How do you create a list of people? How do you format an event programme? How do you perform calculations on a spreadsheet?
Mrs. Paolina, who is 81 years old, is the President of the “Spinaceto” Elderly Centre in Rome’s 9th District (Via Carlo Avolio 60). So far, she has always used pen and paper to organise activities for the 55 members of the centre, but thanks to Project Digitali si diventa (Going Digital) she has learned to use a PC and the Office suite. And now, everything is much easier, also thanks to her tutor, nineteen-year-old Matteo, who is currently taking his state exams.
What’s it like managing an elderly centre in Rome? The IX Municipio is as large as Milan and has a many residents as Reggio Calabria, more than 180,000. There are 10 elderly centres that organised activities for 6400 members.
Thanks to Project “Going Digital,” 60 schools in Rome have opened their doors to residents and the local elderly centres. The students teach 24-hour courses (twelve 2-hour lessons) on PCs, Web and Technology for elders with the help of experts. The educational model is based on a collaborative, cooperative and custom-tailored educational methodology. It’s a model that is especially successful in contexts that also require the transmission of values, dialogue and a sense of community.
The project is implemented with the Council for People, Schools and Communities of Rome - Social Policy Department, which extends Project “Grandparents on the Internet” throughout the entire city, involving 151 Elderly Centres (CSAs).
