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Philadelphia, PA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expanding HighSpeed Internet
Description: Older adults at Somerset Villas faced high internet costs and unreliable connections, limiting their ability to reach health information, communicate with family and handle essential online tasks. PCW installed long term free Wi-Fi across all floors, in apartments, common areas and outside seating areas. It also added 14 indoor access points, an outdoor unit and a rooftop antenna. The project initiated digital literacy events, cybersecurity sessions and one on one support visits that helped residents connect devices and build confidence. Some saved money by canceling paid service. One resident celebrated being able to stream familiar TV channels after PCW improved coverage near his unit.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Whitesburg, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expanding HighSpeed Internet
Description: Shaping Our Appalachian Region confronted limited broadband and skills that kept older adults from telehealth, secure online accounts and family connections. The team launched a mobile laptop lab with hands-on classes in AI, digital safety and basic computer skills, paired with in-home satellite internet for 23 older adults. A Digital Navigator provided one-on-one help, and participants completed digital literacy coursework with certifications. One resident said reliable access felt like having a doctor "in your living room," underscoring reduced barriers to care. The project created repeatable curricula and a scalable model for ongoing digital inclusion.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Los Angeles, CA
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Expanding HighSpeed Internet
Description: Recent wildfires showed that many older adults, including those aging with disabilities, could not reliably receive alerts or take part in emergency planning. World Institute on Disability responded with digital literacy and disaster preparedness workshops for older adults impacted by the fires, supported by an accessible, screen-reader-friendly toolkit for ongoing use. Older adult peer mentors helped guide participants and extend support beyond the sessions. One participant said they had never joined disaster planning because others made safety decisions for them, but the training helped them ask about alerts and communication options. Participants reported greater confidence using technology for alerts, telehealth and coordination, strengthening self-advocacy and readiness for future emergencies.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Tishomingo, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023
Project Category: Access to health care services
Description: The Southern Oklahoma Library System introduced a telehealth pod to reduce barriers for older adults who often travel hundreds of miles for routine care. The private space, equipped with computers, medical devices and adjustable seating, allows residents to access specialists without leaving town. Beyond health care, the pod supports legal and financial consultations, expanding its impact. One user with hearing difficulty reported a successful virtual visit thanks to the pod's bright lighting and large screen-an improvement over previous struggles with small devices. The project is paving the way for additional pods in rural libraries.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Allen, TX
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Micromobility enhancements/management
Description: To encourage older residents to become more active and use the local trail system, the City of Allen purchased six adult electric tricycles for the Allen Senior Recreation Center. Center members can check out the trikes to use when weather permits. The tricycles provide supplementary electric power to assist with peddling when needed, enabling users with varying mobility levels to ride them. To get the lending program started, City built a storage facility for the tricycles and offered a skills class for riders. Additionally, they provided helmets, orange safety flags and bike locks. Although motorized vehicles typically aren't typically allowed on Allen's nearby Cottonwood Creek Hike/Bike trail, the City has made an exception for the trikes.
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