COMPUTER EXPLORERS of Cook, DuPage, Kane, and Lake Counties

Robotics Fun at the Elmhurst Park District

2011-04-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

There's still a few days left to sign up for INTRO TO ROBOTICS 1 at the Elmhurst Park District!

Intro to Robotics 1

Be an inventor! Light and sound sensors, pulleys, wheels, levers and gears are all at your command! Design your machine, program it using Pico Cricket®, and start it moving. Classes include a whirlwind of merry-go-rounds, speeding cars, and snapping dragons! Students will work in teams of 2.

Age: 8 - 12 years
Dates: Tues, May 3, 10, 17, 24
Times: 4:00 – 5:30

Register here!

Calling all Star Wars fans!! Do you want to make your own Star Wars movie?

2011-04-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

There's still a few days left to sign up for Lights, Camera, Action - Making Your Own Star Wars movie at the Westchester Park District!

Lights, Camera, Action – Making Your Own Star Wars™ movie

Do you want to be the next George Lucas? We will create our very own Star Wars™ movie using special digital movie making cameras and software. As directors and producers we will work in teams to create our own story and script, build various Star Wars™ Lego® scenes and film our own movie. We will use graphic editing techniques and stop motion animation, add background noise and music, and show our movie at a private screening on the last day of class. All students will get a copy of their movie after class is complete.

Age: 8 - 12 years
Dates: Mon, May 2, 9, 16, 23
Times: 4:30 – 5:45 pm

Register here!

Does your child love Legos? Sign up for Fun-gineering at the Darien Park District!

2011-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

There's still a few days left to sign up for Fun-gineering at the Darien Park District!

Fun-Gineering with Simple Machines

Using Lego™ Educational kits, budding engineers will learn about simple machines by building models of real-life devices such as a motorized car, a drawbridge, a motorized crane and a conveyor belt. They will learn about the concepts of pulleys, levers, wheels and axles, and gears and bring their projects to life using battery-operated motors. Through the building of realistic motorized models, students will develop an understanding of mechanical principles. They will explore, investigate, and solve problems in a fun group environment. 2 children per LEGO® kit.

Age: 8 - 12 years
Dates: Mon, May 2, 9, 16, 23
Times: 4:00 – 5:30

Register here!

Throw a Lego Themed Birthday Party!

2011-04-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

We've had several parents ask us if we do Birthday Parties! Please call or email for available dates and locations! Click to enlarge the flyer below!

We now have a fanpage on facebook!

2010-03-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

If you're on facebook, please become a fan of COMPUTER EXPLORERS of Chicagoland! Get updates on classes that are running throughout the Chicago suburbs! Please click on the "find us on facebook" link to the right!

Here's one of our movies from our COMPUTER EXPLORERS Moviemaking class.

2010-03-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here's one of the movies our students created in our "Moviemaking 101 - Making Your Own Sponge Bob movie" class. This was created at the Wheaton Park District in Feb, 2010.

Sign up for our new technology classes this fall!

2009-09-06T07:09:00.001-07:00

Here are three exciting new classes that are being offered at some Park Districts this fall. Please check with your local Park District or schoool for availability.

Robotics Adventures
Yes, We CAN learn about Robotics! With the LEGO™ WeDo Robotics System, young children can build and program their own robotic creations. Designed by the experts at MIT, this unique system teaches children about simple machines, engineering, programming and so much more. Young imaginations soar! Students will work together in teams of 2.
Age: 6 - 8 years

Green Screen Adventures Climb Mount Everest, swim the depths of the ocean, or battle dinosaurs! Using a green screen and special photo-editing techniques, you will venture into real or imaginary locations and film the trip to share with friends. Experiment with photos and unique drawing software to set the scene for fantastic adventures. Don’t stay at home – jump into a green screen and find yourself some fun!
Age: 8 - 12 years

Inventions With Art and Technology
Jumping Jiminy Crickets! The newest in robotics and programming fun is the Pico Cricket®. Design and create your own creatures, sculptures or 3-D art, and then program them for action! Make a cat and program it to purr when someone pets it. Make a bobble-head with multiple heads that jiggle and jump on command. Make a birthday cake play a song when someone blows out the candles. Your imagination is the main ingredient! Students will work together in teams of 2.

