DMA Tech Camps: Where the Fast Track to Professional Success Begins

By Taylor Andrews

 All good parents want what’s best for their children, and no parental mission is more important than helping your child prepare for his or her future. Let’s face it—the world is becoming increasingly competitive and smart parents are always looking for a way to give their child a head start.

 That’s why this summer parents in the know are helping their kids discover their creative passions and start turning career dreams into reality. Those parents are sending their kids to one of Digital Media Academy’s tech camps located across the U.S. and Canada. 

 Learning Geared to the Future

At DMA, kids and teens explore today’s hottest digital-arts technologies: digital filmmaking, robotics, game design, music production, programming, animation, Web design, app development, digital photography and more.

 DMA programs are grounded in the core principles of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) learning. STEM-based instruction is now recognized by industry, government and education as critically important not only to the future employment opportunities of the next generation, but also the ongoing economic competitiveness of the U.S.

 

Parents eager to see their children launch lucrative and satisfying professional careers are embracing STEM-instruction opportunities, like DMA tech camps. These parents understand that leading forecasts predict sustained employment opportunities for workers skilled in using these latest technologies.

 The Educational Experience of a Lifetime

DMA tech camps are either one or two weeks long and conducted on some of North America’s finest college campuses, including Stanford; Harvard; University of California, Los Angeles; Georgia Tech; University of Toronto; Yale; the University of Texas at Austin, and many others. Day and overnight camp options are available.

 Each tech camp offers a concentrated course of study led by one of DMA’s respected industry professionals—instructors who’ve actually worked in the subjects they teach. DMA limits class size, so students can benefit from hands-on instruction delivered with an impressive 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Each camp makes extensive use of industry-standard software programs, such as Apple’s® Final Cut Pro®, Autodesk® Maya® and Oracle’s® Java™. Further, each student uses an Apple computer as his or her own dedicated workstation while at camp.

 And in a move that many leading tech camps can’t match, DMA maintains separate instruction and recreation staffs, so that campers always receive attentive supervision that’s fresh and professional.

 

“Look What I Made!”

While the DMA experience was designed to be great fun for campers, we take our educational responsibility very seriously. DMA tech camps are meant to inspire and illuminate students—not merely entertain them during summer vacation.

 DMA courses are project-based, so each student feels intense personal satisfaction when they use today’s hottest technology to follow their creative vision and produce their own film, video game character, robot, etc. DMA campers come home flush with the excitement that comes from mastering new skills, while having a great time and making lasting friendships. They return with copies of their project work to show family and friends, and keep as an ongoing inspiration.

 For example, teens in DMA’s Introduction to Programming with Java™ camp learn how to customize the wildly popular game Minecraft® with Java™. They also create their own Android™ application, as well as make graphic applications for the Web with Java’s™ sister language, Processing. In addition to unleashing their creativity, these teens master fundamental programming skills that can lead to future employment opportunities.

 The Future Starts Now

Each summer vacation passes with the twinkling of an eye. Smart parents make that precious time count, which is why DMA enjoyed its biggest camp season in 2012—and this season is expected to be even more successful. DMA was founded by Stanford University technology educators, and has 12 years of experience providing industry-leading technology camp experiences.

 Put your child on the fast track to professional success. Find out more about DMA’s 2013 camp season by visiting www.digitalmediaacademy.org!