Classic 1983 ads via Laura Moncur’s Flickr. Laura also found an article in Atari’s Antic magazine called “Computer Camp: Report from the Old West” that describes the camps in detail.
Campers paid $890 for a two-week session and $425 for each additional week, up to a total of 8 weeks. But if you stayed the whole 8 weeks you got a tuition break and paid the one time, low, low price of $2999. Don’t forget to bring your transportable cellular phone system, kids! You’ll need to call mom if you lose your Snoopy doll.
The daily schedule looked like this:
9:00-10:25 – Computer Instruction
10:30-11:10 – Drama
11:15-12:00 – Tennis
12:00-1:55 – Lunch (Rest Hour)
2:00-2:55 – Computer Workshop
3:00-3:35 – Free Swim
4:00-5:25 – Softball
7:00-8:30 – Free Time
I imagine 5:30-7:00 was dinner. “During free time… at least two of the three computer rooms are open for students either to play games or practice programming.”
My favorite part is a quote from the camp’s co-director, Marlene Applebaum:
We also had a whole group playing Dungeons and Dragons… Not on the computer, but the original game. One of the counselors really knows that game and played Dungeon-master. I think that goes along with the kind of child who comes here.
I think you’re right, Marlene.
2 Warps to Neptune 