We are watching the COVID-19 situation world wide as cases mount here in the USA, Europe, Asia and Africa. How will this effect our training plans for the summer of 2020? It is easy to believe/hope that mid to late May will see a flattening of the curve (as they say) and cases will have tapered off. Changes in travel, closing borders, social distancing will all help in this flattening.
What we are seeing today is the ramping up of cases in countries other than China. As of this writing (March 15th, 2020, India has 113 cases and 2 deaths, Kenya 1 case and 0 deaths, Ethiopia 1 case and 0 deaths. What will that be in May-July? For years, our type of smartphone filmmaking/Journalism has depended on F2F (Face to Face) workshops. Indeed for Christians in Asia and Africa there are few opportunities for more formal training. Our short courses are a form of Micro-certification, providing certificates to those completing our five day workshops. But in general Micro-Certifications are …”a form of training earned through a mini version of a college course either online or in person. Instead of an entire course with a standard five-month time frame, a person can earn these credentials at their own pace. People are now seeking them to show they have a particular skill, as opposed to going to school for full courses or degrees.”
We have been talking to other organizations and will be developing online courses which will provide a path to a recognized Micro-Certification. These self paced eight module courses will cover topics within a Christian worldview.
Under development:
- Mobile Journalism from a Christian worldview (Five courses constitute a Micro-Certification)
- Smartphone Filmmaking – telling the stories of God (Five courses constitute a Micro-Certification)
A doctor friend of mine, Rich Lane, wrote “Coronavirus is like a boat in a narrow channel. We want to throttle down the boat to minimize the wake. Go fast and the wake causes havoc on the beach and to others in its path. Slow down and the impact of the wake passes as a gentle ripple. No one needs to panic if the boat slows down.”
Will there be a need for these courses if COVID-19 goes away? A responding YES as the demand for custom tailored micro-certification grows! These courses are not bound by borders, travel, virus’! Contact us if you are interested.
