Tech Teach-ins Archives - Community Tech Network

Another Great Year with TechWomen

Kami Griffiths — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 16:15:31 +0000

On October 26, CTN hosted another San Francisco Tech Teach-In event with TechWomen at 30th Street Senior Center. Nine volunteers helped out during the two-hour event and helped learners with WhatsApp, answered questions about using email safely, and spent time socializing with individuals at the site. Kelty Davis, TechWomen program manager at the Institute of International Education has this to say about the event: Volunteering with CTN has been a fantastic experience for our program participants throughout the three years we’ve worked together. This year, our group, which included women from 10 different countries around the world, immensely enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the seniors at the 30th Street Senior Center. Not only did they teach the seniors technical skills, they also connected with them individually by sharing stories from their backgrounds, their travels, and their day-to-day lives. These intergenerational and intercultural exchanges, both technical and nontechnical, are so valuable, which is why we love working with CTN each year to bring these opportunities to both the seniors they work with and to our own participants. If you are interested in learning more about our Tech Teach-In events, read more here or email tti@communitytechnetwork.org.

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Bring Your Own Device Day (BYOD) with Adobe @ Northloop

Jessica Looney — Thu, 02 May 2019 13:36:05 +0000

On Friday, April 29, residents from Family Eldercare’s Northloop Apartments joined Adobe volunteers to receive digital skills training for a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) day. Adobe recently partnered with CTN to offer quarterly Tech Teach-In (TTI) opportunities for adult learners in locations around central Texas. Adobe has contributed over $57 million in community giving and has a variety of programs that encourage employees to volunteer in their communities. Adobe supports volunteer efforts by giving the volunteers funds and opportunities to take action in their local communities. For every hour a team member donates, Adobe provides a cash match and a potential grant to the nonprofit they volunteered for. Adobe Austin Action Team Committee Lead Tamera Davis recruited nine volunteers for this TTI event and will continue the recruitment for future events. “Community Tech Network is working hard in central Texas to close the digital gap, and Adobe is proud to to be a partner in this effort. Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn how to use a device, whether it is to connect with family and friends, to listen to music, or to research and enroll in programs to enrich their lives.” Residents brought tablets, smartphones, and laptops to have their […]

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Teach-In with Dell

Jessica Looney — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 14:39:00 +0000

On Friday, January 25, Dell volunteers provided digital literacy training for older adults at the AGE Computer Lab for CTN’s monthly Tech Teach-In program. During the three-hour session, the 15 volunteers taught the basics of Microsoft Word and Excel to 15 learners. The skill level of the learners ranged from beginner to expert. Some people used Excel for their finances, Word when they wrote letters, and even one man who used the Microsoft suite to manage a small family trust. The volunteers were surprised at the diverse needs of the group and used their individual skill sets when mentoring one-on-one to be most effective in their teaching. Longtime lab volunteer Jerry Easterbrook enjoyed the approach: “Their approach was very good, presenting some of the basics in the very beginning so that everybody was at least up to speed on the simple equations, and then they went into one-on-one teaching … individual training was so effective. When the student didn’t know what they needed info on, the trainer would provide options, and when the student showed interest, they would teach that, with the students doing the actual work.” The AGE computer lab hopes that this teach-in will inspire seniors who are already taking classes […]

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Teach-in at Defy Ventures

Eric Babb — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 21:03:50 +0000

CTN recently partnered with Defy Ventures to host a Tech Teach-in for their program participants, whom it calls entrepreneurs-in-training (EITs). Defy provides rigorous employment readiness, character development, and entrepreneurship training inside prisons, a welcome back to society that eases the reentry process, and robust post-release services, including job placement, executive mentorship, startup incubation, and pitch competitions. CTN board member Joyce Shanahan, who volunteers for Defy, introduced CTN’s executive director to their ED, Carrie Simon. While they were learning about each other’s organizations, Carrie shared that 20 of their current clients were expecting to receive a laptop but that a grant had run out, and they weren’t able to provide enough for everyone. CTN happened to have 20 Chromebooks sitting in the office closet that had been recently cleaned after being used for another project — so we suggested the teach-in, which would engage volunteers and raise awareness about their clients’ need for devices and training. The event was hosted by Smart Recruiters, and there were seven EITs and four volunteers, along with Carrie and me. Two of the volunteers were Defy program graduates. During the event, every EIT received a Chromebook, and event volunteers and entrepreneurs worked together to set up Gmail […]

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CTN and Sprint Provide Devices and Digital Literacy Training to Foundation Community residents

Jessica Looney — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 15:28:15 +0000

Community Tech Network (CTN) and Sprint teamed up to distribute 15 new Samsung tablet devices to learners at Bluebonnet Studios in south Austin. The residents were provided with six months of free data plans as they get used to their new devices. Once they received their tablets, Sprint staff provided individualized training to the learners to help them better connect with family and friends, seek employment, keep up with their schedules and more. The learners got acquainted with device controls, connecting to Wi-Fi, adding their email, and using the Samsung Plus app to learn even more from online tutorials. One resident, Robert, told CTN he was going to use his tablet to help him now that he works as a resident assistant at Bluebonnet Studios. “I know a little bit about using my phone, but I’m really excited to try out all of the tablet’s new features.” A lot of the residents seemed excited that the devices were brand-new — they know it means they’re going to last a long time. Sprint staff trainers Matthew Bryer and Mitchell Percival communicated the importance of providing residents with access. “it was great to get them connected, especially during the holidays, when it’s important for them to […]

