Project:	Computer Training for Senior Citizens
User Group Name:	Big Bear Computer Club
Location:	Big Bear Lake, CA

WHAT we do

Project Description:
We provide computer training for the area's senior citizen community in partnership with the Senior Citizen Center of Big Bear Valley. This program was established in 2000 but was discontinued two years ago. In May of this year 2004, we re-established this tutoring program. The response from the senior community has been overwhelming. This program is administered free of charge to the senior citizen community.

It's a mountain community with 20,000 residents that have no other resource in getting computer training; thereby, the computer tutoring has become a very essential part of the community. Senior citizens are taking advantage of this community service provided by the Computer Club. Members of the community attend these classes to enhance their learning experience for work, school and just personal use.

How we will use award money:
If the Big Bear Computer Club wins monies through the Jerry Award 2004, we would use the monies for a laptop to be used at the Big Bear Senior Center to work with more updated software.

The two computers located at the Senior Center have Windows 98, which is a good learning program, but some of the seniors being tutor, are buying computers with updated software, which they want to learn how to use. The Senior Center computers are good to learn the basics in computing but we cannot tutor much further than that. To overcome this handicap, one of our male tutors goes to the home of the seniors who need to learn their own personal computer software. The rest of us (females) do not feel comfortable going to people's homes to tutor.

A laptop computer would be a great asset for our tutors to bring the 2004 technology to the senior citizens who are willing to learn how to use their computers. We realize that the monies awarded would not cover for a laptop but we are willing to conduct fundraisers and earn the rest of the monies.

HOW we do what we do
How we do it at the Senior Citizen Center:

1. We established a sign-up sheet at the Senior Center for computer training. The Senior Citizen Center has two computers, so we can only tutor two seniors citizens at a time because of the lack of computers.

2. Each Senior Citizen is asked to sign-up, leave their phone number and what they want to be tutored on, i.e. beginner computer training, internet access, email training, word processing, and digital camera usage, etc.

3. One of the tutors will be assigned two senior citizens who are looking for the same type of training.

4. They are given four one-hour training sessions (sometimes more) and they can return and sign up for more sessions.

5. Each of the Senior Citizens will be given handouts to practice at home on their designated tutoring material depending on what they want to learn.

6. The Big Bear Senior Citizen Board presented the Computer Club tutors with a Certificate of Recognition for their tutoring at the Senior Center.

7. Training materials can be obtained by going to the following sites:
   • Class Outline
   • Do the Email Thing
   • Its Your PC
   • What is Word Processor
   • Windows Explorer
   • Certificate of Appreciation
   • Computer Training Photo
   • Windows 98
     • www.Microsoft.com/education/win98tutorial.aspx
     • www.learnthat.com/courses/computer/
     • www.baycongroup.com/win98/windows_98_tutorial.htm
   • Windows XP:
     • http://www.microsoft.com/education/?id=winxp101tutorial
     • http://www.microsoft.com/education/?id=winXP201tutorial