Age: 8 - 12 years

What a great summer!

2009-08-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

COMPUTER EXPLORERS students had a great summer! They created their own video games, wrote, filmed and edited their own Indiana Jones, Harry Potter or Batman movies, built and programmed Lego Robots and in the process learned some new technology and made new friends in our classes! This summer, we had the privilege of teaching 437 students at 18 different locations throughout the western suburbs during 8 weeks of our Technology Camps! Thank you to all the who participated in our classes! We hope you'll join us for some new classes this fall. Class listings and descriptions will be posted soon!

Here's a great Harry Potter movie created in one of our Moviemaking classes!

2009-07-25T07:59:00.001-07:00

Some talented students from the Oswegoland Park District created this great Harry Potter movie in our COMPUTER EXPLORERS moviemaking class!

Make Your Own Harry Potter Movie!

2009-07-15T06:00:00.001-07:00

The new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie starts at theaters today! However, Harry Potter fans can make their own Harry Potter movie this summer in one of our COMPUTER EXPLORERS' moviemaking classes:

Lights, Camera, Action – Making Your Own Harry Potter™ movie
What’s the next adventure for Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione? You decide! We will create our own Harry Potter™ movie using special movie making cameras and software. As directors and producers, we will work in teams to create our own story and script, build various Harry Potter™ Lego® scenes and film our own movie. We will use graphic editing techniques and stop motion animation, add background noise and music, and show our movie at a private screening on the last day of class. All students will get a copy of their movie on a CD-ROM after class ends.

There's still time to sign up! Classes are available at the following locations:

Batavia Park District

Naperville Park District

Oswegoland Park District

Yorkville Parks and Recreation

New Technology Camps starting up July 6!

2009-07-01T10:30:00.001-07:00

We had a break this week due to the July 4th holiday but new classes are starting up next week! There is still space in some classes so it's not too late to sign up!

Batavia Park DistrictEastside Community Center 14 N. Van Buren St Batavia, IL

Fun-gineering 10:15 am – 12:15 pm - Class is full

Fox Valley Park District
Eola Community Center 555 S. Eola Road Aurora, IL 60504

Alien Invasion Robotics – 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm - Class is full

Hinsdale Parks and Recreation
Memorial Bldg 19 E. Chicago Ave. Hinsdale, IL (2nd floor board room)
Moviemaking 101 - Making Your Own Batman™ movie 10:15 am – 12:15 pm - Class is full

Lombard Park District
Sunset Knoll Recreation Center 820 S. Finley Road Lombard, IL 60148

COMPUTERTOTS: Summer Series Times: 1:30 – 2:00 - Still have openings
Fun-Gineering With Simple Machines Times: 2:15 – Still have openings

Riverside Parks and Recreation
10 Pine Avenue Riverside, IL 60546

Video Game Animation Times: 10:15 – 12:15 - Still have openings

Woodridge Park District
Community Center 2600 Center Drive Woodridge, IL

Video Game Animation 1:45 pm – 3:45 pm - Still have openings

Yorkville Parks and Recreation
201 W. Hydraulic Yorkville IL 60560

Video Game Animation – 10:00 am – 12:00 pm - Still have openings

Transformers movie starts today - Get ideas for your own Transformers Movie in our newest COMPUTER EXPLORERS class starting in the fall!

2009-06-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" starts at movie theaters today! Go see the movie and get some ideas for our newest COMPUTER EXPLORERS moviemaking class starting in the fall:

"Lights, Camera, Action – Making Your Own Transformers™ movie

Bring Bumblebee and Optimus Prime to life as they take on Megatron or Star Scream in your very own Transformers™ movie. You will create your very own Transformers™ movie using special digital movie making cameras and software. As writers, directors and producers you will work in teams to create your own story and script, design and create backgrounds and film your own movie using graphic editing techniques and stop motion animation. You can add your own voices or your favorite music to your movie and show it at a private screening on the last day of class. All students will get a copy of their movie on a CD-ROM after class is complete."

