3 min.
From Redattore sociale, 30 November 2011
An Award for the Volunteers that Teach the Elderly to Surf the Web
The project, promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, aims to develop an “international network of knowledge volunteers to fight digital illiteracy.” A network is already present in 13 Italian Regions and 8 countries.
ROME – Here is the international competition that rewards volunteers 3.0: individuals of all ages that decide to dedicate their time to fight digital illiteracy amongst the elderly, combat social exclusion and promote active lifestyles and the use of e-Gov. tools. The “Knowledge Volunteers 3.0” Competition, which was presented this afternoon in Rome at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, is promoted by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale in collaboration with the Department of Youth, the patronage of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the support of Intel Italy. “This initiative allows us to relaunch and promote the use of modern technology in the field of volunteering,” Danilo Giovanni Festa, Director General Third Sector and Social Affairs at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, “as well as ideally connecting and uniting two European years addressing social policies: the Year of Volunteering and the Year for Active Ageing.”
It’s a project that aims to develop an ”international network of knowledge volunteers,” explain the organizers, “to fight digital illiteracy and promote the educational role of schools in training an active citizenship.” The network is already present in 13 Italian Regions and 8 other countries (Belgium, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK). “The Department of Youth is happy to promote the project that addresses current issue,” explained Sofia Pain, Department of Youth, “including inter-generational dialogue, new technology and especially all of those who were born before the Internet generation. Furthermore, the project activates the participation of the younger generations.”
“Today, the project addresses a wider audience,” pointed out Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, “not only the elderly, but also all those who have not had the chance to use new technology. There are many students and schools involved in this challenge to open up locally and provide students with an opportunity to participate in a new manner." And there is no shortage of students for the 3.0 Volunteers. According to Istat, in fact, as of January 2011, over-sixty-fives represent 20% of the population, but very few elders have a good relation with new technology. Censis and Ucsi data indicate that amongst the Italians that have access to the Internet, the elderly represent the smallest segment. In families composed only of elders, the majority have no home access to the Internet because they don’t know how to do it, consider it useless or have physical disabilities. It is in this context that the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, through its “Grandparents on the Internet” initiative has involved 800 coordinating teachers, 475 schools in 13 Italian regions and about 10,000 student tutors to train over 12,000 elders to use the Internet and new technology.
This first international edition of the competition is open to all the protagonists of inter-generational learning projects promoted in Italy and Europe to fully exploit the experience of web training and new technology courses held by students for elders. Six awards will be presented: 2 scholarships for the best student tutor in school (€500) and elderly centres (€1000) and four netbooks for the best volunteers. Candidatures must be submitted by April 15, 2012. The Awards Ceremony will be held at the Rome Campidoglio on May 11, 2012. (ga)
