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City of Reno (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Digital Connections
└ Digital navigation skills
└ Digital navigation skills
Older adults in Reno faced isolation and barriers to vital information because they lacked digital skills, compounded by transportation and language challenges. The city launched Senior Tech Connect classes in English and Spanish, teaching smartphone basics and advanced features like emergency contacts and medical IDs. Nearly 200 participants gained confidence, supported by bilingual volunteers and take-home materials. The program reduced isolation and boosted independence, prompting plans for expanded sessions. One participant said, "Before attending, my phone felt intimidating... now it's a tool I can enjoy," showing how digital literacy transformed daily life.
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.
Denver, CO
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: This project will offer free digital navigation classes for residents, particularly those age 50 and older. The initiative will increase access to technology and hands-on training, helping residents and improve their digital skills.
Trenton, NC
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: In rural Jones County, many older adults lacked internet access and digital skills, leaving them unable to schedule telemedicine visits or connect with family. To close this gap, the project created a digital literacy curriculum and hosted seven community events, including workshops and a graduation. Forty-five participants received laptops and personalized support through house calls. One couple, both dialysis patients, learned to book virtual appointments and now use video calls to stay in touch with loved ones. Plans to align with a national digital training program will expand training and establish a hub for advanced classes.
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Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Walk Audits
Description: Uneven sidewalks, unsafe intersections and disrepair in Reno's dining districts made walking difficult, especially for older adults. The organization led walk audits in three districts, gathering firsthand observations and community feedback, even during snowy conditions, to capture real-world challenges. Data from these audits will guide future design and connectivity improvements and strengthen advocacy for upgrades. One participant who attended a pre-walk meeting said that she was encouraged to learn, engage and provide feedback, and she then rallied others to complete the route.
Reno, NV
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Park enhancements
Description: Paradise Park became unsafe and underused after the pandemic, leaving nearby older adults without a welcoming space for exercise and social connection. The project built full-size bocce ball and shuffleboard courts, added benches and stools in the community garden and hosted a grand opening to showcase improvements. These upgrades revitalized the park, drawing older residents back for outdoor games and gardening. Attendees expressed excitement about forming bocce teams and using the shuffleboard court, signaling renewed community activity and plans for future programs.
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