At the end of October, we taught our final class as part of Sunset Tech Connect in San Francisco. In total, 48 older adults graduated from this 12-week training program and took home a Samsung Galaxy tablet. Through this course learners were introduced to email, social media networks, and communications tools. They learned to navigate and engage with the community and the world marketplace, among many other important internet skills.
A total of eight sessions were offered at Sunset Beacon Neighborhood Center and the library. Five sessions were taught in Cantonese, one in Mandarin, and two in English.
Here are the comments they shared with me about the program:
- “I love the program. I feel more confident using technology, less frustrated. I always share what I learned to people. That’s a good thing.”
- “I have so much fun watching entertaining movies, and I learned some new recipes online. I also made connections with friends using WhatsApp. I have a few good friends in the Bay Area, so I can ask for help if needed.”
- “Great program! Not only can I make some good friends in class from around the neighborhood, I also learned how to check bus times using the app, watch my favorite videos/news online, take photos, etc. It’s very useful.”
The program was funded by Metta Fund, which encourages seniors to learn technology to help them stay connected and avoid isolation. We are offering the class again this year and will begin accepting applications soon. For more information, contact Kami Griffiths at kami@communitytechnetwork.org.
