Exclusion Breeds Innovation: Empowering Refugees in Greece through App Technology Training

UC Ballroom (Center)

Greece has experienced an influx of nearly 100,000 refugees over the past five years, all during a time when the Greek economy lost tremendous stability and the sanctions on refugees seeking asylum throughout the European Union became more rigid. Overpopulation within the archipelago has strained general resources, created a bureaucratic backlog in asylum application processing and brought a complete arrest to the function, development and livelihood of those inhabiting refugee camps. This project intends to provide an opportunity for the inert population by empowering youth. Developing tools in technology, specifically an app, would be a mobile opportunity to prepare the young population for future job markets as well as myriad methods of personal and community innovation. This app would serve as a forum for learning computer code, providing a cumulative curriculum that is tailored to grow along with its users and challenge their knowledge beyond the boundaries of their circumstance.