{"id":6884,"date":"2023-04-24T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ele.local\/?p=6884"},"modified":"2023-04-24T11:27:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T16:27:01","slug":"vanderbilt-senior-explores-connection-between-equity-and-education-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everylearnereverywhere.org\/es\/blog\/vanderbilt-senior-explores-connection-between-equity-and-education-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Vanderbilt Senior Explores Connection Between Equity and Education Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

2023 Spring Every Learner Everywhere\u00ae intern Chidinmma Egemonu understands first-hand the difficulties students face navigating equity and educational technology in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an immigrant growing up in the United States, I had to figure out the educational system on my own,\u201d Egemonu says. \u201cAlthough my parents always encouraged me to utilize educational opportunities, they had less experience navigating through application processes. Even applying for high schools, I had to do so much research on my own and to talk to helpful teachers. It could be overwhelming, but it instilled in me a passion for helping other students in my situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Design thinking<\/h2>\n

While in high school, Egemonu served as an ambassador for her city\u2019s public education fund and participated in other education-related clubs and ventures. \u201cThrough those experiences, I noticed how certain socioeconomic disparities impact educational attainment, so those experiences fed my interest in education research,\u201d notes Egemonu.<\/p>\n

Born in Nigeria, Egemonu moved to Florida when she was five years old and is currently a senior at Vanderbilt University, majoring in cognitive studies and human and organizational development in the Peabody College of Education and Human Development. There, Egemonu has been able to extend her passion for education beyond the classroom through her work with a chapter of Design For America<\/a>, a network of student-led organizations working to create social and community change through interdisciplinary collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a recent Design For America initiative, we created both physical and virtual books for K-5 children of Nepalese refugees,\u201d Egemonu explains. \u201cMany parents of these students say they didn\u2019t have enough culturally-relevant materials for their kids. We were able to work with the Tibetan Central Administration in India to make both physical and virtual books available to increase accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n