In the city of Vanazdor in northern Armenia, English Language Fellow Barbara Williams Dusterhoff taught two online courses to Armenian students, and she noticed something striking: her students, and the people in their communities and universities, desperately needed technology training and opportunities to learn new software and online services.
Her students, most of them girls, had not had the opportunity to study technology before joining a university. Access to computers and internet was limited; most could only get online at home.
So, in collaboration with American Corners, Dusterhoff founded a technology club. American Corners’ facility was ideal, with workspace, Wi-fi, and a bank of available computers.
Through the club, Dusterhoff taught classes on PowerPoint, Google Calendar and Google Docs, Wordle, Edmodo, Dropbox, Prezi, and Pechu Kechu.
The club grew in popularity until just as many high school students and business professionals in the community were attending classes alongside her university students.