CCI's Premier Summer Program: Drexel University Digital Development Camp, VirtuaQuest
The Drexel University Digital Development Camp, VirtuaQuest, is a specialized three-week in-person summer program led by College of Computing & Informatics (CCI). It provides participants with the chance to engage deeply with technology and digital development topics, guided by expert faculty and student leaders. Participants gain hands-on experience in areas such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, programming, and game development while building technical skills and exploring future paths in computing.
The camp is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors and accepted CCI first-year students. Check back in Spring 2025 for a virtual open house and registration information.
Check out the 2024 camp recap
Digital Development Camp students choose between two tracks:
- The FullStack track gives aspiring developers the opportunity to gain experience with full stack web development. FullStack includes front-end design, human-computer interface and user experience, back-end development including data integration. This track includes daily lessons, workshops, guest speakers and individual/group work time. Campers work in teams to plan and develop a website of their own.
- The Data Science track uses computing for social good as a springboard for student led projects using publicly available data to address relevant issues in a particular community. Student teams will choose a community and issue to address then find data, analyze it, and create a data visualization. Data science includes statistics, database basics, data analysis tools and effective presentation skills. This track includes daily lessons, workshops, guest speakers and group work time. Campers work in teams to plan and develop a data science project.
Each day campers will attend a variety of workshops as well as a lecture given by a CCI faculty member on a variety of topics including gaming, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, data science and more computer science principles. Then, working in teams, campers will use the skills they learned to bring their vision to life through programming, artificial intelligence/machine learning, data science and more.
At the conclusion of the camp session, parents and friends will be invited to attend a virtual showcase where campers will demonstrate their work.
Camp Details
- In-person format with a dedicated Blackboard Ultra Classroom for all campers to utilize.
- Cost: $750; lunch, snacks and educational supplies are included. Please note: housing is not provided/available for campers.
- Beginner friendly; no experience needed.
- Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as incoming Drexel CCI students who have interest in (but not limited to) computer science, software engineering, cybersecurity, data science, human-computer interaction, and programming.
- A balanced schedule including live instruction, peer collaboration and self-paced project development each day.
- Learning opportunities and networking with Drexel's academic community.
- Learn about the College of Computing & Informatics and Drexel during special informational sessions for attendees and parents, with direct access to CCI faculty, professional staff, and student leaders.
Available Scholarships
Auerbach Cybersecurity Camp Scholarship
Scholarship Details & Requirements:
- Created to provide funding for students who are passionate about cybersecurity and wish to further their education in the field
- Open to all camp registrants who have an interest in cybersecurity, but limited number of scholarships are available
- Scholarship covers the 2024 $600 camp registration fee
- To apply, applicants must submit a minimum 500-word essay describing why you are interested in the cybersecurity field, including any experiences that you have had (courses, programs, etc.) as well as plans you have for a future in cybersecurity.
Isaac L. Auerbach Cybersecurity Scholarship
Scholarship Details & Requirements:
- Created to help eligible students pursue their education and achieve their career goals in the cybersecurity field
- Open to students who successfully complete the Digital Development Camp and subsequently enroll in the BS in Computing & Security Technology (Drexel's undergraduate cybersecurity degree program)
- Awards students up to $5,000 in their incoming year
- Application information will be made available to eligible students upon completion of the camp
- Award decisions will be announced prior to the start of their incoming year/Fall Quarter
Testimonials
Students in previous Digital Development Camp sessions reported that they felt more confident in their Web development skills, and were inspired to learn more and pursue studies — and potentially a future career — in computing. Our campers shared the following testimonials about their experience:
- "Coming into this camp, I had a basic understanding of HTML and CSS but had never created a website using the languages. Over the course of this camp, I was able to gain a working knowledge of these languages and feel more comfortable in my ability to succeed in this field. This was especially beneficial because I hope to become a front-end developer in the future."
- "Before I came to this camp, I had only heard of HTML and CSS but personally never used them before. I was really nervous coming to the camp because I wasn’t sure how much I could contribute to the group. However, throughout the two weeks here, I continuously learned more and more through workshops, the counselors, and my teammates, and now feel as though I have a solid foundation in the two languages."
- "Through this camp I learned how to use HTML and CSS in a different way. It was also interesting to learn how to use a different collaborative browser-based IDE to code in other than the one I used in school. I learned a lot more about styling websites and how to make them more user friendly than I had in school as well. Next year I am taking Computer Science III Honors and I will definitely use my new skills to better my websites."
Learn More About Previous Digital Development Camp Projects
Contact Us
For additional information or any questions, please email us at CCISummerPrograms@drexel.edu.