Introduction to Programming with Scratch (Grades 5-8, rising)
Many people don’t realize it, but writing computer programs is actually a lot of fun — if you have guidance to help you get started. In this camp you’ll have excellent help in getting to the fun part of computer programming. Scratch is a program written at MIT specifically for teaching young people how to program. It is drag-and-drop (no typing), and is designed so you can make neat things happen to a creature that you draw (or use your own picture!). It is also easy to add sound. While playing with Scratch you’ll learn some of the ideas that are common to all programming languages. Most of all, you’ll be able to have the satisfaction of seeing an idea come to life on the computer screen while having fun. No previous computer or programming experience is needed!

Introduction to Photoshop
(Grades 8-12, rising)
Learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to enhance images (including cell phone images), convert images into different styles, and create “funky” effects. You’ll learn how to use the various tools, actions and layer effects in Photoshop. Please bring a 1 gig or larger USB drive to class with you.

Programming and Animation Using Python
(Grades 8-12, rising)
Computer programming can be a lot of fun — if you have the right help in getting started. We’ll play around with programming by writing code to tell stories using stick figures (with pets and accessories), and learn a simple way to animate them. The activities are designed so you can get started quickly and learn as you go. It’s great fun to come up with an idea and see it come to life on the computer screen. You’ll learn the basic concepts that are common to all programming languages and hopefully want to learn more on your own. This activity was used with success in a freshman introductory course at UT. No previous computer programming experience is needed!