THIS AIN'T YOUR PARENTS' SUMMER CAMP THE HECK WITH LAKE, CAMPFIRES, CANOES; TODAY'S KIDS NEED TO PAD THEIR RESUME.

Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer

Forget making lanyard key chains and singing songs 'round the fire. As parents grow ever more mindful of their children's educational development, they're increasingly turning summer camp - once the far-off site of canoe races and nature walks - into yet another learning experience.

Kate Gianopulos, a Sherman Oaks author, recognized her daughter Mimi's burgeoning artistic talents and decided she needed something better than the traditional path to aid her creative development. After a successful enrollment in Studio City's A Cast of Kids last summer, the proud mother is sending her 12-year-old off for a return engagement this year.

``It's not just glueing macaroni on paper plates any more. Everyone does that,'' Gianopulos said. ``My daughter is very interested in the performance arts, but we don't want her to become a Hollywood kid. A camp like this allows her to express herself in a safe environment.''

A Cast of Kids gives young thespians a firsthand look at the theatrical craft as they put on musicals of ``James and the Giant Peach'' and ``Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'' For such an experience, parents plunk down $795 for a four-week program - well worth it in Mimi's estimation.

``This program does for me what camping does for other kids,'' she said. `The experience is amazing.''

Barbara Polland, whose recent book ``No Directions on the Package,'' discusses young childhood development, colleges are increasingly interested in what their applicants did at a young age, including summer camp.

``If a college sees you started something your senior year of high school, it's discounted as just padding. If you have a long track record of enriching yourself, you're much more appealing to them,'' said Polland, a professor of child development at California State University, Northridge.

Hence, some parents want to start extracurricular education as quickly as possible, not wanting to waste precious days in the pursuit of that Ivy League degree.

``Parents are really realizing that schools can't always provide all the education and training that their kids need,'' said Sonia Doughty, director of strategic partnerships for Cybercamps. ``We're a supplement to what they learn there, a fun supplement.''

The nationwide chain, which boasts local operations at CSUN, California Lutheran University and the University of California, Los Angeles, takes kids ages 7 to 16, teaching them game design, computer programming, 3D-animation and digital arts. The five-day courses, which run as high as $1,098 for the premier overnight robotics class, are intended to blend both learning and entertainment.

``Cybercamps has a philosophy that human brains learn best when they're having fun,'' Doughty said. ``We know it's summer and time to relax, but at the same time we're teaching the campers essential skills. Technology has become a part of life, no matter what you do, so we want to introduce it in a fun way.''

To break the monotony of sitting at a computer screen for hours on end, the camp also offers field trips, outdoor learning and, to cap the week, a massive squirt gun war more in line with traditional summer camps.

Educamp's 2Weeks program, with centers in Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills and West L.A., uses summer as another extension of the school year. Starting with second-graders, the tutoring firm takes on youngsters looking to beef up their study skills. Parents looking to help their kids get that little something extra pay out $495 for the 30-hour camp. Though a summer spent learning reading comprehension doesn't sound like a traditionalist's idea of fun, the 300 campers who'll put paper to pen for the Educamp tend to take very well to the program, according to owner Scott Pauker.

``They enjoy it because it's not pressured like school,'' he said. ``We build their confidence and give them a lot of personal attention.''

That self-confidence boost comes in handy, Pauker said, once the kids head back to the regular classroom, armed with a newfound appreciation for education. The same goes for the Los Angeles Zoo's Creature Camps, where kids can bone up on science while hanging out with animals.

At the Zoo's Creature Camps, which education director Beth Thomsen expects to draw at least 1,500 students this year, aspiring zoologists get a hands-on look at where animals hang out. In programs for children age 4 to 15, the Zoo teaches lessons on ecosystems, animal diets and the behind- the-scenes work of keepers, priced at $240 per week for members. Parents appreciate this intellectual way to spend the day, Thomsen said, and kids dig it for the easy-going vibe.

``They know that they're going to have quality programming and safety. And hey, it's fun, so they they know their kids will be enjoying themselves,'' she said. ``They may not even realize that they're learning at the time, because they're having such a good time.''

And for the student who's had enough of books and studying for the summer, there's a plethora of entertainment options throughout the San Fernando Valley, from the Studio City-based Celluloid Heroes Movie Camp to the Showboat Youtheatre Workshops. North Hollywood's Art of the Dance has a kid-sized version of ``A Chorus Line,'' giving its year-round students extended hours to brush up on their jumps and leaps.

According to Brenda Collins, owner of A Cast of Kids, such programs fuel children's creative desires and teamwork skills, essential for later development.

``From the time I was a teen-ager, I always dreamed of having a theater where kids can go and feel important,'' she said. ``Most of the kids tell us that it's a summer they never forget.''

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(1 -- 3 -- color) Camp teaches valuable skills like computer programming and game design, acting and zoology 

(4 -- color) Kids can learn to make cool computer graphics like this

Cybercamps photos courtesy Ryan Flood