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Building
Websites for Charity |
by:
ARA |
(ARA)
- Learning doesn't just happen inside a
classroom. For The Art Institutes, learning
is also creating opportunities for students
and faculty to take their talents and skills
outside the classroom, into the community,
to help others.
This year, The Art Institutes will hold
its second national "webraising" event,
with schools throughout North America participating.
Based on the Amish concept of a barnraising
where neighbors gather together and build
a barn in one day, webraisings build websites
for nonprofit organizations in one 24-hour
period.
Webraising is just one of dozens of volunteer
efforts that some 5,000 students from The
Art Institutes take part in each year, contributing
more than a quarter million hours toward
improving the communities in which they
live and attend school.
For a webraising event, students and faculty
of the Multimedia and Web Design departments
of The Art Institutes work closely with
nonprofit organizations several weeks in
advance, conducting research, learning about
the organization and the population it serves,
and the purpose of its Website. They then
work for a period of 8 to 10 hours to meet
the launch deadline date.
"Webraisings are a unique opportunity for
Multimedia and Web Design students to put
their skills to work creating a critical
marketing and communication tool for these
non-profit organizations that they otherwise
might not have the resources to create for
themselves," says Dr. Ameeta Jadav. She
is coordinating the current effort underway.
In fact, many students who have participated
in webraising events have continued to be
involved with the organization as volunteers
and Web site managers.
For Art Institute of Atlanta student Robert
Horton, the experience of helping to raise
a Web site for a local arts organization
was overwhelmingly positive. "I liked the
whole experience working with my team members
and the organization representative," says
Horton. "My participation means a lot to
me; it says that I'm a part of something
that's productive."
"While the goals of the event are to develop
a strong partnership among students, schools
and their communities, and provide our students
with professional hands-on experience, perhaps
most importantly, we hope to instill in
them a life-long commitment to volunteerism,"
adds Dr. Jaday.
For more information on careers in Multimedia
and Web Design and The Art Institutes, visit
www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
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