See the progress of a Cyber-Seniors program at the Coomes Center in Abingdon, VA here.

Michael P., a student from Burlington Christian Academy in Burlington, Ontario, teaches Marcella Virture, a senior from LaSalle Park Retirement Community

Cyber-Seniors Program in Burlington, Ontario

This fall, with the help of Amy Back of Computer Help for Adults in Hamilton, Ontario, the seniors at LaSalle Park Retirement Community in Burlington and students from the Burlington Christian Academy participated in a Cyber-Seniors program. The students taught the seniors to use technology and then worked with them to create a video that was posted on YouTube. The program was very successful and was featured on CogecoTV in December.

In celebration of Canada’s 150^th birthday, Amy is planning a project that will match up seniors and students to create videos celebrating living in Hamilton and Canada. We look forward to seeing that later this year.

Best Practices Webinar

We are excited to have Amy Back from Computer Help for Adults in Hamilton, Ontario to share her tips and success stories spearheading the Cyber-Seniors program for this month’s webinar of Best Practice Sharing. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28th at 1pm EST. Please check our Events Page for further details and login link.

Amy is the founder of Computer Help for Adults, she is a 2017 YWCA Woman of Distinction Award Nominee for Business Entrepreneur, and a Hamilton Spectator 2016 Readers Choice Award Winner Platinum – Senior Services, Diamond – Adult Education.

Cyber-Seniors Webinars on Youth Mentorship and Starting a Cyber-Seniors Program

We will be reviving our Best Practice Sharing webinars starting on February 28^th at 1:00 pm EST. Keep checking our Facebook and website events pages for the login link. If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact Tess Finlay at tess@cyber-seniors.ca. These webinars will continue once a month.

If you are interested in our webinars on Youth Mentorship or Starting a Cyber-Seniors Program, please contact Tess and she will share it with you.

Help with Grant Applications

We have been working with organizations that are interested in starting or growing a Cyber-Seniors program, but lack the necessary resources. We are happy to work with you to evaluate your community and identify program needs, help with writing a program proposal and develop a budget, and share the latest data showing impact to older adults and student mentors and measurement tools that would be used to show your program results. If you are interested in applying for a grant, please email info@cyber-seniors.ca for more information.

Cyber-Seniors on PBS

PBS stations across the United States have now been airing Cyber-Seniors since November. Some stations are airing the film during their pledge weeks. To find out when it’s airing on your local station, check our Events section of our Facebook page or visit the station’s website. If you don’t see it on their schedule, please contact them to ask when it will air. Remember that your PBS station relies on support from its viewers to air quality programs like Cyber-Seniors.

Cyber-Seniors in the News

Read about several groups making an impact in the lives of older adults and young people:

• at the Francis Tuttle Technology Center and Concordia Life Care Community
• at the LaSalle Senior Center and Burlington Christian Academy
• at the Harry L. Coomes Recreation Center in Abingdon, VA
• at Newhaven Court at Clearview in Butler, PA
• at Goderich Place, and the Elder Abuse Prevention Committee of Huron County
• in Medicine Hat, AB
• at Wenonah High School in Birmingham, AL
• at the Elsie Stuhr Centre in Beaverton, OR
• at Lauralton Hall High School in Milford, CT:
• in other news, from NetNanny.com

Thanks to Peg McGowan and Lauralton Hall High School in Milford, CT for the success of their Cyber-Seniors program. Read about the program here.

Wenonah High School in Birmingham, AL is bridging the digital divide. Great job! See their story here.

Thanks to Lauren B. Stevens and Net Nanny for this piece.

This poor grandpa is having to face giving up his beloved video game he’s been playing since 1999. I guess some things can’t last forever…

Look who’s connecting in Goderich: teens helping seniors, reducing their isolation and possibly elder abuse.

Jan 4/17: Elderly people are being targeted all over the world. Although this article from TodayOnline.com is from Singapore, this is not a local problem.

Jan 4/17: Another pitfall for seniors explained by Fraud.org. Get your taxes in early and do NOT give your information to anyone over the phone. http://www.fraud.org/tax_id_fraud_alert16

Thank you to the Harry L. Coomes Recreation Center in Abingdon, Virginia and Assistant Director Jennifer Johnson for launching a Cyber-Seniors program for their community.  Read about it here.

Amy Back from Computer Help for Adults in Hamilton, ON launched a Cyber-Seniors program at the LaSalle Park Retirement Community in Burlington with students from the Burlington Christian Academy. Watch her interview on the program with Cogeco TV here. Thanks Amy!