This class will be available at various Park Districts in the Fall. Check back with us in August for class locations and dates!

It's not too late to sign up for our Fun and Educational Technology Camps!

2009-06-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

We have technology camps running weekly for 8 weeks between June 15 and August 13 at various locations throughout the western suburbs. (No classes are scheduled June 29 - July 3) Classes are filling up fast, but there are still some openings! Here are some of the classes we have scheduled:

Batavia Park District

The Community House in Hinsdale

Darien Park District

Elmhurst Park District

More class locations are listed to the right! If you don't see your location here, you can check with our other COMPUTER EXPLORERS locations

Our Summer Technology Camps start on Monday, June 15!

2009-06-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

Our first round of classes will be starting up on Monday, June 15. Here are the classes that are running this week:

Elmhurst Park District
June 16 - 19, 2009

Computertots Session 1: 9:30 – 10:00
Session 2: 10:10 – 10:40

Video Game Animation 1:00 – 3:00 pm

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Glen Ellyn Park District
June 15 - 18, 2009

Fun-Gineering With Simple Machines 10:45 – 12:45 pm

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Naperville Park District:
June 15 - 18, 2009

Computertots 10:10 – 10:40

Basics to Building 10:45 – 11:45 am

Video Game Animation 1:00 – 3:00 pm

We still have many classes scheduled through August, so if you aren't able to join us the week of June 15, we still have openings in many locations! See our specific summer schedules to the right!

Claymation Cinema movie from the Lombard Park District

2009-03-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a great Claymation movie about a family of ducks. This was created at the Lombard Park District.

Here are some Star Wars movies created at the St Charles Park District

2008-10-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

The students at the St Charles Park District had a great time creating their own Star Wars movies last month:

Press Release: COMPUTER EXPLORERS Partners with Children’s Technology Review to Sponsor LittleClickers.com

2008-10-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

United States of America (Press Release) October 7, 2008 -- CYPRESS, Texas –COMPUTER EXPLORERS (CE), the fastest growing home-based children’s franchise, continues its mission to instruct children ages 3-15 in computer technology with the sponsorship of LittleClickers.com, a collection of educational Web sites for children. LittleClickers.com was created in 2001, the brainchild of Dr. Warren Buckleitner, editor of the online magazine, Children’s Technology Review (CTR). The Web site assists educators in bringing safe, fun exploration of the Internet to elementary school-aged children.

“COMPUTER EXPLORERS and Children’s Technology Review have a common goal, to assist children in mastering technology,” says Deb Evans, CE president. “We want our students to safely navigate the Internet in order to mine its treasures. We are pleased to partner with Dr. Buckleitner and LittleClickers.com; the site is an educational gold mine.”

The partnership includes a column by Dr. Buckleitner in the monthly newsletter featuring product advice as well as recommendations of the best in children’s software. COMPUTER EXPLORERS’ endorsement of LittleClickers.com is another of the many ways the home-based franchise offers preschool and school-aged children the tools they need to gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing field of computer technology.

COMPUTER EXPLORERS, part of the International Center for Entrepreneurial Development (ICED), is the largest and fastest growing home-based provider of computer technology education for children in the U. S., offering computer enrichment to students, ages three to 15, at child care centers, schools and other community sites. CE franchise opportunities are available in all 50 of the United States, in Canada and countries throughout the world.

About ICED
COMPUTER EXPLORERS is part of the International Center for Entrepreneurial Development, Inc. ICED, located in Cypress, Texas, is the parent company for Kwik Kopy Printing, American Wholesale Thermographers, The Ink Well, Franklin’s Printing, Parcel Plus, Kwik Kopy Business Centers and COMPUTER EXPLORERS. This group represents one of the world’s largest international alliances of printing, communications and education franchises with business relationships in the United States and 10 other countries. These company names are all registered trademarks or service marks of I.C.E.D. Management, Inc.

Our Indiana Jones Moviemaking Camps are a hit!

