Get Online Week 2012
Success Story 1 from the Westwood Heights House
There was an elderly couple from India inquiring about Skype. We helped them open their own accounts and then instructed them on adding contacts, communicating using video, adding money to their accounts, and more. After practicing under the guidance of the instructor, the couple mastered this tool as they continued practicing by calling one another from different places (actually, the lab and the kitchen) using the iPads. As they left the class, they were beyond excited to apply their new skills to call their son in California and show off how tech-savvy they have become. Get Online! Week works! Communication via the Internet helped people to improve the way of communication!
Success Story 2 from the STAR Center (Central Park resident)
There was a young man asking about Twitter features. His skills were good enough to open his own account with the short tutorial that we created for the event. However, because his friends and family don’t use Twitter he was not sure if this social network would be useful to him. When we explained him how to follow celebrities, politician, sportsmen, etc., he immediately found his favorite soccer player and twitted him a short message for fun. He was so happy to be a part of the world with so small effort! Get Online! Week works! Communication via the Internet helped people to improve communication skills!
Success Story 3 from the STAR Center (community resident, former student of the computer classes open for public)
There is one woman from El Salvador who recently attended on the classes at the STAR (like Basic Computer, Basic Internet, Google, MS Word Class) who asked about Facebook. Her friends told her that the Facebook is not safe place to be. She has a son who uses Facebook, and she had concerns about it. With our PowerPoint presentation we explained to her how to control privacy and security of the Facebook account. After many doubts, questions, and various thoughts she decided to open a Facebook account. She was so happy to get her own Facebook page! But more important, now she understands better her son’s activities on Facebook and the parents can discuss with him the privacy and security issues. Get Online! Week works! Communication via the Internet helps parents to better communicate with their teenager children.