Maurice Woods’ goal is to help underrepresented kids. And as a Yahoo designer, web design is an important part of his life. Design allows people to make sense of and feel close to technology, he argues. So what about kids at risk of falling through the cracks? Woods’ youth organization, Inneract Project, aims to use design as a tool to help these kids. Inneract Project, based in San Francisco, offers free design learning resources for middle and high school kids. The programs consist of three main types: an eight week course for middle school students called Youth Academy; Learning Labs, studio tours, workshops and lectures; and Designed, a video series featuring designers. “Technology needs to be considerate of empathy,” Woods told TechCrunch. And for Woods, design and empathy go hand in hand. He focuses on a concept he calls “cultural context,” the notion that children learn based on the things surrounding them as they grow up. Several of Inneract Project’s programs focus on sports and music, things that Woods noticed minority children tended to be more interested in. The organization is starting up a basketball-focused program where students will design jerseys, socks and logos. “Kids in the community understand what that is,” Woods said. “They’re already in their environment and learning in their environment.” Inneract Project was founded in 2004. Since then, it’s helped hundreds of students through not only design education, but by highlighting career paths and options as well. In the future Woods hopes his organization will be able to offer more advanced classes to students, give designers chances to teach, and expand into more cities. Diversity, Woods says, is important as Inneract Project moves into other cities. “We want to always have this focus on underserved youth and communities and always have this focus on advocacy where we’re not only just teaching them but we’re actually going to where these communities are and learning about them, and asking them questions, and developing a program that’s important to them, and evolving this ecosystem of people all over the nation who are interested in giving back and who have these skills, and want to see kids succeed and get into design and tech fields.” Inneract Project will be hosting a panel called “Valuing Diversity in Design and Technology” next month in San Francisco. The panel discussion will feature BlackGirlsCode founder Kimberly Bryant, Paradigm founder Joelle Emerson, Accel Partners designer Jason Mayden, AIGA SF Diversity Chair Julio Martinez and KPCB Design Partner John Maeda, and will be moderated by Megan Dickey of TechCrunch. ----- Source: TechCrunch Image: How Design
@DaltynMartyn Ever since 343 Industries took over the Halo franchise back in 2009, fans have been reasonably skeptical on whether or not the beloved franchise was placed in the right hands. The lackluster story and multiplayer saw the community of Halo 4 diminish within months of release, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection was simply an unplayable mess at launch.
Twenty-one seconds. That’s how long Heather Abbott stood outside a Boston restaurant before the first bomb went off.
MUNCIE, IN (NewsLink Indiana) - Today is going to be another beautiful above and average day with temperatures in the 70s!
Weather Forecaster Kalie Pluchel has your forecast for the week. We will look at the warmer temperatures, the chances of rain, and when we will see a cool down.
Regular season Mid-American Conference soccer champion Ball State lost its first conference tournament game against an the No. 8 seed, Akron.
Ball State’s chapter of Global Brigades is selling grilled cheese sandwiches in the Village on the weekends to fund its trips to Panama and Nicaragua.
For the first time, Indiana received a Top 10 ranking on Forbes’ Best States for Business list.
At a projected 75.3 million, Millennials have surpassed the Baby Boomer generation, now projected at 74.9 million people. For the first time in years, a new generation – the largest generation – is on the way to changing America
Muncie community members didn’t have to go far for adult fun on Halloween night.
Ball State football coach Pete Lembo suspended a player from competing against Western Michigan Nov. 5 after being charged with operating a vehicle while under the influence (OWI).
Warmer weather will hang around with us through much of this week before our rain chances increase by Friday!
Ball State running back and kick returner Darian Green was named the MAC West special teams player of the week. Green was awarded the accolade after returning the second half opening kick off 85 yards to start the offense at UMASS' 15 yard line.
Head men’s volleyball Coach Joel Walton and his team will travel to Los Angeles on March 7, 2016 where they will face off against 19-time NCAA champions UCLA. The two programs who have the most wins in NCAA history have agreed to the nonconference match up which will be the first time the teams will have seen each other since 2011.
Drug offense arrests and disciplinary referrals were on the rise on campus and on university-owned property last year.
Ball State is one of the best women's volleyball team in the Mid-American Conference, playing well with its increased offensive attack.
Eric Jones was used to creating as a senior visual communications major, but before this summer, he’d never been asked to direct his skills toward something as large as a mural.
November marks the beginning of celebration for the Asian American Student Association as they host their month-long schedule of events.
Alcohol arrests at Ball State jumped 70 percent last year — far more than some other state universities — as Indiana State Excise Police continued targeting underage drinking at Indiana colleges. Ball State’s annual security report showed 150 liquor law arrests on campus last year, compared with 88 in 2013 and 87 in 2012
