I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the 2024 Cengage Computing Experience in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 23-25, 2024. It was a rich, multifaceted conference designed to bring together post-secondary educators, program coordinators, and professionals dedicated to advancing computing and digital skills in education. The conference featured a range of sessions focused on AI, enhancing digital literacy, integrating real-world projects into curricula, and addressing the evolving needs of students in today’s digital landscape.

Web Development Case Study: Supporting Female Refugees in Kenya

During my session, I shared an exciting international development project that extended my students’ web development skills beyond the classroom to support women-owned small businesses in Kenya. Through Humber’s International Development Institute, we assembled a multidisciplinary team of students to collaborate with the CAP Youth Empowerment Institute (CAPYEI), a non-government organization in Kenya.

Together, we created a digital curriculum to teach web development to female refugee entrepreneurs, enabling them to establish an online presence, grow their businesses, and showcase their talents globally. The curriculum covered branding, web development, blogging, SEO, and social media, followed by virtual Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions for CAPYEI. We developed the curriculum using a fictional case study, “Kitenge Fashion,” ensuring the content was inclusive, relevant, and mindful of challenges like language and technology barriers. This approach emphasized adaptability and cultural sensitivity as critical aspects of international development.

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