iD Tech Is Providing Social Time Kids Need Through Online Courses They Love

Press Releases

May 27, 2020

BAY AREA, Calif., May 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Between school closures and inconsistent quality of distance learning programs in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, kids and teens have an immediate need for structured learning. Additionally, parents are tasked with keeping young minds sharp and keeping their kids engaged socially—all in an effort to maintain well-rounded personal growth paths to traverse the new normal.

In response, iD Tech, the world leader in tech education, is offering a suite of virtual experiences taught by live instructors—not simply “point and click,” “kid and screen” online learning with which parents might already be familiar, but active education where students can engage in back-and-forth with certified instructors, and work together with peers in tech topics from Minecraft to 3D Printing to Python coding.

“We’ve been preparing for ‘what’s next’ for the past 20 years, so we had a considerable head start,” said Pete Ingram-Cauchi, CEO of iD Tech. “Families already understand that learning technology is vital for their kids, and right now, they’re seeking ways to keep them safe, busy, and socially engaged online. Kids are craving connection and want to become experts on the technologies they love. Many options being rolled out right now are ill-conceived and were put up in a hurry, and, unfortunately miss the mark. But we’ve designed our virtual experiences to address our students’ overall wellbeing in a dynamic environment that is completely unlike school.”

iD Tech’s Virtual Tech Camps bring students together—in real-time—through structured, weeklong learning sessions that offer a balanced schedule of two hours of live instruction and two hours of self-paced project development per day. Curriculum is cutting-edge and constantly evolving, and currently features Python, Java, Minecraft, Roblox, AI, Unreal Engine, Adobe, 3D modeling, and more.

Classes are kept small, with only five students maximum per instructor, which is a departure from typical distance learning classrooms where parents might see 30 kids crowded into one screen. Virtual Tech Camps are carefully sized to maximize both personalized learning and social engagement and are led by instructors who are passionate about teaching technology.

“This was our first time using your Virtual Tech Camps—it was fantastic. We were quarantined in Spain; the kids couldn’t even go for walks. Your camp really made them happy,” said Judy Mansour, parent of recent Virtual Tech Camps students.

With Virtual Tech Camps, families are quickly learning that the online learning world knows no boundaries, and while kids might be accustomed to going to school with the same groups of kids year after year, online experiences connect learners throughout different states, and across borders. iD Tech has seen Virtual Tech Camps students participating from a diverse list of over 90 countries ranging from Monaco to Curacao to Singapore.

“That’s the cool, kind of ironic thing—Virtual Tech Camps allow kids to engage with other students from all over the world; kids from different backgrounds, and from all walks of life,” says Bethany Dyer, a Virtual Tech Camps parent. “Yet, I keep hearing from Cayman that he ‘found his people,’ and is seeing that through these unique circumstances, there are other kids just like him, who share the same tech interests.”

More than 50,000 students annually enroll in iD Tech programs, gaining life-changing skills in topics ranging from coding, artificial intelligence, 3D modeling, robotics, and game design, making plenty of friends along the way.

ABOUT iD TECH
iD Tech is the world leader in youth STEM education and believes that all students deserve quality tech education. The family company was founded by a mother and daughter over 20 years ago in Silicon Valley and now operates online programs in addition to summer camps at more than 150 locations worldwide. Course topics include coding, 3D modeling, artificial intelligence, robotics, and game design. iD Tech is dedicated to bridging the digital divide and is committed to gender diversity. Since its inception, iD Tech has donated more than $5 million in life-changing educational experiences to underrepresented communities. For more information, visit www.idtech.com.

Photo credit: iD Tech
Virtual Tech Camps video link here.
For additional images, please contact Ylka van Bemmel Reiss, iD Tech, +1 408-871-3730.

Media Contact:
Ylka van Bemmel Reiss
+1 408-871-3730
yreiss@iDTech.com