Australia has launched an innovative intergenerational program to enhance the elders’ digital literacy and skills by pairing them with youth mentors.
The program is called “Young Mentors.” It is a free online mentoring program created by the eSafety Commissioner to assist older Australians in going online and foster a stronger sense of community and connection via engagement with youth.
Under Young Mentors, community organizations or clubs would collaborate with secondary schools to plan weekly, one-hour mentoring sessions for six weeks. The demands of the older learners are the main emphasis of the sessions.
Mentoring can help older Australians feel more comfortable using technology, increasing their sense of independence, providing them access to more services and lessening their loneliness and isolation.
Through the program, young people have the chance to develop critical leadership, communication, and teaching skills while also making a significant social contribution.
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“The Young Mentors program helps bridge the digital divide by connecting two groups that were particularly impacted through the COVID-19 pandemic – older Australians and young people,” said Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
“By pairing older Australians with teenagers to build their digital skills and confidence, the program encourages genuine connection between generations while making the online world a safer place we can all enjoy,” Rowland added.
Young Mentors is the most recent service implemented under the Be Connected program, a government project that enables older Australians to use online resources.
The eSafety Commissioner, the Department of Social Services, and the Good Things Foundation Australia are working together to execute Be Connected.
“We know older Australians can be vulnerable online and the Be Connected program is one way that seeks to improve the digital literacy of older Australians and protect them in the digital space,” said Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth.
Rishworth added, “Young Mentors is a welcome addition to this work and I look forward to working closely with my colleague Communications Minister Michelle Rowland to protect Australians online.”
Source: The Hon Michelle Rowland MP
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
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