The City of Milan is participating in the CodeWeek, the initiative promoted by the European Commission to promote digital literacy.
Yesterday morning, the Palazzo Marino Council Hall hosted #Code Week 2019 - Eu-Milano, a special intergenerational lab for over-60s who were taught by 60 second-degree secondary school students how to fully take advantage of their smartphones.
The free event, which is part of the build-up to the 2020 edition of #StemintheCity (an initiative organized by the Milan Council to promote STEM subjects and digital culture), is organized in collaboration by BIP and the Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
“Public and private subjects cooperate to hold a beautiful initiative addressing digital education,” explains Councilor Roberta Cocco (Digital Transformation and Civic Services) "and a precious exchange between generations. An intense morning that has been made possible thanks to the support of BIP and the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, who replied to the Council’s invitation to organise this event. We intend to create more opportunities against the digital divide and provide our citizens with the tools necessary to fully exploit the many digital services available in Milan.”
“Relations between different personalities and competences, motivations and different stories lead to evolution and individual growth,” adds Maura Satta Flores, Communications and External Relations Manager, BIP. “Digital competences are now indispensable, but it is important not to lose sight of the human component. We decided to support this ambitious project - proposed by the Milan Councillorship for Digital Transformation and Civic Services – as we believe it represents the correct route to embracing diversity that can be finally understood as one of the great opportunities of our times.”
“We are happy to have contributed to the event with our intergenerational learning model that has become a true and proved public service platform for digital literacy and lifelong learning,” adds Mirta Michilli, Director General of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale. "We are pleased that it is valued by public administrations as it employs students as digital facilitators."
During the two-hour lab, students showed the over-60s how to best use their smartphones: saving contacts, managing memory and selecting the apps that best suit their needs. A second part was dedicated to the Internet: connecting, web searches, on-line communication, opening an e-mail account, sending e-mails and using messaging apps on smartphones. Social media was addressed during the final morning session to learn how to sign up to Facebook, write a post, create an Instagram profile and share photos.
The lab also showed the participants how to access public administration sties and applications to learn, for example, how to sign up to the city portal, request certificates on-line and make appointments with public offices.
For further information: www.steminthecity.eu
