ITHACA MEDIA ARTS FAQs

How does the Media & Tech Camp work?

We have two main studios – a Media Studio and a Tech Studio – as well as two smaller rooms for Teens and Pee-Wee Camp. The main Media & Tech Camp program enables campers to choose their own activities over the course of the day. There are different activities going on in each studio, and campers decide Monday mornings at the start of each camp week which activities they prefer. (Yes, they can change their minds.) The camp is loosely modeled on the idea that campers can explore their interests on their own, with counselors supporting their choices. (It’s a bit like a science museum, following the philosophy of the world-famous Exploratorium science museum, where the camp’s founder worked for several years.)

There are so many choices. It’s a bit overwhelming choosing a camp program to register for!

Our main camp program is the Media & Tech Camp for ages 5 – 17. We apologize for the confusion. A bit of history here… We started over a decade ago with individual a la carte camps in each subject area, but later evolved to a smorgasbord system where campers decide what they want to do after they arrive. We still offer the individual camps for the small number of parents who want one specific activity, but the vast majority of our campers register for Media & Tech Camp. To be clear, all of the activities in the individual camps are included with Media & Tech Camp. It’s the same program, just sliced and diced differently.

The two exceptions to this are the Build A Computer program, which requires additional fees to cover the parts and individualized attention, and the Pee-Wee Animation, Puppet and Television program for very young campers ages 4-7 (see below). The Media & Tech Camp includes access for teens to our Advanced Graphics, Sound Synthesis and Gaming Lab (for ages 12+) featuring high-end Alienware computers. The Media & Tech Camp also includes access to our Vive Virtual Reality system (ages 8+).

What’s the difference between the Pee Wee Playhouse Camp for ages 4-7 and the Junior Media & Tech Camp for ages 5 – 8?

The Pee-Wee camp program is open to younger campers (4 and up) and provides more structure and direction. Whereas Jr. Media & Tech campers are free to choose their own activities in our two main studios (Media and Tech), the Pee-Wee campers work in a separate room, where everyone is essentially doing the same activity. It’s less of a free for all, and was created partly in response to some parents who felt that the Jr. Media & Tech program can be a bit overwhelming for the youngest campers.

Are campers grouped by age?

With the exception of the Advanced Tech Studio for ages 12+, and the Pee-Wee Playhouse for ages 4-7, campers are mixed together Montessori style. Many of our most interesting and ambitious group projects, including “Roblox Jeopardy”, have involved campers spanning ages from 6 to 16. For most media projects campers work in small groups of similar-aged kids.

How Do Lunch and Snack Breaks work?

Campers bring their own bag lunches and snacks. We take three food breaks each day: A morning snack break around 10:30am, a lunch break around 12 or 12:30pm, and an afternoon snack break around 2:30pm. These food breaks are always taken outside (we have big picnic tables on our lawn), and after campers finish eating they stay outside to play badminton, Frisbee, run around and socialize with each other. This is all supervised by our counselors.

Lunch break usually runs from 12:00 – 1:00pm, but it’s a bit loose depending on weather and projects underway. If you register for Afternoon Media & Tech camp you’ll usually be arriving in the middle of our lunch period, when campers are outside. This gives your camper the option to eat with our other Full Day campers, and play on our lawn. We usually go back inside and start Media & Tech activities at 1:00pm.

How many counselors are there?

The number of counselors may vary from week to week depending on registration. We try to maintain a ratio of at least one counselor for every ten campers, and often the ratio is more in the ballpark of 6:1 or 8:1. At minimum there are always at least two staff members on the premises during camp hours, and usually quite a bit more.

Who are your counselors?

Like most summer camps our staff changes significantly from summer to summer, but in Ithaca we are blessed with two fantastic local resources to draw from: Cornell’s engineering students, and Ithaca College’s film and television students. Both programs are world-renowned, and many of our counselors are recruited from these colleges. All our counselors are in college or college graduates, and over the years many have gone on to successful careers in media and technology. Also, many of our campers have been returning year after year, and some of our counselors are actually former campers.

What’s the bathroom situation?

There are two non-gendered private bathrooms, each equipped with a toilet and sink. Please note that all campers must be able to use the toilets independently as our counselors do not provide any assistance with toilet training or use.

My child has aged out of Ithaca Media Arts camp, but loves it. Can they become a counselor now?

