SF Connected Archives - Community Tech Network

Transforming Lives at the Downtown Senior Center

Stephen Minor — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 19:49:55 +0000

Photo: San Francisco’s Downtown Senior Center team San Francisco’s Downtown Senior Center serves as a hub for activities and social connections for countless older adults. For nearly a decade, the center has been an invaluable partner to CTN. In 2013, CTN’s Kate Sheludziayeva tutored the center’s large population of Russian-speaking seniors to improve their tech skills. In 2014, we kicked off computer basics classes at the center’s computer lab. CTN has continued to work with hundreds of seniors at the center — holding teaching events, conducting classes, and recruiting volunteers to help out in the lab. When the pandemic halted all in-person activities in early 2020, the lab was no longer a viable venue for training. Fortunately, the Downtown Senior Center quickly became one of CTN’s largest Home Connect referral sources. Its staff helped dozens of seniors enroll in our virtual digital literacy training program and stay connected from the safety of home. We will continue to offer Home Connect lessons to the Center’s learners, but we are excited to work with some of them face-to-face once more! The Downtown Senior Center officially reopened its computer lab last July, making it our first partner site to reopen a lab. It […]

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In the Computer Lab with Volunteer Rafael Z.

Anna Beth Lane — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 15:26:34 +0000

When Rafael Z. found himself with extra time on his hands, he knew that volunteering would be a fulfilling way to spend it. The San Francisco native has worked a variety of jobs over the years. After graduating with a degree in sociology, he has worked with nonprofit organizations and regularly picks up freelance work and one-off jobs. This eclectic career lends Rafael plenty of flexibility to organize his own schedule and invest in his community. “I really enjoy volunteering,” says Rafael. “I haven’t done much of it since the pandemic started. I wanted to get a little more involved, especially since work has been a little slow. I knew it’d be a good way to end the year.” As a subscriber to dozens of volunteer email lists, Rafael can’t quite remember how he came across CTN’s opportunities. We’re glad he did, though! After completing his volunteer training, Rafael became a regular at our San Francisco partner site, the Downtown Senior Center. Unlike many of our digital coach volunteers — who virtually train learners one-on-one — Rafael works with ongoing learners and new tech users in person. Every week, he spends an afternoon at the Center’s computer lab answering tech-related […]

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10 Years with SF Connected

Kami Griffiths — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 12:00:24 +0000

According to Pew Research, one-third of adults ages 65 and older say they never use the internet, and roughly half say they do not have home broadband services. This makes older adults one of the demographics most likely to lack digital access and skills. For the past 13 years, Community Tech Network has educated older adults to safely and freely navigate the internet. Along the way, we’ve collaborated with community partners to expand our impact and meet the needs of older adults. Today we are excited to celebrate one of our longest-running partnerships, with the San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS). Ten years ago, DAS approached us about a project that would bring computer training to seniors and adults with disabilities throughout San Francisco. The City applied for a grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as part of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) and received $8 million for three years. This grant didn’t just fund work in senior centers; it also funded youth training, workforce development, accessible technology, and more. Over the course of the grant, CTN provided over 8,500 hours of training support to clients. When its initial funding ended in 2013, […]

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Partner Spotlight: On Lok

Stephen Minor — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 15:50:19 +0000

“Partnering with CTN has created opportunities for our seniors to access resources, services, and programs virtually. It has been essential to our seniors and 30th Street staff to provide access to the internet and tablets to our seniors through their Home Connect Program,” says Melissa Bravo, activities and program manager at On Lok. On Lok — one of CTN’s valued partners — founded and operates the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which allows eligible seniors to live at home for as long as possible by providing comprehensive medical care and social services. On Lok 30th Street Senior Center, the largest multipurpose senior center in San Francisco, provides a second home, health programs, activities, and case management services to active seniors. When CTN began partnering with On Lok in 2016, our staff and volunteers provided computer training to senior center volunteers and participants on-site via On Lok’s SF Connected computer lab. CTN would also provide tech opportunities for staff and seniors to connect with other programs that bridge the digital divide. After the shift to virtual programming, CTN continues to work with On Lok’s participants to access the internet, services, tutoring, tablets, and programming throughout the city. “A […]

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Learner Spotlight: Seyoum TesfaMichael

Carlos Sivira — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 17:00:43 +0000

Seyoum TesfaMichael currently works in a local nursing home and has recently developed a new passion for using the internet to transform his life and to help others. A native of Ethiopia, he speaks excellent English in addition to his native language, Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia) as well having near-native capacities in Tigrinya, the national language of neighboring Eritrea. As Seyoum is seeing many digital resources for the first time, he feels that this new knowledge is changing his life and says that he feels like a new man. Equipped with a smartphone and a new computer, Seyoum is beginning to use digital technology to understand global change. He wants to help his native country build infrastructure in preparation for intensifying drought cycles in an age of global warming while better understanding the potential impact of political and economic influences. Seyoum recently had a session with CTN volunteer trainer Jared Boddum in an SF Connected Lab at Curry Senior Center. Jared tutored him in using an Amharic keyboard on his mobile device and helped him locate relevant research in his native language. Seyoum also learned of the Language Access Program Information Portal of the District of Columbia, where […]

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Getting There Together Event in San Francisco

Eric Babb — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 15:02:26 +0000

On Sunday, September 8, CTN had a table at Getting There Together, an event organized by the Coalition of Agencies Serving the Elderly (CASE). The overall purpose of the event was to increase visibility and promote services for older adults and adults living with disabilities in the San Francisco area. The event included an open-air gymnasium with line dancing and chair yoga and other activities to show the importance of senior fitness. Our table included information about classes offered through SF Connected, a partnership with the Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). Our trainers can be found in over 20 sites across the city, and our goal is to train older adults on basic digital literacy skills, email use, connecting with friends and family, and finding resources for jobs. We offer drop-in time in the computer center as well as structured classes. We’re also looking for more volunteers! If you’re passionate about helping to increase the digital literacy skills of people in the digital divide, complete our online application here or email volunteer@communitytechnetwork.org.

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Please Support the Keep Us Connected Campaign 2015

Ron Nieberding — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 21:21:12 +0000

The SF Connected Program provides seniors and people with disabilities with computer training and access to help keep them connected to friends and family as well as health and other vital information. There are currently over 55 SF Connected sites in senior centers and other community spaces that offer free computer access and training. SF Connected funds Community Technology Network volunteer recruitment, training, and support programs throughout San Francisco and provides the core support for all of our work. Click here for more information and resources you can use to support the Campaign. San Francisco has the highest proportion of seniors and adults with disabilities of any California city. Please sign the online postcard and ask the Mayor and your Supervisor to strengthen the SF Connected Program to help close the ever-widening digital divide. We’ll print out your postcard and deliver it along with all the others we collect at the Board of Supervisors hearing on June 19. Join us if you can! What Is the Campaign Asking For? This year’s Keep Us Connected Campaign is asking for funding to expand and improve computer access and learning. Based on SF Connected partners’ experience with the existing program and through months of discussion and planning, we submitted a […]

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Announcing SF Connected

Kami Griffiths — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 08:04:02 +0000

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 […]

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