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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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Wells, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: In rural Nevada, many older adults struggled with isolation and limited digital access, leaving them cut off from family and health care providers. To bridge this divide, the foundation installed laptops and tablets at centers in Wells and Carlin. It recruited local high school students to teach older residents how to use email, video calls and the internet safely. The sessions drew growing interest, with many reporting newfound confidence and eagerness to keep learning. The project not only built digital skills but also lasting connections between generations and within the community. One participant, after learning to use video chat for the first time, tearfully said she was "so happy" to finally see her granddaughter again.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Bell County, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: In rural Kentucky, older adults lacked internet access, leaving them unable to apply for benefits or use telehealth. The mission installed high-speed internet at the center, and added computers, tablets and printers. It also launched Seniors4Seniors classes where high school students taught digital skills. Weekly workshops covered email setup and benefit access. The participants now use tablets to accept electronic payments at farmers markets, boosting income and food access. "I was able to sell my organic produce at the Farmers Market this summer because of the...tablet I was able to borrow and the digital literacy training I received," said one participant.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Jersey City, NJ
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: The Jersey City Housing Authority aimed to use technology to reduce social isolation and improve community connections at one of its age-restricted public housing complexes. The Authority a created a computer lab onsite, outfitting the space with desktop computers and a printer. To help residents use the technology, they Authority worked with partners to host one-on-one and small group digital literacy training in Spanish and English. Topics included computer and internet basics, email and digital art and design. Additionally, the Authority installed voice-activated smart home devices in individual apartments. Since introducing the new technology, the Authority has also worked to ensure residents have access to reliable broadband internet service.
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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