OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) was created to help older adults with today's technology, from beginner tasks to advanced certifications. By bringing together access to tech learning, collaboration and community connection in a comfortable and engaging physical space, OATS is bridging the digital divide. But that's not all: Helping older adults acquire a suite of 21st-century skills while making new friends allows them to thrive in both the digital and real world.
SENIOR PLANET FOCUS AREAS:
- Social Engagement/Social Media
- Health & Wellness
- Financial Security/Literacy
- Workforce/Business Development
- Civic Engagement/Digital Advocacy
- Creative Expression/Lifelong Learning
And when OATS opens its Senior Planet Center in the Lowry Hangar2 District in Denver this fall, it will provide 60+ adults free access to its programs. Senior Planet's multi-week courses and other programs are already up and running at libraries, community sites, and senior housing locations. Denver is one of OATS’ first expansion cities for the Brooklyn-based nonprofit that was founded in 2004.
“Our philosophy is about connecting the technology where it meets older adults,” said Grace Hanover, OATS Colorado State Director. “It’s not about technology in and of itself – it’s about what it can do for you, and what you can do with it. We ask people to come to us with a purpose. The range of problems and opportunities is incredibly broad.”
For someone who has never used a computer before, Senior Planet has a 10-week Computer Basics course with two sessions a week to take their first steps toward feeling included in a digital society. For the more experienced, it also serves those who are interested in using technology to start their own businesses, learn about digital marketing, the ins and outs of career networking with LinkedIn, or building a business plan to bring their professional dreams to life.
“It really just depends on the individual’s needs and matching those with a solution,” said Hanover. “They bring their problem or challenge to us, and we find a way for technology to help. Senior Planet connects the dots. The idea is well-described in OATS’ mission of ‘harnessing technology to transform the way we age.’”
Seventy percent of Senior Planet participants are more confident living independently after taking the Computer Basics course. Hanover believes that this is about empowerment. “Our programs at Senior Planet are aimed at prepping participants for a culture that is zooming ahead with technology,” she said. “We help them feel more comfortable in intergenerational settings, such as a fitness center, or when using online tools for job searches, or in how the Internet of Things can make their lives easier.”
“With technology, you can feel more confident living independently for longer. There’s nothing we can’t do. This will make a difference in healthcare and housing costs in our state, and how happily people can age over time.”
From drop-in activities to multi-week courses, there is a wide variety of learning paths to choose from. Some are less tech-based, such as creative pursuits, arts, lectures, a movie screening or a yoga class. “Bottom line, it’s a free community resource for people who are 60 plus,” said Hanover. “Even if it’s a knitting group or an exercise session, we’re going to slot in technology. For instance, we’ll show people how to knit with an online craft class, or how to track their exercise with Fitbits or similar devices.”
Hanover looks at her audience far beyond its demographics. “The growing wave of older adults we have in Colorado are themselves the entrepreneurs, the workforce, the ones using and driving the technology,” she said. “That’s where we see the need for education, community space and networking to fill their later years with potential and promise.”
Tapping into wisdom gleaned from experience, Senior Planet also prepares seniors to work in civic engagement and advocacy, with courses in leadership capacity building, community outreach and digital communications.
“We just demystify technology, and away they go,” OATS/Senior Planet Executive Director Thomas Kamber, PhD, told The Economist in 2017.
None of this happens without financial investment, and OATS has developed a stellar national funding network. In Colorado, the organization is working with a grant from the NextFifty Initiative, a Denver-based foundation created in 2016 with an endowment of over $200 million. Its directive is to seek out and fund game-changing breakthroughs to improve and sustain the quality of life for people over 50.
“Innovation plays an important part in finding effective solutions to the challenges older adults face,” said NextFifty acting CEO Diana McFail. “NextFifty Initiative seeks to fund efforts that bring fresh ideas and new approaches to the forefront. We currently focus our grant-making on nonprofit and governmental entities, but within the next few years we intend to expand our relationships into the private sector.”
“The Senior Planet community space model has been tried, tested and proven out in a few places,” said Hanover. “We’re investing in the potential to translate this movement throughout Colorado, and help transform the lives of older adults and their communities.”