The plans of the Penzberg Seniors' Advisory Board to set up a “computer seniors” meeting together with the local adult education center (we reported) are picking up speed.
A possible start date has now been set: spring 2021. What is still missing are the future volunteer training staff.
Penzberg - Older people who have lived most of their lives without computers and Co. find it difficult to use this technology.
Many want to learn how to deal with it in order not to miss the boat or to stay in contact with their children and grandchildren.
Because they sometimes have a harder time learning than the younger generation, seniors are sometimes reluctant to even dare to approach the topic of IT.
The planned offer of the adult education center and senior citizens' council is aimed precisely at these people.
At the "Computer Seniors Meeting" in a relaxed atmosphere and among like-minded people, they should be able to ask all their open questions about digitization and learn how to use modern technology in everyday life, explains VHS director Katja Wippermann.
Computer senior meeting: The idea comes from the senior advisory board
The idea for the "computer seniors" comes from senior advisory board member Herbert Preuss, but the initiator is the entire senior advisory board.
The Penzberger VHS offered itself as the carrier in September, which now wants to provide the room and insurance cover, and took care of the organizational matters.
As Wippermann explains, digitization does not stop at the lives of older people either.
More and more services are available via the Internet, banks are closing branches and the railways are closing their ticket offices.
Wippermann believes that older people should also learn how online banking works or how to book a train ticket via computer.
Computer seniors: the meeting should start next May
After the plans for the planned meeting have been further specified in the past few weeks, it is now clear that the "computer seniors" should start in May next year - initially as an open meeting once a month on a Thursday afternoon in the rooms of the VHS Penzberg, informs Wippermann.
At the moment, she cannot narrow down the date more precisely.
The fact that the project cannot start earlier is also due to the corona pandemic.
After all, one wants to address older people with the open meeting - and thus the main risk group in the current pandemic.
You don't want to endanger it.
Wippermann expects that the interest will be great.
The target group of the meeting are people aged 60 and over.
According to Wippermann, they can try out and practice at the meetings either on their own laptops they have brought with them or on VHS training laptops.
What is still missing are volunteers who train the seniors on the computer
What is still missing at the start in spring are committed volunteers who train the seniors.
“What we need are people who are familiar with IT and computers,” says Wippermann.
This could be experts as well as interested laypeople.
The age of these volunteer teachers is not important.
Computer enthusiastic students are also welcome.
“Perhaps the computer group at a school also wants to get involved,” Wippermann can imagine.
What she would find nice in this context: "Maybe we can bring different generations together through the 'computer seniors'."
Five to seven such volunteer teachers would be needed to get started.
In addition to their knowledge of computers and the like, they should enjoy patiently introducing others to the depths of modern technology and awakening their students' enthusiasm for the digital world, says Wippermann.
Treff: Lecture evenings are also planned
In addition to the monthly meetings, lectures are also planned.
For example, on the subject of IT security or how a digital consultation at the family doctor works.
These “lecture evenings for everyone”, according to Wippermann, will not start in spring, but rather in the course of the coming semester.
First of all, it is still necessary to inquire about possible subsidies.
In spring, the “digital angels” will also stop for a day on the town square in Penzberg at the request of the VHS.
According to Wippermann, this is a technically upgraded bus in which senior citizens can get advice on everyday digital issues.
An exact date has not yet been set.
Contact for volunteers
Anyone who would like to get involved as a volunteer teacher with the “computer seniors” can now contact the VHS office on 08856/3615 or by email to “info@vhs-penzberg.de”.
Interested parties can also contact the initiator Herbert Preuß on 08856/6391.
