Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) has quietly shaped the Twin Cities’ creative and technology landscape for over a century. As one of the first colleges in the nation to offer distance learning in 1995, their commitment to meeting learners where they are—physically, emotionally, and culturally—remains a defining feature of their work.
I joined MCAD to support two education programs focused on building more equitable entry points into tech:
- A Best Buy funded grant program supporting young people from historically excluded backgrounds whose opportunities were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- A UX and Technology Certificate Program designed for adults looking to pivot or level up in their careers
I was uniquely positioned to support both initiatives, bringing together:
- Experience designing curriculum for learners from historically excluded communities
- Familiarity with local Fortune 500s and the hiring landscapes participants were entering
- Deep expertise in trauma-informed, participatory education models developed during the pandemic
Designing Trauma-Informed Learning Models #
At the heart of this work was the need to accelerate learners into the tech workforce without compromising care. We centered whole-person learning, balancing technical skill-building with space for self-reflection, peer support, and joy.
Each weekly module followed a consistent, trauma-informed structure:
- Introductory framing to make the new topic approachable
- Solo reflection or activity to allow for individual processing and exploration
- Partnered collaboration to share and apply learnings through dialogue or critique
- Group games to reinforce the topic, build resilience, and offer a break from cognitive load
This flow gave learners multiple entry points. When someone felt stuck during solo work, they had structured partner support. If a topic felt overwhelming, the group games offered emotional regulation and reframed the content through shared laughter. The goal was not just learning but returning to the topic later with confidence, not fear.
Some snapshots of weekly learning:
A Learning Environment That Meets People Where They Are #
Our learners faced real structural barriers — financial, emotional, and logistical. Meeting those needs was as critical as delivering quality content. To ensure people could show up fully, we made sure the program supported them holistically:
- Paid stipends acknowledged that attending class could replace paid work and offset that lost income
- Free meals removed a key obstacle to consistent participation and helped build a sense of care and community
- College credit was offered at no cost. For many learners, often first-generation Americans or the first in their family to attend college, this credit was more than symbolic. It was a tangible signal that a future in higher education or tech was real and within reach
