A group of 26 teachers and staff from the Cambodian Children’s Fund (CCF) are receiving virtual training to improve their media design skills using Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) products.
If they complete the course, they will be among the first in the country to become certified trainers in Adobe products.
CCF said in a press release that the training was set up by Team4Tech, a US-based organisation which brings together professionals from the tech industry and nonprofits to provide educational learning opportunities that bring about positive social change around the world.
It said a team of employees from Adobe, the American multinational computer software company, are providing one-on-one mentoring in different products such as InDesign, Photoshop and Premiere.
Adobe also donated 50 Adobe CC licenses to CCF and the volunteers and provided workshops at CCF’s Neeson Cripps Academy (NCA), which offers high-quality education with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The training lasts for 10 weeks and was planned to be hosted in Phnom Penh. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trainers couldn’t make the trip. Instead, it will be held via Zoom, connecting Adobe staff in America with CCF teachers and staff in Cambodia.
Team4Tech programme director Gail Shen said: “We have set up Zoom calls and virtual break out spaces for mentors and CCF staff to meet and connect. So far, it is working very well,”
Shen said volunteer mentors gained as much from the experience as those they trained.
Brand Purpose Partnerships head for Adobe, Angie Bush, and one of the mentors described how virtual volunteering connected her to CCF in Phnom Penh from her desk in San Francisco.
“I am beyond excited to be working with such incredibly dedicated staff at CCF and Team4Tech, have met new friends and colleagues from Adobe and am inspired every day by the extraordinary children and families at CCF,” she said.
In addition to building staff capacity, the mentorship will equip CCF teachers and staff with the tools to create Khmer materials for training other staff members, students and the surrounding Cambodian community.
The training is expected to be completed this month and the goal is for CCF participants to become capable trainers with certifications in Adobe CC products.
Education project coordinator at CCF Vannak Heng said the link with Adobe and Team4Tech will equip CCF staff and students with the practical tools to address the skills gap in information communication technology (ICT) in Cambodia.
He said the long-term goal is for CCF to become a hub for knowledge and exchange, creating content that can be shared throughout Cambodia. This could include content such as information about STEM and science posters.
