Blogs

April 8, 2014 (Boulder, CO) – Local game developer, DreamQuest Games, will be donating $1,000 to an area school’s technology department in conjunction with their STEM-focused Videogame Design Summer Camp.  Christopher Williamson, DreamQuest Games owner and lead instructor, explains that he was inspired by President Obama’s State of the Union call-to-action in getting boys and girls excited about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM):  “I felt I could really do my part to make a difference by getting kids excited about technology through building their own video game app. Our team can also help a specific area school by donating $1,000 to their technology department.” Christopher thought a way to get both students and schools excited was to offer a contest. The school with the highest student participation at the 2014 summer camps will win the donation, and students save $100 on registration with a school-specific coupon code. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Interested kids build their own unique video game at our camp, a school gets much needed money to support further STEM lessons, and I am able to support the President’s focus on STEM education,” Williamson says.

DreamQuest Camps is the only video game design camp in Colorado where each instructor has experience in the video game industry, and this year the camps will include cutting-edge game technology including Virtual Reality (VR).  “This year I am super-excited to be the first tech camp to offer kids the opportunity to develop games using the new OculusVR prototype,” Williams says. “Campers don’t realize or even care that we are teaching a STEM curriculum, but parents and teachers see the importance of offering skills that are fun and valuable.”  One camper, Chris (age 12), took his game from the camp and continued working on it, even publishing it on an indie game Web site.

About DreamQuest Camps

DreamQuest Camps offers a fun 2-week camp experience to kids and teens ages 10-16, with each camp session limited to just 15 students. Under the guidance of our industry-experienced instructors, campers design and build their own unique video game using Unity3D. We incorporate a STEM curriculum into our camp syllabus, and campers make friends while joining up in teams to create a video game. Camps available at: Boulder, Louisville/Lafayette, Longmont, Westminster, Cherry Creek, Denver Tech Center, Fort Collins, and Grand Junction. Students can choose from four session dates per location in 2014: June 2-13, June 16-27, July 7-18, and July 21-August 1.

Contact Information

DreamQuest Camps c/o DreamQuest Games

Christopher Williamson

PO Box 18, Lafayette, CO 80026

303-953-4456 fun@dreamquestcamps.com

http://dreamquestcamps.com http://dreamquestgames.com

Press Release: http://dreamquestcamps.com/press

Media attached http://dqshared.com/camp/Photos/Friends-Photo-With-Logo.png

The public is invited to join St. Vrain Valley students and teachers at this year’s Tech Fair to be held on April 19 at Skyline High School, 600 E. Mountain View Avenue in Longmont. Projects from all subject areas will be on display from 11:00 AM – noon. A visit to the Fair will provide a great opportunity to see what students are learning in school and how they are applying technology to their day-to-day activities and special projects.

At noon Zometool founder Paul Hildebrandt will speak to those in attendance and invite them to have some fun with his geodesic shapes that are “loved by kids and used by Nobel Prize winners”. His presentation will be followed by a recognition ceremony for the students participating in this year’s Fair.

For more information about this year’s Tech Fair go to http://www.efsvv.org/programs/tech-fair or call 720-652-8208.

Celebrating National Volunteer Week, CenturyLink announced today that its employees and retirees in Colorado volunteered more than 100,000 hours at Colorado non-profits in 2013. By reaching the six-figure total again in 2013, CenturyLink fulfilled its “100,000 Hour Colorado Community Pledge” for the second consecutive year – an initiative the company launched in late 2011.

“CenturyLink is committed to improving lives in the communities we serve, and this is one way we encourage our employees to get involved locally,” said Scott Russell, vice president and general manager of CenturyLink in Denver and Northern Colorado. “We are so proud to support volunteerism and the role it plays in strengthening the communities where our employees live and work. It’s truly a testament to our employees’ generosity and commitment to community that our team in Colorado completed more than 100,000 hours of community service last year.”

