Three years ago, CTN began a partnership with the Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) to bring computer training to seniors and adults with disabilities throughout San Francisco. The federally funded program, called Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) enabled CTN to provide over 8,500 hours of training support to clients.
The program was so successful that the City of San Francisco dedicated city funds to provide continued support until June 2015. We are very excited to announce our involvement in the program — now called SF Connected.
At a party on October 29, we celebrated the success of BTOP and announced our ongoing partnership. We had the pleasure of welcoming Anne Hinton, Director of DAAS (pictured here with CTN Director Kami Griffiths), who shared her excitement for the program. You can see pictures from that event here.
We also announced a donation of smart devices from Google and Obscura Digital. We plan to take these on the road to different senior centers and give people the opportunity to play around with the new technology and focus on how they can be used to stay connected to family and find health information.
Over the next 20 months, we will recruit 280 volunteer trainers who will provide 12,000 hours of technology instruction that will help over 500 people feel less isolated, access health information, and apply for employment. These goals are very doable, but we can’t do it without your help! If you would like to share your love for technology with an older adult or adult with disability, please learn more here or send an email to volunteer@ctnbayarea.org. You can also support the program financially by making a tax-deductible donation here.
Internet access is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. We can all do something to close the digital divide.
