Leo Torres
The Gadsden County Library System concluded its ‘Introduction to Canva’ course Monday.
The one-month course was beginner friendly and focused solely on Canva, which is described as a “free graphic design app that provides you with the tools to create stunning social media posts, videos, cards, flyers and more.” Reference Librarian Danielle Porter taught the course at the Havana Public Library and the William A. McGill Library. Students ranged in age from 20 to 70.
Attendance ranged from three to seven students per week. Porter was quite pleased with their overall progress.
“I can tell them ‘OK, Go make this thing,’ and they know how to go and do it,’” Porter said. “They just have that skill now. It’s really cool to see.”
Canva has seen a surge in industries utilizing their program including education, marketing, advertising, technology, nonprofits and several Fortune 500 companies. The company, which had 30 million users in 2019, now has more than 220 million users. Canva has also been at the forefront in the implementation of AI in design programs.
“It’s something that’s becoming fairly in demand in the job world,” Porter said. “So having that opens up some opportunities as well if you’re looking for new positions. In this day and age, that’s really helpful, and it’s just another useful computer skill to have as well.”
Porter said her curriculum is straightforward, going through individual aspects of the program so that her students could work their way up to making their own projects. The classes had plenty of opportunities for students to just sit and play around with animations, textile designs, and graphics.
Havana resident Linda Jones participated in the course and plans on using her new skills to enhance the graphics for her upcoming family reunion, which she is helping sponsor. She commended Porter for her abilities as an instructor.
“She’s been fantastic,” Jones said. “She’s been patient with us. She’s been willing to go over things.”
According to a 2021 study by the CDC, 1 in 5 U.S. adults are not getting the adequate social and emotional support they need. Events like this help combat that issue by offering adults a chance to decompress.
“It can distract you from whatever is stressing you out,” Jones said. “It’s like being a kid and playing. Have you seen a kid with a coloring book? It’s kind of like that.”
The library system has more tech courses planned for the summer. Though no official dates have been announced, ‘Know Your Google’ and ‘Know Your Smartphone’ courses are in the works, according to Porter. ‘Know Your Google’ will instruct students on how to properly utilize their Google Workspace, while ‘Know Your Smartphone’ will offer insightful instruction for both iPhone and Android users.
“Most everything we do involves technology these days, whether it’s filling out a form for social security or even ordering food,” Porter said. “Most things have either something online or an app. Someone might share a Google Invite with you. There’s a whole bunch of stuff that you want to be able to use.”