This summer program for high school students offers a highly visual, non-mathematical introduction to computing and computer programming. Our vehicle is the Alice development environment, which allows students without prior experience to rapidly create 3D virtual worlds like those seen in animations and video games. Alice programmers choose environments, populate them with features, creatures, and sounds, and animate these elements in simulated three-dimensional space to tell stories, play games, give interactive instructions, etc. Students become the masters of domains of their own creation. Students work in small teams creating virtual worlds for assignments and learn the principles of computer programming in the process. They will see the results of their efforts immediately. We aim to improve students’ skills in exact thinking, analysis/design, and problem-solving, while providing an enjoyable path to more formal study of computing and programming, and a foundation for utilizing professional 3D animation systems and games. This STEM course offers a highly visual, non-mathematical introduction to computer programming and animation. The vehicle is the Alice development environment, which allows students without prior experience to rapidly create 3D virtual worlds like those seen in animations and video games. Alice programmers choose environments, populate them with features, creatures, and sounds, and animate these elements in simulated three-dimensional space to tell stories, play games, give interactive instructions, etc. Students become the masters of domains of their own creation. Students work in small teams creating virtual worlds for assignments and learn the principles of computer programming in the process. They will see the results of their efforts immediately. We aim to improve students’ skills in exact thinking, analysis/design, and problem-solving, while providing an enjoyable path to more formal study of computing and programming, and a foundation for utilizing professional 3D animation systems and game engines. All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript. Course Objectives Upon completion of the course, students will: - Use the Alice development system to create colorful virtual worlds and populate them with a wide variety of animatable objects - Apply 3D graphics/animation concepts to precisely control object animation - Write computer programs of modest size in an object-oriented, event-driven style - Modularize animations/programs to support the development of long-form animations