By: Cody Maggi | Syracuse EOC
In partnership with the Center for New Americans and Interfaith Works, the SUNY EOC ATTAIN Lab provided a digital literacy workshop series to a group of inspiring Swahili & Kinyarwanda speaking students who have recently moved to the United States.
The students were up to the challenge and eager to learn. Without ever touching a computer, each student learned how to use a touchpad & keyboard through interactive games, identifying parts of a computer and how to work through translated diagrams and practice worksheets. The last workshop covered the utilization of Gmail for personal and professional use. We strongly believe that successfully enrolling in any academic program or starting a new job begins with digital literacy.
Creativity and flexibility were key in developing a program that could bend to different learning styles and created an encouraging environment where students felt supported and excited to learn new computer skills.
Students can continue practicing digital literacy at the ATTAIN lab and have access to Rosetta Stone accounts to continue developing English skills. Students walked away feeling encouraged that they could learn and succeed in an unfamiliar environment and culture.
Grace Carlic, ONA CNY Immigrant Community Navigator, who coordinated the workshops stated:“Working with the SUNY EOC ATTAIN Lab was an excellent experience. The passion of the educators and the care they put into their workshops was above and beyond. Each workshop participant learned invaluable technology skills. For some, it was their first time using a laptop. By the end of the series, they were excitedly typing away! Thank you to the SUNY EOC ATTAIN Lab for providing a fun and engaging experience for our newest community members.” We are excited to host another workshop series in January 2022.
