ECamp
Encyclopedia
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.
was named the camp's "chief scientist."
In the summer of 2008, the camp had approximately 180 campers, including a group of youngsters from cities on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip
who were sponsored by Jewish organizations in the United States
such as the American Jewish Committee
and the Jewish Federation of the Metropolitan of Detroit.
In the summer of 2009, the number of campers rose to 220 participants including a group of teens from Netivot
and Philadelphia, partner cities in the Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 project.
The camp holds two 2-week sessions each summer. The staff includes Israeli and international counsellors who speak English, French, and Hebrew. The Israeli counsellors are college students and graduates, some of whom did their army service in Israel Defense Forces
technology units. In 2010, staff members came from seven countries, including England, New Zealand and Argentina. Among them were students from Oxford and MIT, and specialists in graphics and animation.
Professional workshops (eWorkshops) include building applications for smart phones such as the Google Android, creating game controllers, developing a PC and programming robots. The program includes weekly visits to high-tech R&D centers such as Microsoft
, Intel and Google
, which maintain headquarters and plants in Israel. The idea is to expose the campers to Israel’s hi-tech industry and institutions such as the Technion. In 2010, campers visited a microprocessor
manufacturing company in Migdal HaEmek where the campers put on protective clothing and toured the "clean room" to see how the work is done in a sterile environment.
The eCamp campus was located in Alonei Yitzhak
. In 2011, the camp moved to Meir Shfeya
, a residential youth village
near Zichron Yaacov. Workshops are conducted in English.
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....
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. 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
eCamp was founded by Nir Kouris in 2007. Shai AgassiShai Agassi
Shai Agassi is an Israeli entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Better Place, which has developed a model and infrastructure for employing electric cars as an alternative to fossil fuel technology. Agassi was President of the Products and Technology Group at SAP AG...
was named the camp's "chief scientist."
In the summer of 2008, the camp had approximately 180 campers, including a group of youngsters from cities on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
who were sponsored by Jewish organizations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
such as the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
and the Jewish Federation of the Metropolitan of Detroit.
In the summer of 2009, the number of campers rose to 220 participants including a group of teens from Netivot
Netivot
Netivot is a city in the Southern District of Israel in Israel. At the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 26,700. It was founded in 1956 as a development town along with Sderot to the north, and Ofakim to the south...
and Philadelphia, partner cities in the Jewish Agency Partnership 2000 project.
The camp holds two 2-week sessions each summer. The staff includes Israeli and international counsellors who speak English, French, and Hebrew. The Israeli counsellors are college students and graduates, some of whom did their army service in Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
technology units. In 2010, staff members came from seven countries, including England, New Zealand and Argentina. Among them were students from Oxford and MIT, and specialists in graphics and animation.
Professional workshops (eWorkshops) include building applications for smart phones such as the Google Android, creating game controllers, developing a PC and programming robots. The program includes weekly visits to high-tech R&D centers such as Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Intel and Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
, which maintain headquarters and plants in Israel. The idea is to expose the campers to Israel’s hi-tech industry and institutions such as the Technion. In 2010, campers visited a microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
manufacturing company in Migdal HaEmek where the campers put on protective clothing and toured the "clean room" to see how the work is done in a sterile environment.
The eCamp campus was located in Alonei Yitzhak
Alonei Yitzhak
Alonei Yitzhak is a youth village in northern Israel. Located near Binyamina, it falls under the jurisdiction of Menashe Regional Council. In 2006 it had a population of 210....
. In 2011, the camp moved to Meir Shfeya
Meir Shfeya
Meir Shfeya is a youth village and agricultural boarding school in northern Israel. Located near Zikhron Ya'akov, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hof HaCarmel Regional Council. In 2006 it had a student population of 300.-History:...
, a residential youth village
Youth village
A youth village is a boarding school model first developed in Mandate Palestine in the 1930s to care for groups of children and teenagers fleeing the Nazis...
near Zichron Yaacov. Workshops are conducted in English.