School of Visual Arts Students Set Sights on JCFPL’s Learning Center

When four students from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) decided that they wanted to do their senior project on language barriers, they searched for ESL classes all across New York and New Jersey. “The four of us are each from a different country, so we were naturally interested in the problem of language barriers in the States,” said senior SVA student, Hannah Kim. “But we felt something really special about the programs offered at JCFPL’s Learning Center, so we reached out in the hope that we could do our project there.” 

Under the mentorship of Learning Center Director Eric Trader, the SVA group developed a gorgeous prototype for learning apps, in addition to branding designs and marketing ideas. “I was truly blown away by their final product,” Trader said. “They spent weeks getting to know the students that we serve, and their project absolutely reflected this.” 

Kim and her classmates were also pleased with the outcome. “It’s been both rewarding and humbling to see how our efforts, even though they might seem small, can significantly assist immigrants in adapting to their new surroundings. We’re so grateful to JCFPL and the Learning Center for making this possible.” 

If you are part of an educational institution that would also like to partner with JCFPL’s Learning Center, please reach out to Eric Trader at etrader@jclibrary.org