An intergenerational project in Renfrewshire which equips older people with digital skills and youngsters with more confidence has received a new award.
The Roar-Do-Digital Project won the tackling age discrimination award at the 2023 Generations Working Together Conference.
The innovative initiative sees high school children deliver basic digital skills and internet safety on both tablets and Chromebooks to older adults across the area.
The young people also benefit from the life experiences shared by the people they are supporting.
Hailed for its ability to bring people of all ages together, the programme was commended for tackling the digital divide and ability to enhance social inclusion.
It has to date been made possible thanks to a partnership between older people’s charity Roar – Connections for Life and St Benedict’s, Paisley Grammar and Linwood high schools.
Cassie Forbes, chief executive of the Roar charity, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised with this award for our Roar-Do-Digital Project, which highlights our work around addressing digital and social exclusion with older adults and breaking down barriers between the younger and older generation.
“By adapting an intergenerational approach, it benefits both sides: the older adults learn basic digital skills and confidence and learn about the new trends and the challenges of growing up in 2023.
“The younger generation learn about effective ways of communicating with the older generation, patience, empathy and gain a better understanding of life through the older adult’s own life and work experience.”
Alan Taylor, head teacher at St Benedict’s High School in Linwood, said: “At the heart of everything we do in St Benedict’s is giving back to others.
“The young people involved are a credit to our school. They thoroughly enjoyed their experience helping older members of the community.”
The project runs one morning a week, in six-week blocks and alternates between different high schools in Renfrewshire. It was developed following a pilot at Johnstone’s Station Seven community hub.
It saw six S3 students matched with an older adult based on shared interests and followed a specific theme each week. The participants were then given the opportunity to work on their personal learning requests with the support of their pupil
volunteer.
The pilot translated into a digital cafe at Paisley Grammar School in which a group of 20 students from the wider achievement leadership course supported ten older adults wishing to develop their digital knowledge.
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