ENGLEWOOD — The website for Kusanya Cafe has been redesigned by four teenagers who participated in a summer technology camp at the nonprofit Teamwork Englewood.
Kusanya, 825 W. 69th St., unveiled its new website at a Tuesday launch party attended by parents, children and local residents.
Wendell Hutson says the skills the teens learn will carry them throughout their careers:
Kimarah Brown, a 16-year-old Englewood resident, was the project manger for the redesigned site and said she plans to pursue a career in technology.
"I got involved with the camp because it offered a lot of engineering opportunities. It was great learning coding and the ins and outs of Web design," Brown said. "I would definitely recommend this camp to other youths."
Alicia Brown, 17, described the experience working on the website as a great opportunity.
"Coding is the key to technology. It's not bad once you get the hang of it," said Alicia Brown, a 17-year-old senior at Lindblom Math & Science Academy.
New features on the redesigned website include a donation icon and an updated contact page, which Phil Sipka, executive director of the nonprofit Kusanya Cafe organization, said was needed.
"Now people can donate online. That is something we did not have before," Sipka said. "What these young people did for our business is fantastic, and I hope more businesses give them the opportunity to showcase their talent."
The "Englewood Code" is a 10-week summer camp at Teamwork Englewood and is led by Demond Drummer, the organization's technology specialist. He said the goal is to continue the summer camp each year.
"This is something we want to do moving forward," Drummer said.
Issachar Humphrey, a 17-year-old aspiring chef, also worked on the website redesign and said he worked on the events and contact pages.
After helping redesign the website Marquis Sewell, a 15-year-old Englewood resident, said he now plans to become a software engineer or Web designer after completing college.
"This is what I want to do with my life," Sewell said. "Technology is the wave of the future, and that is the direction I want to go in."
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