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Centro Ines (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Digital Connections
└ Digital navigation skills
└ Digital navigation skills
Older adults in Puerto Rico often struggle with digital illiteracy, leaving them disconnected from family and vital services. Centro Ines tackled this by offering small-group courses on tablets and smartphones. Common apps for entertainment, staying connected with friends and navigation were taught, as well as skills for managing medical appointments and voting online. Volunteers provided hands-on support to build confidence. Graduates now use technology to stay in touch with loved ones, access health resources and prepare for emergencies like hurricanes. One participant noted how helpful this course has been for himself and other residents.
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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Honolulu, HI
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: As SNAP benefits dropped and food prices soared, many older adults in Honolulu struggled to afford groceries. They also faced barriers volunteering at The Pantry's eCommerce food distribution program due to limited digital skills. The project trained more than 375 older adults on basic computer navigation, teaching account setup and ordering across laptops and tablets. This enabled volunteers to assist others and order food themselves, impacting nearly 2,000 older adults. One participant now orders for her assisted living facility, saying the training helped her meet cultural preferences and support neighbors.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Madison, MN
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: The Madison Mercantile launched a Digital Literacy Lab to close a critical gap for older residents in a rural county where most services are online. Without digital skills, many struggled to access health care, counseling and even family connections. The lab now offers computers, teleconference equipment and a wheelchair-accessible desk, with staff and volunteers guiding users. A soundproof room enables private telemedicine visits, and partnerships with tech support groups ensure devices work properly. By replacing a discontinued mobile computer program, the lab provides lasting digital access and strengthens community ties.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Evanston, IL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: For many older adults, limited access to technology can cut off communication with family, online services and civic life. Without training or a reliable device, everyday tasks like video calls or accessing information can feel out of reach. Levy Senior Center responded by offering a series of hands-on workshops focused on practical skills, from email and video calls to online safety and using tablets for daily life. The sessions created a supportive space where participants could learn at their own pace and ask questions without pressure. Older adults who attended multiple sessions received a tablet, allowing them to keep practicing at home. One participant said the device felt like a long-awaited gift and finally made it possible to connect with a grandchild. The program also brought new faces into the center, sparking social connections and demand for continued tech learning.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
San Juan, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Public space improvements to support recovery after extreme weather events
Description: After repeated hurricanes, a San Juan community lacked a safe, equipped space for emergencies. The project transformed an abandoned center into a resiliency hub with a generator, water tank, freezer, cots and kitchen supplies. Volunteers helped purchase equipment and plan workshops on disaster preparedness and emotional resilience. "With this center, older adults will have water, food and shelter when crises hit," said a community leader. The hub will serve 500 residents and provide ongoing training to strengthen self-sufficiency.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
San Juan, PR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Entrepreneurship and improved economic resilience
Description: The Sila M. Calderon Foundation hosted 16 workshops with local entrepreneurs with the goal of strengthening small businesses, fostering job creation and increasing wages. The Foundation also offered technical assistance, hosted community outreach events and provided other resources. Thirty-five older adults completed the program and participating entrepreneurs received 119 hours of training from experts. Working with historically marginalized and underserved communities, the Foundation's mission is to achieve a more just and productive society in Puerto Rico by combatting poverty and inequality. Since 2018, the Foundation has helped create and support more than 650 small businesses and more than 1,000 new jobs.
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