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Lyft Conducts Bring-Your-Own-Device Event at Curry Senior Center

Eric Babb — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 22:39:34 +0000

On October 1, Lyft volunteers conducted a bring-your-own-device teach-in for seniors at the Curry Center in San Francisco. The event had 9 volunteers and 13 participants. The learners’ needs were diverse, so the training included signing up for a Spotify account, cleaning up computer applications on a laptop, learning about Khan Academy, help with Linux, how to use Wikipedia, and basic email usage on an iPad. The participants asked for another one next month, and one of the seniors, Marilynn, asked “for Professor Sean to come back next week!” Kristen Koziol of Lyft said her favorite part of the day was “the opportunity to connect with some folks in the community here in SF that I would probably not have otherwise had the chance to meet. Wonderful reminder that we are all dealing with the same questions and problems with tech, regardless of walk of life.” Tech Teach-In events are coordinated monthly at CTN. To participate in the program in San Francisco, contact Eric Babb, and for Austin events contact Jessica Looney.

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Austin Residents Learn Smartphones from AT&T Volunteers

Jessica Looney — Tue, 19 Jun 2018 17:06:41 +0000

For Digital Inclusion Week in Austin, CTN held a series of events called Tech Teach-Ins. These events match corporate volunteers with community members looking to improve their digital skills and take advantage of what their digital devices can offer. AT&T was invited to provide mobile device training to residents of North Loop Apartments, a 100-household senior property owned by the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA). A dozen residents learned to use the Ride Austin app on their smartphones. The volunteers demonstrated how to use the app. Then, with one-on-one instruction, the participants downloaded the app on their own devices and shared a ride to the Black Star Co-op, where they all had lunch. “The human connection drives technology adoption,” said Catherine Crago, head of strategic initiatives for HACA and Austin Pathways. One North Loop resident, Jesse, explained to AT&T volunteer Paddy, “They tried to get me to use the computer. I’m not interested in email and recipes.” The pair discussed boxing matches, famous races, architecture, and geology. After Paddy used YouTube to locate a 1950s boxing match Jesse wished he could have seen, Jesse said, “I have a different feeling about the computer now. I’ll go to […]

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Tech Teach-In: TechWomen Volunteer in the Bayview

Joanna Bell — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 14:44:15 +0000

On Saturday, October 7, 12 volunteers from the TechWomen program came out to Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center to provide technology tutoring and support to the staff and clients there. TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. State Department that brings women from around the world to the Bay Area for a five-week exchange and mentorship program. The center’s staff and seniors were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this diverse group of young women. They came prepared with questions about their own phones, laptops, and more. One gentleman even brought in his desktop with the help of his grandchildren. Another brought out an old video camera with an assortment of parts that, to the surprise of all, one volunteer was able to get working by the end of the event! The women and the clients and staff at Davis gathered around the tables, working in groups of up to five people. While they were working on technology together, the conversation also turned to broader topics. The seniors told the volunteers about the history of the Bayview neighborhood, an area of San Francisco that most visitors to the city never get to explore. The visiting women talked about their home countries around […]

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Tech Allies — Connecting Seniors Across the Digital Divide

Kami Griffiths — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 00:37:36 +0000

We are excited to share a guest post by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) program coordinator Debbie Uchida, pictured here with Emil. Her story illustrates the positive power of the Tech Allies program, partially funded by Metta Fund, which utilizes technology to curb isolation and address the digital divide for older San Franciscans. Together LBFE and CTN are delivering Tech Allies, a new program that aims to connect elders, many whom are homebound, to the Internet. We provide them with a device as well as the digital skill training they need in order to learn how to access the Internet independently. By doing so, we expect that filling in the digital divide between older generations and newer generations will help to relieve the elder’s feelings of loneliness, isolation, and exclusion from society, as well as provide an endless amount of online resources and services. With CTN’s digital training experience and LBFE’s matched volunteer program, we are very hopeful that this program will be a success! Two of our elder friends in the Tech Allies program have recently been introduced to the wonderful world of YouTube after a couple weeks of learning how to utilize their iPads, and I […]

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Volunteers from Startups Help Seniors in San Francisco

Heather DeSmidt — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:20:35 +0000

Community Technology Network facilitated a Tech Teach-In at the North Beach Library on June 24, 2016. We paired seven seniors from Next Village SF with seven volunteers from Startups Give Back to provide help on mobile devices and laptops. Startups Give Back organizes individuals from startups to get out of their offices and work together to help nonprofits in their community. Next Village SF is a neighborhood nonprofit providing services and support that empower members to live independently in their own homes as they age. Learner Stories Diane was a senior who arrived at the North Beach Library full of anxiety and hesitation. “I almost didn’t come today because I was so overwhelmed by this thing,” she shared with me as we sat down together and took a look at her Android tablet. I could see the vulnerability and angst in her eyes. I asked her to tell me a bit more about her background, experience with using technology, and what skills she hoped to gain. We chatted and got to know one another better, and she began showing me what she knew about her tablet. What I gathered in this short interaction was that she was a complete beginner […]

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