Technology can be a significant barrier for older generations, often creating feelings of frustration, isolation, or being left behind in an increasingly digital world. At the same time, younger generations—who have grown up immersed in technology—are uniquely positioned to help bridge that gap.
By offering patience, guidance, and encouragement, they can empower older individuals to build confidence and stay connected to the world around them. In doing so, technology shifts from being a point of division to an opportunity for meaningful connection and mutual understanding across generat
Cyber Seniors is a program meant just for that.
The Goal of the Program
The goal of the Cyber-Seniors program is to enable an older adult (participant) to be able to use a computer or other tech devices independently, or with minimal assistance, to carry out functions such as email, Google searches, video chats, Facebook and any other applications which are of interest to them. Once they are able to independently carry out the functions that are important to them, this will increase their desire to continue to participate. They may be eager to learn everything technology has to offer or simply enjoy the community they have at Cyber-Seniors.
In Person
Our in-person programs are designed to best fit the community they are being run in. You may only have 8 lessons allotted to teach and assist an older adult with all their tech questions. We suggest scheduling at least two one-hour sessions or one two-hour session over a period of 8 weeks. Of course all programs are run differently and you might not be assigned one singular older adult or they may not be available to meet that often, but regular lessons especially at the beginning are important.
Virtually
Our virtual program has two options: one-on-ones and webinars. Older adults join these for different reasons and it’s important that you are prepared to assist in a variety of ways during these lessons.
One-on-ones are designed to help an older adult with a specific tech issue. You will make these calls through our dashboard. The calls are recorded and monitored to ensure safety and quality. You will choose which calls you want to help with. This ensures that you will be available and that you are familiar with the type of tech the older adult needs assistance with. It is still important that you prepare for the call by doing any additional research prior to the lesson.
Webinars are hosted by us Monday-Friday and we cover a range of tech topics. You can sign up to either host or assist during the Q&A portion of the meeting. You do not need to know alot about the topic before signing up, but you will need to read through the slide show and do any additional research so that you can be an informed participant.
Lessons and How to Guides
We have provided guides for our top requested tech issues. These will help you assist the older adult during your lesson. Depending on the participant’s prior knowledge and ability to absorb the information being taught it may take several sessions to complete one task. This is no reflection of the participant’s level of intelligence or the mentor’s ability to teach. We all have different learning styles and abilities, and each participant should be allowed to move through the lessons at their own pace. The older adult may already be comfortable with tech, prior to moving into higher-level concepts be sure to review and test their knowledge. We want to ensure that none of the basic building blocks are missed, as this may affect the participant’s ability to move forward. Feel free to move quickly through sections that the participant is knowledgeable on.