Empowering Youth Through Technology and Preparedness
The latest Tayyar Houston workshop brought together 34 youth and community members from the University of Houston, Houston Community College and neighborhood networks across Greater Houston. PULSE successfully delivered this transformative session at the Fort Bend County Libraries – Sugar Land Branch on November 24, 2025.
Participants; many of them South Asian American students, explored how AI-powered storytelling can strengthen disaster preparedness, civic engagement, and community resilience. Through hands-on training, they gained essential skills to support emergency communication, small business resilience, and public awareness during crises.
Building Skills for Resilient Communities
Through hands-on sessions, participants learned to use leading AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Google NotebookLM and VEED.io to create impactful media content for disaster readiness. Working in creative teams, the youth produced over 70 educational outputs, including videos, public service scripts, and social media materials now featured in Tayyar Houston’s digital campaigns.
Workshop Objectives
Working in collaborative teams, participants developed media addressing real challenges: disaster readiness, crime prevention during storms, driving safety, air pollution impacts, immigrant small business vulnerability, and civic responsibility.
Impact Beyond the Workshop
This program enhanced technical literacy and deepened cultural connection and civic responsibility. Participants used culturally grounded storytelling to create messages that resonate with multilingual families by helping bridge gaps in trust and access to information. The workshop also promoted youth leadership networks and strengthened PULSE’s partnership with local institutions, including Fort Bend County Libraries and the city council.
Looking Ahead
Following the success of this training, PULSE will launch the Youth Readiness Media Cohort in 2026 by expanding media-driven preparedness education to schools, community colleges, and neighborhood centers.
The Tayyar Houston workshop demonstrates the power of combining cutting-edge technology with culturally grounded engagement. Through youth leadership, technology adoption, and authentic storytelling, we are building a stronger, more informed, and more resilient Greater Houston that prepared to face future challenges with knowledge, connection, and collective action.
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