2008-06-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Our first two weeks of summer camps have gone very well! All of our Indiana Jones Moviemaking classes have been a hit! Classes are filling up and many locations have waitlists of students who want to take our classes all over the western and southern suburbs of Chicago. More classes are still scheduled to run during the next 6 weeks.

Although we aren't able to post every movie that is created in our classes, here are some for you to enjoy.

These two were created at the Community House in Hinsdale:

Here are two created at the Lombard Park District:

These were created at the Hinsdale Parks and Recreation:

Have you got a talent that you want to show off?

2008-06-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

You've all seen "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent"! Have you ever wanted to show off your talents, but didn't know where to do it? This summer, COMPUTER EXPLORERS is out to find the next great talent in the western and southern suburbs of Chicago! Do you and your friends have a special talent? Can you sing? Dance? Lip-sync? Act? Do Magic? Comedy? Impersonations?
While your group performs, another group will be recording your talents using a digital movie camera. You can then add special effects to your performance! Bring your own music or costumes! Not only will you get a copy of your show on a CD, we will post the videos to the COMPUTER EXLORERS blog. Friends and family can vote for their favorite talent (you!) during the summer, and the winner will be awarded a prize in August! No auditions necessary, but spaces are limited.

We will be conducting our "Talent Searches" in the following 13 Chicago suburbs:

Bolingbrook Park District
Channahon Park District
Elmhurst Park District
Fox Valley Park District
Hinsdale Parks and Recreation
Park District of La Grange
Lombard Park District
Naperville Park District
New Lenox Park District
Oswegoland Park District
Plainfield Park District
St Charles Park District
Yorkville Parks and Recreation

New Moviemaking class being offered this summer!

2008-04-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

The new Indiana Jones movie is being released in theaters on May 22. However, Indiana Jones and Lego fans will be able to make their own Indiana Jones movie at Park Districts accross the western and southern suburbs of Chicago! Our moviemaking class will be offered throughout the summer from June through August at 16 different locations. Check our summer schedule after May 15 for dates and locations!

Here's the description of our newest class:

Moviemaking 101 - Making Your Own Indiana Jones™ movie Do you want to be the next Steven Spielberg? Using your own imagination, creativity, special digital movie making cameras, software and Indiana Jones™ Lego sets, you will create your very own Indiana Jones™ movie! You will become part of a team of writers, photographers, directors and producers and create your own story and script, build various Indiana Jones™ Lego® scenes and film your own movie. You will use graphic editing techniques and stop motion animation, add background noise and music, and show your movie at a private screening on the last day of class. All students will get a copy of their movie on a CD-ROM after class is complete.

Fun-gineering class in New Lenox

2008-04-20T21:05:00.001-07:00

Using Lego Educational kits, students in Fun-gineering class learned about levers, gears, pulleys and wheels and axles and built fun and exciting moveable models. The students loved the wheels and axles unit especially since they got to build a motorized car and race them against one another!

Amusement Park Robotics with the Cub Scouts

2008-04-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

We spent an evening with some Cub Scouts in Downers Grove teaching them Amusement Park Robotics for two hours. The boys had a great time and learned some basic programming using the Robolab software.

Here's what some of them had to say:

"It was really FUN!!!!!!!!!!! We got to use one of my favorite things... LEGOS! Everybody had a lot of fun. I hope we can do it again!"
-Colin O.

"I really enjoyed the program. It was awesome that they used legos because who doesn't know how to build with legos?!"
-Jay R.

"It was Fun with a capital F, U, and N.
-Bobby G.

New Lenox Star Wars Movies

2008-02-27T20:48:00.001-08:00

Here are the movies created during the New Lenox Park District moviemaking class:

"The Great Clone Battle"

"The Rise of Darth Vadar"

New Lenox Patriot News Article

2008-01-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

The New Lenox Patriot Newspaper wrote an article about our Star Wars Moviemaking class at the New Lenox Park District. Here is the article along with some pictures they took during class.

Click on article to enlarge.

In the pictures below, students are building and setting up their scenes and drawing their backgrounds in preparation for their own "Star Wars" movie.

