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Central Arkansas Library System Foundation (2023) Print
2023 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Digital Connections
└ Digital navigation skills
└ Digital navigation skills
Older adults in assisted living facilities often lacked access to technology and digital skills, leaving them isolated from essential resources and social connections. To address this, the library launched a mobile tech classroom with tablets and held five four-week courses covering email setup, online safety and library apps. The sessions drew 269 participants and eased fears about technology through hands-on instruction and personal support. Repeat attendance and requests for ongoing classes show growing confidence, and the library plans to expand the program across its service area.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Kissimmee, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Many older adults had difficulty accessing food, digital tools and emergency information, especially when transportation or stable housing was limited. These gaps increased isolation and made it harder to stay safe during hurricanes and other disruptions. The Black Empowerment & Community Council responded by converting a minivan into a mobile resource hub that delivered services directly into neighborhoods. Through outreach stops, staff provided meals and food supplies, computer literacy help, laptops and hurricane preparedness resources. Older adults also received one-on-one navigation to connect with housing, benefits and local services. One unhoused older adult shared that receiving meals and preparedness supplies on site increased their sense of safety during hurricane season. By bringing support to where people were, the project reduced access barriers and helped residents remain safer and more connected.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Wichita, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Group classes will teach computer basics, internet use, telehealth and online safety at community sites. Access to laptops and guided practice will help older adults use digital services more confidently and independently.
Tallulah, LA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Older adults in Tallulah faced barriers to technology access and digital skills, leaving them isolated and unable to manage online tasks. To address this, the organization renovated a former church into an accessible tech hub with ramps, lighting and restrooms, and launched Tech Savvy Seniors workshops. Participants received hands-on training for smartphones, tablets and laptops, plus ongoing drop-in support. The program reduced isolation and empowered independence, with one participant saying, "I never thought I would be able to pay my bills online, but this program has completely changed my life."
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Little Rock, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2018
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: When state transportation officials asked Arkansans why they don't bicycle more, the answer was clear: Because they did not feel safe. To address this, the City of Little Rock worked to educate drivers about road safety best practices. The City developed a two-hour training -- the Friendly Driver Certification Program -- modeled after a similar program in Fort Collins, Colorado. "Twenty years ago, we didn't have any bike lanes, pedestrian hybrid beacons or other new types of facilities to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe," program coordinator John Landosky told Little Rock Soiree. "That infrastructure is only useful if drivers know what to do around it." Since its launch, the class has educated more than 500 participants, with nearly six in ten saying it made them more confident in walking or biking. The City says the training also helped lay a foundation for its Complete Streets bike plan.
North Little Rock, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Bike Audits
Description: Older adults in North Little Rock often navigate streets that feel unsafe to walk or cross, yet their experiences were not reflected in local planning. Womens Own Worth addressed this gap by recruiting volunteers, including many age 50-plus, to complete structured, seated bike and walk audits along a key corridor. Participants documented issues such as unclear signage, poor surface quality and limited lighting, creating a clearer picture of conditions that affect mobility and safety. One retired volunteer said the audit helped her see and describe hazards she had long sensed, noting it gave her the ability to "really see what needs improvement...and to feel like my perspective matters." The findings are being compiled into a report that will inform future planning and funding proposals, helping ensure older adults have a stronger voice in shaping safer public spaces.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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