Computer camp is the brainchild of Michael Zabinski, Ph.D. professor of Physics and Engineering at Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT who in 1977 coined the phrase "computer camps". National Computer Camps (NCC) was launched in a junior high in Orange, CT in 1978. Today, NCC has camps in various states coast to coast.
NCC (http://www.nccamp.com/ ) is the first of its kind. "Back then we were the only ones using computers in a summer camp setting and nobody had ever done it before, we were in uncharted territory," Zabinski said. But over the years with the incredible advances in computer technology, such as the Internet, computer camps have now become quite sophisticated.
The primary focus of NCC is to teach computer programming and software applications including networking, web animation, Flash and graphics. An optional sports program is also available. Each week all levels of programming in Basic, C++, Java, Assembler, HTML, XML, Open GL and JavaScript are offered. Campers may attend one or multi-week sessions with a continuous curriculum that is age appropriate and suitable for beginners to super advanced. The coed campers, ages 8-18, enjoy small group instruction on state-of-the-art PC and Mac computers for ample 'hands-on'.
