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Aug. 12, 2024 |  By: Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

AARP grant funds Lincoln 'Digital Literacy' project for seniors

elderly people

By Deborah Van Fleet - Public News Service

Many seniors report using technology on a regular basis but those who do not risk missing out due to its role in so much of daily life.

"Digital Literacy," a collaborative project in Lincoln, aims to help older Nebraskans strengthen their digital skills. The City of Lincoln's Aging Partners received an AARP Community Challenge grant of just over $20,000 for the project.

Randall Jones, director of Aging Partners, pointed to AARP surveys showing older seniors have less confidence in their digital skills compared with their younger counterparts.

"Technology has kind of surpassed some of the abilities of seniors, so our goal here is to try to improve knowledge of how to access this valuable resource," Jones explained. "That can go the range of email or Web, or GPS, just a number of things."

This fall, five Digital Literacy pop-ups will be held around Lincoln. Collaborating on the project are University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, Community Action Partnership and El Centro. The students will help seniors with their cellphones or other devices, with translators available for a number of different languages.

Jones noted a major goal of the project is to help seniors avoid becoming isolated.

"One of the great values of this is not just the knowledge but being able to use this and the increased socialization that it provides," Jones emphasized. "We learned during COVID that loneliness can have a really challenging impact on seniors' well-being."

AARP awarded nearly $4 million in Community Challenge grants this year, funding just over 340 projects.

Todd Stubbendieck, state director of AARP Nebraska, said the idea of funding short-term projects began in 2017.

"It was developed in response to mayors and local leaders, who recognize the importance of getting 'quick wins' to help build more livable communities," Stubbendieck observed. "This award is on the larger side of average, and that's a recognition of what a unique and innovative grant proposal they put together."

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in a news release the Digital Literacy project is one of the initiatives that will "propel Lincoln forward as an even more age-friendly community."