From health care outcomes to keeping in touch with friends and family, knowing how to use internet technology and its devices has become is a huge quality of life issue. Never has digital literacy been more important, says Grant Black, technology director for St. Tammany Parish Government.
And that’s why Black and his group from Leadership Northshore have organized “Teen Tech Tutors — A Technology Day for Seniors” to take place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. April 17 at the COAST Activity Center, 610 Cousin St., in Slidell.
Students from Northshore High School will team up with IT specialists to provide one-on-one, hands-on assistance to guide older adults into the fascinating world of digital apps. Breakout sessions will be 20 minutes long and deal with topics such as Android basics, iPhone basics, cyber security, telemedicine, hearing aid applications and more.
Each participant in the class will be paired with a Northshore High student who will sit with them as the experts to explain the different topics. The goal is that having a teen tutor showing the older adult exactly how to operate the apps will lead to more confidence in using the electronic program.
Members of each Northshore Leadership Class are required to design a project that will fill a community need. Shari Appel, event manager at The Harbor Center and a member of Black’s group, said they decided early on they wanted to do something for the senior community. They tossed around a few ideas, but in speaking with COAST management realized that many of the COAST clients would benefit from some technology training.
Black said he is personally concerned with older adults becoming comfortable with all of the automated health care options. “Proficiency in technology is becoming a life or death matter,” he explained.
Interested persons are asked to register for the event by calling the Slidell COAST Center at (985) 641-1852. A continental breakfast will be provided.
To contact Golden Age columnist Julie Agan, send email to julie@coastseniors.org or call (985) 892-0377.
