COding Camp

Date: June 15-20, 2025

Cost: $400

Age: boys entering grade 7 through 12

DISCOUNT: $20 OFF IF PAID IN FULL BY MAY 1ST
Coding Camp is a new offering from Sequoia Brigade Camp. It is motivated by the unique opportunities and temptations that computers make for Christian young men.

At Coding Camp, we'll learn how God can help us use this technology to glorify and serve Him. Set in the forested mountains of Lake Arrowhead, Southern California, this camp combines our love to explore God's creation with the interest that many have for computer programming. We'll hike the nearby trails, swim in a local lake, and scramble around on giant boulders.

Through this outdoor activity, we will learn how computer algorithms work. Every day, the group will walk to a nearby church and spend several hours writing a program that the campers can take home to show their family and friends. As we create new software, we'll discover new insights about our own Creator, what He has done to redeem His own creation, and our relationship to Him.

​All camping, activities, food, computer equipment, and instruction are included. Of course, you'll need to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, and Bible. If you have any interest in computer programming, you don't want to miss out! Sign up early as we expect this camp to sell out. Personal computers and cell phones are not allowed at Coding Camp. We will provide computers that have no internet connection. If you have additional questions about the camp please feel free to contact the camp leader: 

Joshua Tallman 
[email protected]
(209) 426-1467
Welcome Letter

​Dear Coder,
​
Welcome to C0D1NG CAMP 2025! This is the third time that we are offering Coding Camp and I am excited to have you join us. Coding Camp combines our interest in computer programming with fun outdoor activity. The purpose will be to help us know our Creator and Savior more as we design programs. As computer scientist Donald Knuth explains, "I think people who write programs do have at least a glimmer of extra insight into the nature of God... because creating a program often means that you have to create a small universe.”

Please arrive at our meeting location, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Lake Arrowhead, California, between 3:00 and 4:00 pm on Sunday. The church is just off Highway 18 and directly behind Rim of the World High School.

We will be camping next door at the beautiful Dogwood Campground—but please drive directly to the church. The camp staff will shuttle all of your supplies to the campground, which is close by. You cannot go to the campground because the Forest Service limits the number of cars at each of the campsites. Your parents are welcome to walk to the campsite from the church.

During the week, we will take trips to swim and boat at Lake Arrowhead and to explore nearby hiking trails. Please bring shoes and clothing for outdoor activities. The lake has a snack bar and you are welcome to bring some spending money. But don’t snack so much that you miss out on the tasty meals we will be preparing together.

Our goal for the week will be to create a side-scrolling video game, something along the lines of the original Mario Bros. We will be programming in Python and using a framework called PyGame. No previous experience is necessary. We expect to have a combination of brand new programmers and experienced returnees—don’t worry, we are able to help and challenge all skill levels.

Camp will finish at approximately 10:00 am on Friday. We’ll finish by having each team demonstrate their software and tell about the challenges and fun they had creating it.

Please do not bring any computers or electronic devices to camp. Any electronics will be confiscated for the duration of camp. Concordia University Irvine, a local Christian University, is loaning our camp laptop computers that cannot connect to the internet. These laptops will only be available at the church when we are programming. The one exception to this rule will be digital cameras, which are encouraged. After all, we’ll need photos for our photo editing tool.

Look forward to seeing you there,

Joshua Tallman
209-426-1467
[email protected]
What To Bring

​REQUIRED ITEMS:
  • Sleeping bag, ground pad, and a pillow
  • A pair of long pants and shorts
  • T-shirts (NO wording or pictures which would not be appropriate for Christians or SBC)
  • Sweat shirt or jacket (lows are usually 50-60°)
  • Five pairs of socks and underwear
  • One pair tennis shoes or hiking boots
  • Swimsuit and towel(s)
  • Toilet articles. We will have access to showers
  • Sunblock or sunscreen, and chapstick or lip ice
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Backpack for day trips
  • Bible and pen(s) or pencil(s)
  • Reusable plate, cup, and utensils

OPTIONAL ITEMS:
  • Tent (there will be a large group tent or you can sleep under the stars)
  • Sandals or flip flops
  • Sun glasses and/or a hat
  • Folding camp chair
  • Flashlight
  • Camera (not a cell phone camera)
  • A few of your favorite snacks in a bag
  • Spending money for the Lake Arrowhead snackbar
Electronics Policy

CELL PHONE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE POLICY

All camps conducted by Sequoia Brigade Camp, whether in a wilderness, rural, or suburban environment, are designed to enable the camper to “break away” from the normal aspects of life, and grow closer to God, to His creation, and to fellow campers.  

With the above in mind, it is required that no camper may bring a cell phone of any kind, or any type of electronic device for recreational use. No cell phones, video game systems, music players, laptops, etc. If in doubt, don’t bring it. Cameras and flashlights are fine, but not cell phone cameras!

Camp leaders will have access to cell phones or appropriate communication devices where available in case of emergency.

If you have questions or special needs please contact the camp director or tripmaster for the camp or trip.
Electronics Philosophy

WHY DOES SEQUOIA BRIGADE CAMP NOT PERMIT ELECTRONIC DEVICES?

Electronic devices keep us tethered to outside influences - and to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—no matter where we are. But when we are at camp, these distractions can keep us from engaging with fellow campers and counselors. It is crucial to regularly spend time away from the internet, says William Powers, author of Building a Good Life in the Digital Age. Here are some further insights. When we engage in a mental activity—doing a crossword puzzle, say, or playing the piano—our brains create what are called neural pathways so we can perform that activity again more readily. “The more time you spend toggling rapidly among digital tasks, like scrolling, texting and answering emails, the more you will tend to think in a distracted way,” Powers says. To reclaim the kind of sustained attention it takes to read a book, Powers says, you have to unplug periodically. For this reason, at Sequoia Brigade Camp we use printed Bibles, rather than digital ones.
  
Taking a break from devices also enhances our ability to read emotional clues. Sixth graders who had no screen time for five days did substantially better at reading human emotions than those who had been glued to their devices for five days, according to research by developmental Psychologist Yalta T. Uhls, PhD, senior researcher at UCLA’s Children’s Digital Media Center. Obviously, campers and counselors need opportunity to interact where each individual can relate most effectively to each other.

An additional break from digital occurs in the area of recording experiences. Instead of photographing everything with a smartphone (and then posting it to Facebook or Twitter), “we can record in our mind and on paper,” says Craigan Usher, M.D., clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University. He says “our experiences don’t need to be mediated by a Twitter update.” Questions and discussion time after camp is over help to reinforce memories and lessons learned.

Be upfront with your campers about why the rules are important. “Bring them on board so they understand in a personal way what they’ll gain by doing this radical thing,” Powers says.
Directions