In addition to completing the “100,000 Hour Colorado Community Pledge,” CenturyLink also announced today the 2013 grant recipients of CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation’s Matching Time Grant program. Through this program, CenturyLink employees have the opportunity to earn up to two grants of $500 per year for organizations such as 501(c)(3) nonprofits in good standing with the IRS, and public and nonprofit schools. Employees receiving the grants have volunteered 40 hours or more to their grant recipient during a designated grant cycle.

In 2013 alone, the CenturyLink Foundation awarded 235 grants to nonprofit organizations on behalf of CenturyLink employees in Colorado who volunteered 40 hours or more to their grant recipient during a designated grant cycle, resulting in $117,500 worth of donations to Colorado nonprofits. In fact, nearly 200 CenturyLink employees in Colorado reported more than 100 volunteer hours in 2013.

Across the country, the Foundation distributed 979 matching time grants representing approximately 76,000 volunteer hours in 2013. These grants, totaling $489,500, help support 556 nonprofit organizations across the country.

6th annual event will be held the second and third weekends of October

Loveland, Colorado – The 6th Annual Loveland Art Studio Tour (LAST) has issued a call for artists for its 2014 event. Applications are available here via CallForEntry

When: Applications accepted through May 10. Artists notified May 20.

Event Dates: October 11 & 12 and October 18 & 19, 2014, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

LAST seeks passionate, unique, interesting artists who have an individual style. Because one of the event’s goals is to educate the community about art, artists who incorporate learning opportunities into their work will have an edge in the application process.

“The Tour helped me connect with people I would not otherwise have met. A number of people who were curious about the large sculpture at the entrance to my property were able to visit me and learn more about what I do,” said local sculptor Bobbie Carlyle.

Past Loveland Art Studio Tours have provided artists and their patrons with learning and networking experiences. Tour attendees have come to Loveland from over 50 different zip codes in past years.

Loveland painter George Coll said, “I really like welcoming people into my home and studio. It is a really special place for me, and I think most artists feel the same way. For me, it is a time to put my work on the walls, and really reflect on all that I’ve done. To then share this space where I create is very special.”

A change to the tour this year is that sub-sections of the overall tour will be grouped by geographic regions in Loveland. For example, studios on the far west side of town will be the “Foothills Loop.” A suggested route for each loop will be featured on the map found in the Loveland Art Studio Tour brochure highlighting the studios open for tours, other points of interest on the route, and supporting food, drink, and lodging locations.

Meet the Artists Preview Show:

The Loveland Art Studio Tour will host an opening reception at the Loveland Museum/Gallery during Loveland’s Night on the Town, Friday, September 13.  Many of the artists featured on the tour will be there to discuss their artwork.

A Month of LOVEland ARTists:

Participating artists will present educational and instructional programming over the following month leading up to the tour. Demonstrations, presentations, and workshops will be offered at the Loveland Museum & Gallery.

Kick Off Party:

The Loveland Museum/Gallery will host a gala Kick-Off party during Loveland’s Night on the Town, Friday, October 10.

Loveland Art Studio Tour:

Event dates are Saturday, October 11, 2014 and Sunday, October 12, 2014; and Saturday, October 18, 2014 and Sunday, October 19, 2014. For additional information please visit www.lovelandartstudiotour.com.

Who should apply:

Participation is limited to artists who have a Loveland mailing address; but temporary galleries will be allowed for interested artists who do not have a studio to tour or for artists from outside of Loveland who wish to find space to work and exhibit during the tour.  Galleries in the business of selling art are also welcome.

How to apply:

Entry into this show is juried, so space is limited. To apply, please visit: https://www.callforentry.org/.

About the Loveland Art Studio Tour

Major sponsors include the Thompson Valley Art League, Steven Held Design, Full Circle Marketing, Shannon Marketing Communications, and Diane McInturff. Learn more at http://www.lovelandartstudiotour.com/, or www.facebook.com/lovelandartstudiotour.