Sandwich Computer User Group

Jerry Awards Application

This is our first submission to the Jerry Awards. We are a small club with 72 paid and 4 complimentary members.

Our service project is an on going project. We are helping a group in Sandwich called Fox Valley Older Adult Services (FVOAS).  One of their primary goals is to help seniors remain in their own homes.  Since there is no public transportation in the Sandwich area, they provide transportation for seniors to doctors, hospitals, shopping and other necessities.  They also provide moderately priced lunches and social and informational programs.  

The Director of FVOAS asked the Sandwich Computer User Group (SCUG) for our help by supplying them with two computers. The request was put to a vote by the general membership and passed. The Sandwich Computer User Group donated and upgraded two computers adding ram, increasing the size of the hard drive and installing Windows XP to the computers including appropriate software and set up a small computer room. Members of our group installed the local area network and connected them to the internet via cable services. We are also providing on-going service to the machines if they have any problems.

One of our members volunteered to teach the seniors how to use the computers. After meeting with the administrators of FVOAS she wrote a computer curriculum to meet their goals which were to have the seniors be able to communicate with their family and friends through e-mail.

Last fall we started with Basic Computer Skills and How to Use Yahoo! Mail. During the summer we met with a volunteer sample or beta student and ran through the class with her before we did any further scheduling. It was so successful that in January we added an Exploring Explorer 7 class, and this year added a combination Computer Navigation/Open Office Writer class.

In the Basic Computer Skills class we cover areas like correct terms for components of a computer station, how to use a mouse, and how to access Yahoo! Mail. They learn how to sign in, receive mail, scroll, open a message, delete a message, reply to a message, forward a message, compose or send a message, how to print a message and how to make and use an address book etc,

In Exploring Internet Explorer 7 they learn about domain names and internet addresses, how to use the Google tool bar, how to conduct Boolean searches and all about the Explorer tool bars. They practice their skills doing a local area internet scavenger hunt.

In Open Office Writer/Computer Navigation we teach about all the editing options and saving and retrieving files in Open Office Writer along with how to make a file, file addresses, organizing your files etc.

We made up a schedule of classes which was published in the FVOAS newsletter, and in the local newspaper. Interested seniors contact the center to sign up for the classes. The instructor called each person to determine which class they were able to take, scheduled them, and called them a week before the class met to remind them of the date and time.

This is our second year teaching these classes weekly from September thru May.

When we receive this award we are going to purchase two wide screen LCD monitors for the FVOAS Computer Room. Currently we are using 17inch CRT’s. Because we are working with people in their 70’s and 80’s, who often have vision problems, we need to use large fonts for the monitors and it is sometimes difficult for the seniors to see everything on the screen.

Please see overviews of detailed handouts attached that we provide for each student to help them when working on their own. We would be happy to supply complete handouts if necessary. Thank you for giving us this opportunity to apply for this award.