Challenge: How Can We Improve Learning Outcomes for Refugee and Displaced Young People Under 24?

Solution: ReDI: Digital Integration through coding and collaboration classes

In 2016 Anne Riechert and Ferdi van Heerden co-founded ReDI School of Digital Integration, a vocational training program teaching programming and tech skills to asylum seekers. ReDI is convinced that technology can break down barriers and bring people together to build new solutions to old problems. The idea of ReDI was sparked by the insight that amongst the refugee population there are incredible talents eager to learn and eager to contribute, who could help fill the 51.000 open IT jobs in Germany. ReDI has been developed through co-creation between the Berlin tech community and the ReDI students. The aim is to provide students with valuable digital skills and a strong network of tech leaders, mentors and alumni to help create new opportunities for all. ReDI is a non-profit social enterprise offering several 3-months IT-programs, creative workshops, tech-talks, innovation projects as well as short term summer courses. ReDI has also helped to incubate 3 start-ups.