§ — Programs
Programs and Services
SHOBAI runs and develops programs focused on civic learning and AI literacy for immigrant and first-generation communities in Queens, New York. Below, we note whether each program is currently active or still being developed.
Program I — Youth development
High School Youth Program
The High School Youth Program is a planned program for high school students focused on the same two pillars as the rest of SHOBAI's work: civic learning and AI literacy. It will give students practical skills, civic knowledge, and hands-on experience with AI tools they can use to learn, communicate, and find opportunities.
This program is currently in development. Program dates, eligibility, and participation details have not yet been finalized. Check back here, or sign up to volunteer, to be notified as the program takes shape.
- Who it serves
- High school students in Queens
- Format
- To be announced
- Program dates
- To be announced
- Cost to participants
- Free
Program II — Civic media
Community Voices
A civic media initiative that documents how everyday New Yorkers understand the issues shaping their neighborhoods.
Trained interviewers conduct short, consent-based street interviews with residents across Queens and New York City on current civic, economic, and policy topics. Interviews are published on Instagram at @shobainyc.
The purpose of Community Voices is to increase civic participation by making ordinary residents' perspectives part of the public record, and to surface gaps in public understanding that inform SHOBAI's civic learning and literacy work.
- Who it serves
- Residents of Queens and New York City who agree to be interviewed
- Format
- Short, consent-based, in-person street interviews, published on Instagram
- Duration
- Individual interviews last a few minutes; the series is ongoing
- Session frequency
- Conducted on a rolling basis at public locations
- Cost to participants
- Free; no compensation is provided
Methods & ethics
- Participation is entirely voluntary.
- Verbal consent is obtained before any recording begins.
- No compensation is provided to participants.
- Participants may withdraw their response at any time.
Program III — Community education
Literacy Workshops
Planned community workshops across civic, financial, legal, and AI and digital literacy.
Literacy Workshops will give residents and small business owners the practical knowledge to navigate public systems, protect their money, understand their rights, and use AI and new technology with confidence.
This program is currently in development. Workshops have not yet been scheduled, and the four planned tracks below are subject to change as the curriculum is finalized.
- Who it serves
- Residents and small business owners in Queens and New York City
- Format
- Free, in-person community workshops, organized by track
- Schedule
- To be announced
- Cost to participants
- Free
Workshop tracks
Civic literacy
- Local government
- Community boards
- Public testimony
- City services
Financial literacy
- Banking
- Credit
- Taxes
- Recordkeeping
- Predatory lending
Legal literacy
- Tenant rights
- Worker rights
- Business licensing & compliance
- Finding legal help
AI and digital literacy
- Practical AI tools
- Online safety
- Scams and misinformation