Here are some Star Wars movies made by students!

2008-01-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some Star Wars movies made by students from the St Charles Park District.

The first one is called "A Really Short Light Sabre Fight"

This one is called "Star Wars Rising of the Sith"

New Claymation movies

2008-01-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some Claymation movies created at the Naperville Park District last month.

This one is called "Apple Trouble"

This one is called "Tale of a Nail"

COMPUTER EXPLORERS Teachers' Holiday Luncheon

2007-12-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Our staff took a break from teaching in December and enjoyed a nice luncheon at Buca di Beppo in Lombard. It was a chance to catch up with each other, share ideas, tell stories and just enjoy some good Italian food! A good time was had by all!

Our New Jurassic Cinema class

2007-12-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

We began offering a new movie making class called Jurassic Cinema. We use plastic dinosaurs or clay dinosaurs as figures and the students write their stories and draw their backgrounds. They film their movies with a digital movie camera and bring their dinosaurs to life. The kids have a blast with this class and they all get to keep a dinosaur figure after class ends as well as getting their movie on a CD-ROM.

Here's a movie with 4 short Jurassic movies:

This one is called "Teen Dino Movie":

Highlights of Computertots and Jr. Fun-gineering

2007-08-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of students from our Computertots and Jr. Fun-gineering classes taken this summer!

In Computertots class, our students enjoyed interactive, hands-on classes on the computer. They learned basic computer skills and also gained academic readiness skills in reading, math and science. They also worked together to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

In Jr. Fun-gineering, the students had a great time builing fun and interactive models using Lego educational sets. They learned all about levers, pulleys, gears, wheels and axles while they were building!

We were written about in the Hinsdale Doings Newspaper!

2007-08-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

Our Spiderman moviemaking class has gotten lots of press this summer. The first article was for our class at the New Lenox Park District. This one is for a class we had at the Community House in Hinsdale. Please click on page to enlarge article.

Pictures from our Lego Robotics class at Bolingbrook Park District

2007-07-30T19:34:00.001-07:00

This week we are having a Lego® Robotics class at the Bolingbrook Park District. Students work with LEGO Mindstorms® kits and infrared technology to build and program robots to accomplish different tasks. They work with touch and light sensors and motors and bulbs, and learn how to program using Robolab software. The kids are having a great time and learning how to program in fun and creative ways!

Here are some movies created in our "Making a Harry Potter movie" class

2007-07-13T09:01:00.001-07:00

Here's one entitled "Harry and the Curse of the Evil Spirit"

Some examples of movies created in our Claymation classes

2007-07-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a movie entitled: "Happy Mushrooms". 4 little mushrooms come to life and combine to form a giant mushroom!

Here's a movie entitled: The Dancing Hippo

One of our classes was written about in the Lincolnway Sun Newspaper

2007-07-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here's an article written about our Making a Spiderman movie class at the New Lenox Park District. Please click on each page to enlarge the article.

Page 1

Page 2

Digital Moviemaking class for 3-6 year olds

2007-07-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Even little ones can make movies. This movie was created by kids ages 3-6. They learned to use concepts in special effects and stop motion animation. They used toys and clay as props and had a great time doing it.

Movies from our "Lights, Camera, Action - Making your Own Spiderman Movie" class

2007-07-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the movies created in our "Lights, Camera, Action - Making a Spiderman Movie" class this past spring and this summer at the local Park Districts. The students were between the ages of 8 - 12 years.

This one is called Spiderman 4. Starring: Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Spiderman and Sandman

This is called Spiderman the Villain Returns.

This is called Spiderman 3 1/2. Could this be the sequal to Spiderman 3?

Fun-gineering class at Batavia Park District

2007-05-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

We just finished up a Fun-gineering class at Batavia this week. The students had a great time working with educational Lego kits and learning about simple machines. They learned about structures and forces, levers, wheels and axles, gears and pulleys. They built working models of a car, merry go round and a crane. They were able to design their own Lego car and race them against each other. Fun and learning was had by all!

This class will be held at the Burr Ridge Park District and the Community House in Hinsdale this summer.