Applied computing uses aspects of computer science to solve problems in various disciplines, including politics, business, education, and the environment. Working in this field, you'll likely use a range of programming, software engineering, graphic applications, networking, and operating systems management skills to collect, analyze, store and distribute information that will help resolve issues for individuals, groups, and companies (definition from Learn.org). ACF believes in training students to enhance their problem-solving skills and prepares them for life.

We have seen many students intimidated by computer science and losing interest even before starting. Computer science is not just for students who are good at math or major in engineering. Technology is the driving force of our times and is transforming all industries. Understanding and using technology to leverage what they are doing will be critical for anyone in any field. We want to empower our students via the learning cycle, creating something they can use in a team and contributing to their community. The confidence coming from “I did it!” is what we try to enhance through what we are doing.

Equip Students With Crucial Life Skills and Set Them Up for Lifelong Success: Coding opens many lucrative career opportunities. Even if students do not pursue a STEM profession, learning to code equips them with invaluable skills - such as problem-solving and logical reasoning. Computer Science is becoming a fundamental piece of many cross-disciplinary careers, including medicine, art, engineering, business, law, etc. Many of the most innovative and exciting new companies are tackling traditional jobs using software skills. ACF courses are designed to provide teamwork opportunities throughout, crucial to enhancing leadership skills. Such skills empower students to navigate the world from a vibrant perspective. Strong Curriculum: ACF developed a hands-on, project-based curriculum, carefully scaffolded to ensure progress and inspiration in games, storytelling, robotics, graphic art, and augmented class series. Students have fun while being intellectually challenged. Personalized Learning and Collaboration Experience: You can choose between our 1:1 classes or small group class, which we have designed to ensure personalized education and collaboration opportunities. Our personalization guarantees that students get the attention they need to flourish at their own pace. Students work with an instructor, giving them the support and space to succeed. Instructor Quality: The student/instructor dynamic is at the heart of everything we do. Every instructor is intensely passionate about empowering the next generation. ACF coaches bring their best to the classroom and understand they are modeling and mentoring beyond tech coaching. Our coaches went through extensive onboarding training and continuous training.

When our students complete our program, they are empowered to achieve their dreams in various ways: Our students build a robust technical foundation for their everyday life. Our applied level courses allow students to use what they have learned in everyday life, like problem-solving in team environments. It is a unique tech leadership opportunity. Our parents regularly report that students start achieving higher grades and that our program helps students navigate our increasingly "geek-savvy" world. ACF students can enter college by starting early and having real-life problem-solving experience.

Yes! Please get in touch with us at contact@applied-computing.org to discuss your needs.

Yes! We work with employers to offer ACF as a perk to their employees to help boost employee engagement and help employees pass down essential skills to their kids. If you are interested in exploring a partnership with us, please email contact@applied-computing.org.

ACF can help prepare your child by providing them with “learn-apply” experience cycles, collaboration, and mentorship. There are a few ways ACF helps students succeed in preparation for college. Admissions: Students can build a strong admissions profile for college through our application-level courses: Science Fair + Coding, Startup Teams, Internships, etc. It demonstrates leadership, problem-solving, and initiative. We offer pathways to help students excel in competitions and coursework like AP Computer Science. In College and Beyond: Equipped with technical knowledge to apply and collaborate with, ACF students land competitive internships and excel in college courses. Many of our advanced curricula are equivalent to college-level courses.

Demonstrating Academic Excellence: We recommend students start early in our program, i.e., 8-10 years old, to have many years to develop their skills and build a strong profile in computer science. A sample progression for a complete beginner may be: 3rd - 5th Grade: Scratch, Web Programming, Python, Robotics 4th - 6th Grade: Web Programming, Python, Robotics, Game Development 6th - 8th Grade: Science Fair + Coding, Web Programming, Python, Robotics, Junior Startup Team Game Development, Java 9th - 12th Grade: Science Fair + Coding, Startup Team, Internship, Game Development AI, Java Students starting as beginners in high school would still begin with Python Level 1 and have less time to prepare for USACO, but we have students who started in 9th grade who passed Bronze and Silver levels within 1-2 years. Demonstrating Leadership and Drive: In our applied level courses, students get involved with leadership and commitment to subject areas they are interested in by serving their local community. Excelling in Selective Contests: Interested students may participate in ACF's global competitions, Science fairs, and many tech entrepreneurship competitions. Doing well in these competitions can demonstrate students' excellence among their peers. Check out our Achievements page for some shining examples.

ACF coaches are professionals working in the education sector and tech industry or college students that undergo our rigorous interview and training processes. We choose them for their technical aptitude and experience working with students. They serve as skilled instructors, mentors, and role models. ACF offers continuous training and support programs for our coaches. Your child is getting mentored by the best and brightest in the field.

Every student’s experience is personal and unique. We work with students across the spectrum of experience, from complete beginners to students who have been learning for years, and work to make them all feel excited yet challenged by our curriculum.

Yes. After each course, students receive a certificate of completion recognizing their learning mastery.

