Mouse Youth Organization
Posted on December 7, 2021 | posted by: alira081Mouse is a youth organization in New York that focuses on empowering students through learning to use technology for good causes. Our wonderful guest speaker, Maggie, one of the program founders explained that “Coding is something you can outsource but finding what to code is, thinking of what to code rather than how to code is the challenging part.”
This is what the curriculum focuses on, it encourages students to focus on a cause and use their creativity and imagination to think of possibilities without letting the intimidation of technology get in the way.
Before the pandemic the program took place in person, students interacted with each other and the people who are at the center of the challenge. Maggie explained that one of the best parts of the workshops was physically creating these projects and having people try them out, however when everything turned digital because of Covid-19, things needed to be altered.
Interestingly, the Design League program became scalable when it went online; more students joined, the mission got exposure, projects got more feedback, people with various experiences and backgrounds were able to interact and get involved as jurors. And it all turned into a fun, interactive, conference where every group’s projects were posted on this website and teams received awards. At one point Maggie and the students teamed up with a UX designer who helped with building the website and was able to give step-by-step lessons. Tangible partnerships such as this one really brought the program to a new level as they also show students the potential career paths they can dream and work towards.
Today, 25 different schools across New York are either implementing this curriculum as part of the school program or are participating in it. Promoting the development of design and technology is crucial in the times we are living in. This space that Mouse has created both physically and digitally brings students together, building friendships, expanding their horizon of curiosity and learning, but also benefiting local communities who get to socialize and stay active with their minds!