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Memphis, TN

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026

Project Category: Digital navigation skills

Description: Digital Confidence Labs will offer hands‑on technology learning for adults age 50-plus. Participants will receive one‑on‑one help with smartphones, telehealth and online services to build confidence and independence.

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.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Houston, TX

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2023

Project Category: Digital navigation skills

Description: Older adults in Houston's low-income apartments lacked devices and digital skills, limiting access to telehealth and social engagement. UHD distributed 99 tablets and hosted seven training events where students taught the participants to navigate apps, protect against scams and use tools for health and communication. Residents now use tablets for essential tasks and social activities, reducing isolation and improving access to care. The program also fostered intergenerational connections and plans ongoing tutorials to sustain impact.

Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.

Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects

Wichita, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Access to high-speed internet

Description: Like many Americans living below the federal poverty level, many residents of Wichita had no easy way to access the internet. To solve this the City of Wichita launched the Wichita Hot Spot initiative. Older adults living in low-income areas can now check out a mobile connectivity device from a Neighborhood Resource Center and use it at home for up to two weeks. The hot spots -- small devices that provide a wireless internet connection -- are meant to be easy for older adults to activate, helping reduce social isolation and narrow the digital divide. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the hot spots continued to be popular, and the program's success led the City to request a Community Development Block Grant to purchase more devices.

Wichita, KS

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2017

Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places

Description: The Wichita Public Library and Bike Walk Wichita launched three historical walking tours, which can be accessed through a smartphone app. It's all about inspiring curiosity in people about their hometown. According to Jeff Flor of the Downtown Development Corporation, Wichita has a lot of stories to tell, from the drugstore sit-in during the Civil Rights movement to the now-gone Victory Arch honoring World War I soldiers. To promote the app, library staff and volunteers participated in an open streets festival while wearing t-shirts with the message Ask me how to travel time.

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