Full Name and Affiliated University

Full name: Angela Venus Sakuntala

University: The University of Hong Kong

University Contact: 

Full name: Audrey Chung

Department: Horizons Office

Email Address: audrey.chung@hku.hk

Title of LiA Project: 

Digital Design Intensive

Organization Partner: 

Timothy Smith Network

Organization Contact: 

Full Name: Alessandra Brown

Email Address: abrown@timothysmithnetwork.org

Need or Cause Supported: 

The Digital Design Intensive project-based program aims to bridge the digital divide by creating opportunities for residents of the Greater Roxbury Area to access technology education. By exposing participating students whom scholars will teach to digital and product design-creating platforms, this project will prepare participating students for digital and visual communication careers for technology educational pathways.

Goal: 

• Promote equal opportunity in accessing technology and receiving technology education.
• Prepare residents of the Greater Roxbury Area (Black and Brown community) for higher education and futures in today’s 21st-century tech-driven workforce.
• Build communities and bridge the digital divide that keeps Black and Brown people from assessing the tools they need to advance in this digital world.

Objectives:

• Create learning materials that include computer skills (i.e., Wix, Canva, TinkerCAD, Paint 3D, Google Sites, coding) needed for designing and developing websites and teach the local community with the course learning materials.
• Boost youths' personal branding skills and other soft skills to prepare for their future technology-related career.
• Facilitate cultural exchange.

Challenges and Opportunities: 

Cultural and communication differences:

The scholars come from countries outside the United States, but the participating students are from Boston, the United States. There will be differences in terms of culture and way of communicating. This might affect the process negatively. However, this could create the opportunity for scholars and students to respect each other and learn to adapt to the new environment. This would overcome the challenge faced.

Schedule:

Week 1-2: 

Teach students Paint 3D (paint in 2D and convert the paintings into 3D) and Canva (Design).

Week 3-4:

Focus on 3D modeling.

Week 5-6:

Guide students in creating websites and coding.