You can check out the course pathway description on Our Programs and reach out to contact@applied-computing.org to schedule a trial designed to assess your child’s present level.

Students can register for as many weeks of camp as they would like. We encourage you to pick and choose courses from different categories to benefit from our diverse project-based interdisciplinary learning experience. Check out our Camp page for more details.

ACF’s courses and curricula are built to accommodate various ages and abilities. This, along with our exceptionally skilled instructional staff and low staff-to-student ratio (average 1:8 for in-person class and 1:5 for virtual class), allows us to individualize lessons, customize the learning experience and offer plenty of one-on-one time for each student. If you have a particular goal or project idea, instructors will work with you and guide you so you can achieve it.

Our Camps are offered as one to three-week-long experiences. Many students register for more than two weeks to build on what they have learned to create projects they can use and share with their community. ACF emphasizes purposeful learning that students can use to realize their ideas, and our students love the empowering experience.

We follow the current COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety and wellness. We adhere to strict background checks for each staff member, and they are trained in both emergency response and child safety standards. Our staff are well-trained and are all CPR, and First Aid certified. We also require that all staff undergo stringent background checks, Mandatory Reporting training, and Sexual Abuse Prevention training. We also employ Day Camp Counselors whose primary role is to supervise students during break activities and guide students around the campus during meal times. Our Camp Director is equipped with tools and resources to ensure the safety of each student. For any issues involving specialized diets or medications, our Camp Directors facilitate special training among camp counselors to make sure students receive any necessary or required medication and create an action plan each week that caters to our students’ needs. We encourage you to reach out with any questions you may have. Safety is our #1 priority.

We understand that the summer months can be busy. However, we do not recommend missing a day of camp. Since our programs are only one week long, missing any portion can significantly impact the academic component of the learning and may negatively affect your child’s experience. There will be a lot of pressure on your child to learn any missed material in a shorter time to catch up by the end of the week. Our staff is always willing to work with individuals as needed, but it is not recommended that any time in class is missed.

Parents are invited to come to the class on Monday morning to see the room's location, meet the instructor and teaching assistants, and go through the camp orientation with their students before the program starts. We do not allow parents to stay in the classroom during the day while class is in session. For the safety of all our students, we can not allow any adults in our camp or classrooms who are not employees of ACF. We welcome you to join us during the Friday Open House, where you can see the projects your kid has been working on during the week.

The process for administering medication is as follows: Medication is kept in a locked box in the camp office (unless requested by parents and approved by the camp director). Each day at the appointed time, the participant is brought to the office, and the Program Director or Residential Coordinator/Counselor will ensure that they take the medication. The Program Director or Residential Coordinator/Counselor keeps a logbook of each day it’s administered, how many pills are taken, and what time. After the medication is provided to the participant, both the Program Director or Residential Coordinator/Counselor and the participant will initial the logbook. Parents/Guardians will need to do the following: At check-in, provide the Program Director or Residential Coordinator/Counselor with the medication in the original container with the pharmacy label and the following: Name of Parent Name of Participant Telephone Number Name of Medication(s) Best Time to Administer Medicine to Student

ACF provides computers to elementary students, but older students from 6th grade and up should bring their computers.

Most of our summer courses do not have prerequisites other than the age limit, but some programs do. Please check the course description carefully. For the classes spaced over one week, we require your child to enroll for the whole period. For those students with previous experience, contact us at camp@applied-computing.org for individual consideration.

We can make exceptions for children on the border of age cutoffs on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us at camp@applied-computing.org for discussion.

This is how ACF camps are different from other camps! Students will start making their portfolios throughout the camp. Those who joined our camps for over two weeks will be given one pass to hackathons hosted by AC. Our base thrives to offer a purposeful learning experience beyond just summer, just exposure, or adventure. We encourage students to apply what they learn to create valuable products that they and their community can use. We also continuously challenge our students through monthly online coding challenges and virtual and onsite events (more here). Once you join our camp, you become a part of our community.

ACF offers year-round afterschool programs at its partner schools and learning centers and online. We also organize events and programs for students at other schools or organizations. If you are interested in managing a customized program at your school, please contact us at contact@applied-computing.org.

ACF is not a special-needs camp. However, we welcome students with special needs. We can accommodate special needs at each location and historically have had a high success rate with students and parents who are vocal about their needs and how our camp can help the child have the most positive experience possible. If you decide to register for the course, there will be a section where you can add any pertinent information that can assist our on-campus staff in making this a positive experience for you and your child. Please give us as much information as you feel is necessary for us to provide a good experience for your child. We encourage you to talk to the on-site Director upon arrival at camp and make sure you convey any additional information.

We are aware that students may have special dietary needs. When going through your registration process, you will be asked about any medications or nutritional needs the child may have. Additionally, you are more than welcome to contact us once your registration has been processed, and we can add additional notes to your account for extra assurance. We also encourage you to speak with the director on-site at check-in to ensure everyone is on the same page. If your child has severe food allergies, we recommend sending a sack lunch from home each day. Your child’s health and safety are critical to us!