LINC has been awarded a two-year $15,000 grant from the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund to support TechCreate, a technology/creativity project for adolescents with disabilities, ages 12-18. Starting this fall, LINC will offer four six-week sessions that teach Creative Writing, Graphic Design and Drama using technology. LINC will provide access to the technology, and training in how to use it, to 64 teenagers with disabilities from low-income families in the Baltimore area.

Research has shown that some of teenagersí best learning experiences come when they are engaged in designing and creating things, especially things that are meaningful to themselves or others around them. Computer technology allows new ways for them to create, experiment and explore. The key is to give each adolescent the right tools and materials to meet his/her individual learning style, and to allow the adolescent to be as independent as possible within the boundaries of his abilities.

Some examples of creative uses of adaptive equipment are when a teenager who is blind can use ìtalkingî software to write stories and read music; when an adolescent with physical impairments can use a special customized switch, enlarged or one-handed keyboards, or a mouse powered by a puff switch attached to a headband, to draw pictures or write stories. Adolescents who have cognitive disabilities can use customized multimedia software with special features to participate in artistic endeavors. The special features often help to eliminate frustrations, thereby promoting confidence and boosting self-esteem.

TechCreate activities include:

• Graphic Design and Digital Photography Participants will learn how to create images and produce animation using software, digital cameras and scanners.
• Creative Writing Teens will use multimedia-authoring software to create thematic books and movies.
• Theatrical Production Students will read stories, adapt a story for play production, perform the play, and work cooperatively to create scenery, props and costumes. The students will create invitations and programs using desktop publishing software.
• Art Appreciation Students will use software to learn about art history, famous artists, artwork and museums from around the world. The software features text-to-speech technology for participants with reading or vision limitations. Visits to local art museums will be incorporated into the program.

TechCreate is open to teenagers with disabilities and their families in low-income neighborhoods of Baltimore. For more information, please call the LINC office.