icamp™ FAQ
Q: When was CTWorkshop founded?
A: CTWorkshop was founded in 1997. The president is Darryl Reiter.
Q: What’s the instructor student ratio?
A: The instructor student ratio is 1:7. A full camp of 20 students would have 3 instructors.
Q: Who teaches these classes?
A: Our instructors are university/college students often with technical, engineering or education backgrounds. They are all well trained in our curriculum and can handle all four streams of technology. They have all had police checks and are certified in First Aid.
Q: What do you teach in icamp?
A: We teach 4 streams of technology: Graphic Design; Animation and Digital Video Production; Video Game Creation; Robotics.
Q: What are the 10 adventures?
A: We offer 10-theme based adventures. Each theme is made up of approx 40 different projects. Children will complete 3-6 projects during the week depending on the age, interest and skill level. The staff introduces the 10 themes and projects on the first day of camp. The students pick their adventure on the first day.
Q: Are all 10 adventures offered every week?
A: All 10 adventures are offered. (Every session at every location).
Q: I want to register my child for the Architect session.
A: All adventures are offered every session. Children choose their adventure on the first day of camp. We encourage campers to visit the website prior to the camp to see the adventures and think about which ones they might be interested in. Having kids choose on the first day makes sure they can get all of their questions answered and that they pick something that will be of interest to them for that particular session. In terms of skills, all technologies – construction & programming, video game creation, digital art and animation are available as activities in all adventures.
Q: What skills will the children learn?
A: Computer Skills; Story Boarding and Creative Problem Solving; Mechanical Engineering; Computer Programming; Digital Art; Animation; Video Game Creation.
Q: What is your refund policy?
A: Each area has its own refund policy that is posted on the website under each location.
Q: Is there any difference between the head office location and Franchise locations?
A: There are no differences between a franchise and a corporate location. They offer the same programs.
Q: Do you provide lunch and snacks?
A: No, we do not. You must pack a lunch and snacks if they are registered for the full day. Half-day registrations, you only need to pack a snack. All food items must be nut free.
Q: Will my child be in front of a computer all day?
A: No, there are two 15-minute snack breaks in AM and PM, as well as an hour lunch break. The instructors will lead break games away from the computers. The environment is also very fluid, campers move around setting up props and animation sets, building LEGO and seeing each other’s projects.
Q: The adventures are all for boys / my son would love this program / what is there for girls to do?
A: We welcome boys and girls at icamp! The adventures are not gender-specific and we’ve had boys choose fashion designer and create a new line of skateboarding gear and quite often girls come up with really detailed stories for their video games or movies.
Q: My 6-year old is VERY bright; can they come for a full day?
A: The ages at camp are determined based on years of experience and take into account many factors from reading ability to level of focus to being comfortable away from home. We highly recommend that children have completed second grade to attend a full-day program. Exceptions may be handled on a case-by-case basis and will be directed to the Regional Director.
Q: My 7-year old is VERY bright and wants to do the Gamemaker Guru adventure.
A: The age guidelines are in place to ensure that children get the most out of their chosen adventure. We highly recommend that children under grade 4 choose an adventure other than Gamemaker Guru to provide them with more variety in their activity choice. They can still certainly make a video game as part of any adventure.
Q: My child is high-functioning autistic; is icamp a good program for them?
A: We deal with special needs situations on a case-by-case basis. Many children with autism, Asberger’s and other varying abilities, etc. do very well in the icamp program but we need to make sure that we can provide the necessary care for your child. Calls will be directed to the Regional Director for further discussion. Head Office handles these situations by having the child visit the location and meet the staff, perhaps have the child attend with an aide and/or during a week of lighter registrations.
Q: My child is 13; will they be in the same room as the 7-year olds and will they be challenged at icamp?
A: Yes, icamp is an open environment where all ages work in the same room. Children are encouraged to share ideas and help each other solve problems. Older children can help lead break games and take on a leadership role if that is something they are interested in. In terms of the activities, many of our technologies are used in university programs – such as the LEGO robotics and we can certainly challenge older participants.
Q: Why don’t you teach Flash and Adobe Illustrator at icamp?
A: Professional quality programs can be expensive to use and maintain and may require sophisticated computers. We choose applications that are accessible to children for home use. Our focus is on technology literacy and the creative use of software applications regardless of the program. We want children to be comfortable completing a particular project using whatever tools are available because they understand the theory behind the project.
Q: We have a Mac at home; can I send my child to icamp?
A: Yes, our focus in on the creative use of technology as a tool to complete a project, which is not operating system dependent. Most of our applications can have files sent home that will be viewable on both platforms – with the exception of CTWorkshop Game Maker, which is PC-based only.
Q: Your program sounds expensive, why?
A: The icamp environment provides children with access to a wide variety of technologies. Each child will have access to their own computer, robotics equipment, cameras, digital drawing tablets and many other peripheral devices. Our staff is largely university-aged science and engineering students and we have a 7:1 ratio of campers to staff. We encourage parents to sign up for a half-day program if cost is a concern, or perhaps select a short week for an introduction to the program.
Q: Does my child need to be comfortable with computers before coming to camp?
A: No, all of our projects are available at different levels to accommodate varying interests and abilities of children.