to be used by knowledge workers...

, HTML and web editors

HTML editor

An HTML editor is a software application for creating web pages. Although the HTML markup of a web page can be written with any text editor, specialized HTML editors can offer convenience and added functionality. For example, many HTML editors work not only with HTML, but also with related...

, video editors

Video editing software

Video editing software, is application software which handles the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a computer non-linear editing systems...

, and 3D

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 and 2D

2D computer graphics

2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...

 animation and graphics programs. Although computers are the main focus, camps also offer sports and recreation programs.

History

Computer camps began to appear in the United States in the late 1970s. "Computer Camp" is the brainchild of Michael Zabinski, Ph.D. who coined the phrase in 1978 when he started National Computer Camps

National Computer Camps

National Computer Camps is a computer camp for children founded in 1977 by Dr. Michael Zabinski. There are locations at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where Dr...

. Some of the original computer camps focused exclusively on computers and related technology, while others such as Emagination Computer Camps, formerly Computer-Ed High Tech Camps, included traditional camping activities like horseback riding, canoeing and campfires. Since then, many computer camps have opened, some of them operated by large companies in multiple locations with iD Tech Camps being the largest as measured by number of locations and attendees. Public institutions also sponsor computer camps, one example being Camp CAEN

Camp CAEN

Camp CAEN was an elite computer camp offered by the College of Engineering's Computer Aided Engineering Network at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor...

, hosted annually by the College of Engineering

University of Michigan College of Engineering

The University of Michigan College of Engineering is the engineering unit of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. With an enrollment of 5,514 undergraduate and 2,646 graduate students as of 2009, the College of Engineering is one of the premier engineering schools in the United States...

 at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

.

Examples

Current examples of computer camps include:

• ThinkBig Computer Camps
• iD Tech Camps
  Internal Drive
  Internal Drive , is a summer computer camp based in Campbell, California which specializes in providing computer technology education to children ages 7 through 18. It currently offers programs at 60 university and college locations throughout the U.S.- History:iD Tech Camps was founded in Los...
  
  
• PlanetBravo
• Camp CAEN
  Camp CAEN
  Camp CAEN was an elite computer camp offered by the College of Engineering's Computer Aided Engineering Network at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor...
  
  
• Digital Media Academy
  Digital Media Academy
  - History :The Digital Media Academy is a digital art and technology training company, offering Stanford University Continuing Studies accredited courses for adults as well as summer camp programs for kids, age 6-18, computer camp and tech camp at several universities in the US and Canada...
  
  
• eCamp
  ECamp
  eCamp is an international high-tech summer camp in Israel. The campers, aged 8 to 18, attend workshops in subjects that range from game designing, robotics and digital music to video editing, digital comics and video programming.-History:...
  
  
• Emagination Computer Camps
• National Computer Camps
  National Computer Camps
  National Computer Camps is a computer camp for children founded in 1977 by Dr. Michael Zabinski. There are locations at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where Dr...
  
  
• MSI Computer Camps
  MSI Computer Camps
  The MSI Computer Camps are non-profit summer computer camp dedicated to the education of youth in the rapidly changing computing industry. The camps take place annually at the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.-General information:...