Date Added: 30-05-2005

Gone as well are simple curriculums of campfires and S'mores. In their place are camps aimed at parents looking to bolster their kids' learning skills — and résumés — to gain an edge in today's hyper-competitive academic world.

And they are willing to pay: Tuition at camps tailored, for example, to musicians, technophiles, aspiring actors or budding scientists run $1,000 a week and up.

At these prices, parents want their investment to pay off.

"Parents want summer camp to be more than summer camp," says marketing expert Ann Fishman, president of Generational Targeted Marketing.

"They want something that will move the child ahead. And the camper is used to customization They really expect camp to be customized for their needs."

That demand — and the financing and logistics involved in creating such camps — has changed the nature of the business.

The American Camp Association (ACA), with 2,300 accredited members out of the industry's 12,000 camps, says some operating budgets now top $2 million.

And the market is large: It estimates that 12 million kids will attend camp this summer.

Among the souped-up camps:

•Pali Overnight Adventures. The 230 campers at each of seven sessions can choose from 18 courses, ranging from culinary arts to fashion design to secret agent boot camp.

"There are 18 different things you can find an interest in and take home," says Andy Wexler, who founded Pali in 1997. "Parents really want to foster that interest."

Tuition runs $2,795 for a two-week session.

"The scary thing is we're not the most expensive camp," says Wexler. "It's almost like housing prices. This is the rate. Everything is just inflated like crazy."

•U.S. Performing Arts Camps. Some camps aim to move kids to the head of the class because they partner with colleges to host the sessions.

"We are a recruiting arm for the college and universities," says Judith Patterson, a former ballerina and Broadway performer who founded the camps five years ago.

Average cost: $1,100 for a week. Some kids enroll for up to five weeks in such subjects as hip-hop dance and digital photography.

"There is a need to address the craft of performing arts so kids can understand the process is not just 15 minutes of stardom," she says.

•idTech. At Silicon Valley-based idTech, enrollment this summer will top 12,000, vs. 270 when it opened seven years ago. It partners with 36 college campuses nationwide to host one- or two-week sessions for kids ages 7 to 17.

The price is a relative bargain at $649 per week, and it tries to keep some of the old-fashioned camp flavor.

"You can think of it like a traditional summer camp with a technology focus," says CEO Pete Ingram-Cauchi, who founded idTech with his sister, Alexa.

"Our biggest issue every season is getting kids off the computer and outside," he says.

The ACA says the camp trend is about keeping up with today's kids.

"Camp directors are looking for ways to be responsive to the ever-changing needs and interests of kids," says Marla Coleman, a spokeswoman and the former president of ACA. "We're not afraid of change."

Costs can mount up

Nor are parents who can afford the newfangled fun. Amanda Powers of Millburn, N.J., and her attorney husband will pay $20,000 to send their three children to camp this summer.

Nine-year-old twins Sally and Ben will attend a more traditional seven-week camp in the Pocono Mountains — at $7,400 per child.

Brother, Jed, 14, will split six weeks between two camps: idTech, where he'll study computer programming and robotics, and Explo, which offers a range of academic enrichment classes, from forensic science to African dance.

"Kids are specializing earlier," Powers says. "This is probably the route (Jed) is going to go in life. I was looking for what meets the needs of each individual child."

For More Information: http://www.usatoday.com/money/2005-05-24-camp-usat_x.htm