News
March 28, 2017New Computer Coding Camp for Kids Opens in Albany NY’s Capital Region
Cipher Cabin is a brand new summer camp for young people to learn real-world skills in computer programming and web development. Located in Schenectady NY, on the campus of Union College, it is the first computer coding camp of its kind in the Albany NY Capital Region. Campers ages 10-17 can register for day and overnight summer camp from June to August 2017 at a fraction of the cost of similar programs in the Northeast.
In its inaugural year, Cipher Cabin will offer campers courses in Java and Python computer programming languages and web development, including HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP and SQL. The specialized summer camp features self-paced, project-based instruction with a low camper-counselor ratio and small classes taught by computer and web science majors from the top schools in the country.
Cipher Cabin’s day camp runs from 8:30am to 8:00pm and includes 6 hours of instruction, 2 meals, evening entertainment and both indoor and outdoor activities. The week starts with camper orientation on Sunday and ends with a farewell ceremony on Friday for a total cost of $750 per child.
For an additional $325, campers can register for overnight accommodations, which include daily breakfast, air-conditioned double room, linen service, extended camp hours and transportation assistance from the Albany International Airport or Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak station. Multi-week and sibling discounts are also available.
According to Cipher Cabin’s founders James Aiken and Angie Yearick, the name “cipher” pays homage to one of the early computers, a mechanical calculating (or ciphering) machine called the Difference Engine. “Designed in the early 1820s by computer pioneer Charles Babbage to automate mathematical calculations, the machine was never actually built in his lifetime,” recounts James. “Yet almost 200 years later, the Difference Engine remains one of the early conceptual basis for modern computers.”
The “cabin” part refers to the team’s more humble story. “Two years ago, we were drawn in by the majestic beauty of the Adirondack Mountains and bought a little house on a wooded hillside overlooking Lake George,” shares Angie. “It was there in our ‘cabin’ where the dream was born to bring a summer coding and web camp to the Capital Region.”
Cipher Cabin is currently accepting registrations through their website https://www.ciphercabin.com. As part of their grand opening promotion, they are offering $100 off one week of camp for registrations received by March 31, 2017.
