Technology Art and Design Workshop

We started brainstorming this program in April of this year. We realized that there was a big gap in education and training of women and girls in new skills relevant to our modern society. We value the culture and the traditions that are practiced amongst women of different regions within the refugee community such as weaving. Our aim is to also help them advance their skills in technology, art, and design.

The use of computers, smart phones and tablets is part of our daily life. A younger generation of refugees is familiar with these products and might want to advance their skills. An older generation of incoming refugees might not have any familiarity with these products and might want to learn how to use them to ease the burdens in their life as they assimilate. A specific set of refugees might have never seen a computer and yet will be expected to use them to fill out forms for their kids or make appointments. This is where we step in. Through our technology course we will teach computer basics (MAC and PC; computers will be provided). We will teach various computer programs depending on skill level from Microsoft Office to Adobe Suites. Our aim is to equip these women with the tools necessary to land the job of their dreams in the technical age or do daily tasks that require the use of technology and aid their kids when filling out those college applications.

We also want to bring art into the equation as a form of self expression. A lot of the younger generation are interested in art but might not have time, the opportunity, or person to let their creative side shine. We have a wonderful art teacher to aid them through the artistic process. She will be teaching the basics and we will provide art material. The students can take it from there. Our hope is to host an event at the end of the 12 weeks showcasing all their beautiful creations. We will also incorporate art with technology. Showing students how they can use the programs they have learned to enhance their artwork.

Lastly, we will offer design courses. In these courses we will teach students the basics of design whether it is fashion or web design. This will be the combination of art and mathematics. We also want to teach home  maintenance to some of the older generation. The three architects on the teaching committee will guide families about how to maintain their home. It could be very costly for a refugee to hire someone to fix a broken item in their home. Our aim is to mitigate this by helping them pin point issues and how to troubleshoot these items.

Through these courses we hope to bring refugee women and girls into the forefront of society and offer them the same opportunities as their counterparts.