Refugee children often face significant challenges when integrating into new societies, including language barriers and social-emotional struggles due to displacement and trauma. Traditional methods of support have not always been effective in preserving their cultural identity and help them with navigating their emotion. Recognizing these gaps, our team aims to develop innovative solutions that not only enhance learning outcomes but also foster emotional resilience and cultural integration.
The key deliverables of this project will include:
- A suite of tablet-based learning applications in Arabic, featuring interactive storybooks and emotionally stimulating conversations.
- Customizable Arabic language voice and speech recognition technology to provide an immersive learning experience.
- A novel Arabic conversational agent powered by state-of-the-art AI algorithms to engage children in meaningful, bidirectional conversations that support their educational and emotional needs.
- Performance assessment tools to evaluate progress in literacy and social-emotional learning.
Empirical data and feedback will be collected through pilot studies, ensuring the project's effectiveness and refining its approach based on real-world interactions. The project team will also collaborate with educational institutions and community organizations to reach the target audience and make a palpable impact.
"We are excited to harness the power of AI and social robots to make a meaningful difference in the lives of refugee children," said Dr. Alghowinem, the project lead. "Through this project, we aim to provide these children with the tools they need to succeed, while also honoring and preserving their cultural identities.
The project will also benefit teachers, families, and researchers, providing valuable resources for educational support and social-emotional development. We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses and invite the community to join us in supporting this vital initiative.