Seniors learn from local teens and make new friends in the process

When you think of a classroom setting it is normally the older individual instructing the younger people, but when it comes to high-technology devices the opposite is often true. Sometimes learning about new technology can be tricky, and a bit frightening. Student Leadership Johns Creek in conjunction with AT&T facilitated a hands-on workshop working with the senior population of Johns Creek to help them learn different features on their devices. Many came loaded with their various devices and specific questions while others wanted to understand how to turn the thing on and keep it from turning off. According to Johns Creek High School student Sarina Parikh “it was such a fulfilling experience. Glad that I was able to teach community members about technology and also learn some valuable life lessons from them!"

Many seniors don’t know how to fully use their phones and tablets, many are afraid to explore their devices, teenagers, however, have an almost intuitive knowledge of these devices, it was a perfect mix for this training session. Park Place at Newtown Park was literally packed with seniors and teens working one-on-one to fix font sizes on their devices, find bible apps, change settings to make the device more user-friendly for a senior, or just explore recipes. One of the seniors said that her favorite part of the event was “My Christina,” referring to her student helper Christina Zhao. Each senior walked away with a bit more knowledge and to be sure each of the teens left with a new friend, many exchanging their contact information. “It was exciting watching as the seniors and teens built connections through learning,” says Irene Sanders, Executive Director of Student Leadership Johns Creek.

A big thank you to Ontario Smith, AT&T Regional Director – External Affairs for his support of Student Leadership Johns Creek throughout the year and his AT&T associates for providing training and the iPads that were used at the event. Created in 2015, AT&T’s Digital You is a comprehensive program that offers tools, tips, apps, guidance and community training for people of all ages and levels of online experience to learn more about how to have a safe and secure online experience. Through Digital You, AT&T has collaborated with prominent national organizations like Common Sense, The OASIS Institute, and AARP to increase digital literacy as well as local organizations across the country to assemble and promote expert online safety information in a number of formats. For more information on the resources available, check out digitalyou.att.com.

More information about Student Leadership Johns Creek can be found at the following website: www.studentleadershipjohnscreek.com .