If you’re a senior and you have trouble using your cellphone or computer, you likely turn to one of your children—or better yet, grandchildren—for help. On Tuesday, April 2, seniors had a chance to work one-on-one with students from Ma’ayanot’s STEAM classes, digital natives who underwent training and volunteered to mentor the retirees at Senior Source, a non-profit organization located at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, dedicated to enriching and supporting the lives of local seniors.
During the one hour “TechTime” program, 19 Ma’ayanot students paired with seniors to navigate their smartphone apps, WhatsApp, texting, video calling, organizing photos and working with Google apps. Some of the seniors joined the program through the Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Northern New Jersey. As a nice surprise, one of the seniors, Rachel Sadek, introduced herself as the grandmother of five Ma’ayanot alumnae!
“The most rewarding and meaningful part of this was the intergenerational aspect,” said Michele Major, director of educational technology at Ma’ayanot. “Our students are used to communicating by text. They truly enjoyed the personal, one-on-one discussions they had with the seniors and many requested to work with the same individuals for the next session.”
“I really enjoyed the fact that we took something that is part of our everyday lives and is easy for us and we were able to help the people who have the most trouble with it, so that they can connect with family and those around them,” shared Hadassah Freedman, a junior.
“All of the Senior TechTime participants at Senior Source expressed tremendous gratitude for the opportunity to obtain tech instruction from the wonderful young women from Ma’ayanot,” said Michele Silver, executive director at Senior Source. “Just as important as the skills that were imparted, it was heartwarming to witness the bonding between the generations. We hope to continue to partner with the students and staff at Ma’ayanot to bring additional intergenerational programs to Senior Source.” The program was supported by the Wallerstein Foundation for Geriatric Life Improvement.
A second tech mentorship with Ma’ayanot students will take place at Senior Source on Tuesday, May 7. For more information, please visit https://seniorsourcenj.org/.