Most of our counselors are at least nineteen years old. We offer a CIT Program (counselor in training) for teens aged 16-18 who feel they are too old for our camp but not quite old enough to be counselors.

Are campers staring at screens all day?

No. Especially if your camper is registered in our Full Day program, it may appear that way because the last hour of each day features open play in our Tech Studio, which for most campers means playing Roblox or Minecraft. So that’s what they’re doing when parents arrive for pickup. However earlier in the day the Tech Studio follows a schedule incorporating Robotics, 3-D Printing and CAD Design, and Game Design (which is different from game playing!) Also, the creation of animation and live-action media projects can be tedious and draining, and by the end of the day campers who worked hard all morning and early afternoon in the Media Studio tend to drift over to the Tech Studio to relax and play. We also require all campers to spend time outdoors each day. Full day campers are outside for two hours each day – an hour at lunch time, and a half hour each for morning and afternoon snacks. (Weather permitting.)

Can parents see what’s going on in the studios?

Absolutely! We encourage parents at pickup time to go into the studios and fetch their campers. Morning drop-off is the only time we do NOT want parents going in the back. There are several reasons for this: With younger kids we don’t want to exacerbate separation issues, and we need to establish rapport between campers and their counselors, and depending how busy we are, it can just be too many people. However when you pick your camper up please head back to get them. Also, campers often want to show off projects they are working on to their parents or caregivers, and we encourage this. So please respect our policy at drop off time, and feel free to pop in any other time to see what’s going on!

My child has special needs. Will they fit in here?

Most likely yes! A portion of our campers in any given week have Aspergers or are on the spectrum, and over the years we’ve accommodated all sorts of other special needs. We do have a small number of stairs, but have managed to accommodate children in wheelchairs. We’ve also had campers with hearing and vision impairments. We have a zero-tolerance policy for teasing and bullying, and our counselors are very sensitive to this. We strive to maintain a warm and comfortable environment for all our campers. If your child has a one-on-one aide, we can usually accommodate their inclusion. We can also usually provide a one-on-one aide for an additional fee. (Please email for details well in advance of the start of camp.)

What if my child doesn’t enjoy the camp?

Everyone is different and our camp is quite unique, and not for everyone. (In some ways our camp is more like a science museum, see our Philosophy & Vision page.) If you’re not sure whether our camp is right for your child, we highly encourage you to first register for our Try-It Camp, which provides a three-hour single day “taste” of what camp at Ithaca Media Arts is like.

Do Media & Tech campers really learn all the skills on your web site?

Campers have the opportunity to learn everything we list, and we have counselors who are expert in each of these areas. That said, we offer far more activities than any camper could possibly do in a single week. Campers who attend for several weeks can indeed learn everything we offer. But at the end of the day, we are a camp, not a school. Campers have to want to learn, and we do not force any activities on any campers. Most weeks there are numerous sign-up sheets offering special activities as well. Our camp is not about offering vocational training to ten year olds! It is about fostering an interest and appreciation in media and technology, and science. We hope to spark interests and make learning fun! (See Our Mission & Philosophy for more on this.)

How do sibling discounts work?

We offer a discount for two or more campers registering together at the same time. (For us, there’s less administrative work.) To receive the discount automatically via PayPal, both campers must register for the exact same program and dates. Fill out the names and ages and weeks on the PayPal button, and then AFTER you select “Add to Cart”, change the Quantity on the PayPal checkout form to the number of campers. If you’re registering multiple campers for different camp programs during the same week(s)- such as one camper in the “Junior” program and the other aged 9+, register by Deposit. When we send the invoice for the balance due, we’ll apply the discount to the lower fee camper (if there’s a difference in fees.)

Can I change weeks after I register?

Usually yes, unless we are full for the week(s) you want to switch to. We do charge a small administrative fee for these changes.

If I add more weeks can I pay the difference between the multi-week fee and what I’ve already paid?

No. We offer multi-week discounts only for campers who know in advance they like our camp and want to attend for several weeks during the summer. Also, we do not give refunds for the unused portion of multi-week registrations if a camper drops out. So if you’re unsure, we recommend you register by the week.

What if I cancel? Can I get a refund?

Our cancellation and refund polices are fully explained at the bottom of our About Us page. Refunds and credits depend on how far in advance you cancel, and how many weeks you’ve registered for.

Still have questions? Please email us at info@ithaca-media.com