The iTeam is working to increase computer access and Internet literacy to underserved youth, families and senior citizens in our community. This iTeam is also working on a computer drive to help gather used computers, recycle and refurbish them, and place them in community centers around the city.
Our first Fort Wayne NetLiteracy program is Senior Connects
This program will promote senior citizen computer and Internet literacy by building public computer labs, teaching senior citizens (and especially those that are mobility impaired or lack reliable transportation) computer and Internet skills, and increasing public awareness to this critical issue. Net Literacy seeks to work through FWCS and other local school districts to identify student-volunteers and school organizations (such as the Key Club or the National Honor Society) that will adopt a facility – and is dependent upon this community-wide effort to fully implement the program. Project plans and lesson plans are detailed on the Senior Connects website. Each senior citizen “pupil” will receive a lesson plan and instructional booklet that has been created in large font and has been proven to be senior-friendly over the past two years. Net Literacy will work through social workers, activity directors, and facility managers to arrange space for the public computer labs. The secret to our success in teaching computer and Internet skills is that we work with seniors on a one-to-one basis – with each senior having a student volunteer sitting by their side helping them during the lessons, we spend up to four months with each “pupil,” and we use Humanizing Technologies’ LifePage as a teaching value creating application.
