Project of the Month July 2003
The SeniorCityDanmark DDN-project is suffering from growing pains. Already at this point around 10 groups of senior citizens have teamed up to help each other find their ropes in the world of IT, and the dream is that one day the project will be covering nationwide.
By Naia Bang / Texthuset Aalborg
- Originally we hoped to get nine IT clusters up and running. But already now we have got around 10 clusters, which are either fully operational or in the initiating phase so we will have a lot more to go before the project is concluded by the end of the year.
Erik Normann, Educational Coordinator of the EUC Nord in Hjørring, is the practical project lead of SeniorCityDanmark. And he would love to see the project spreading all over the map of Denmark.
- The prerequisite for having an IT cluster is the presence of one or several fiery souls and a location equipped with personal computers with Internet access plus coffee machines – and palm trees. The palm tree thing should not be taken too literally, though. But the point is to allow the users to have a good time with each other, explains Erik Normann.
The idea behind the SeniorCityDanmark project is to offer citizens aged 55 plus a local meeting point where they can help and support each other, for example in accessing the Internet, setting up a letter in word processing or writing an e-mail. No experts or instructors as such should be present, but the project will procure the education of a number of fiery souls to be in charge of the daily operation of the local IT cluster and to make sure they get a basic knowledge of IT. Just as the rest of the users these key persons are senior citizens. Up till now the project has completed five courses for fiery souls.
- How do I carry on from here, now?
The nestor of Senior-IT Brønderslev, Ole Gammelgaard aged 81, is pondering over a minor IT-problem.
Photos: Ajs Nielsen
With a Portal of Its Own
Another vital element of the project is the Internet Portal http://www.senior-city.dk/. Here users can retrieve various types of information - for example on music, recipes etc. – and they are able to communicate with each other across IT clusters using a debating forum. The Web site is hosting an average of 3.000 visitors every month.
Here users can create their personal family Intranet.
- This is done by giving each user a personal password, which can be passed to friends and family that they want to allow access. Here they can write messages, upload photos and so on. Only those who know this special password, can access the user's mini-Web-site via our portal. Currently 23 ”Family Intranets” have been established with each family intranet having its own gated area with a personal password, reports Erik Normann. Family intranets are entirely the user's own world; nobody but the users themselves know with whom they are sharing this site and how many they are.
Finally all users are offered to take part in a course on a distance learning basis. The course, of which EUC Nord is in charge, gives a practical introduction to working with IT on an ordinary user level. And the course can be attended in a pace to optimally suit the individual learner. Normally the fiery souls have completed this course so they can help other users in the IT cluster with any questions or problems they might encounter.
IT Cluster with Growing Pain
Currently IT clusters are in the make from Hjørring and Sindal to the North to Støvring to the South – and one solitary cluster outside of the County of North Jutland, located in Brøndby of Copenhagen. Contact has been established to potential clusters at Djursland, and contact has been made to initiators on Samsø.
Brønderslev was the first location to have its own IT cluster. Here the municipality provided for facilities.
- Initially we were located at the library with PC's at our disposal every Friday morning. But the need for this was bigger so now have been allowed into the Young People's House with opening hours four mornings every week. We are starting already at 8.00 in the morning for we have only got eight PC's at our disposal, and if everyone is to have a go at them, we often need to make two groups over the morning. So the next class of users will arrive around ten in the morning to stay until closing time at twelve, explains Wagn Pedersen, one of the fiery souls in the Senior-IT of Brønderslev, as they named the local IT cluster.
He explains that two days are never alike with different people dropping by for a cup of coffee and a go at the PC's. The representation of genders is fairly equal, but there is a vast difference between the desires and needs of each individual user.
- So you hold the Shift key down for an initial upper case, explains Wagn Pedersen, fiery soul of the cluster ( center) to Annebirthe Andreasen, while Jens Saksager skillfully works a spreadsheet in the background.
Photos: Ajs Nielsen
From Nerds to Novices
- We have got users coming here who have got their own PC in their homes and some even open it and take it apart. Others would like to know things like how to replace the ink cartridge in their printer at home. And others again are coming in to get help writing a letter. Some of them have never put hands on a keyboard before, explains Wagn Pedersen.
When the IT cluster of Brønderslev was started, it involved 10 fiery souls, of which nine are still active. Since then another three joined them. And along with that the number of users has been steadily rising. So now the Senior-IT Brønderslev is considering to expand the opening hours to all five weekday mornings, from the end of the summer holidays.
The word spreads around of the IT active senior citizens in the Young People's House, and this is also owing to the massive support from the senior citizen organisations of the region. The DanAge Association of Brønderslev, Seniors assisting Seniors and the Agricultural Association of Seniors are sponsoring the local project along with the municipality of Brønderslev.
Social Community Based on IT
At the EUC Nord Erik Normann is pleased that the IT cluster of Brønderslev has become both a self governed entity and such a success.
- It proves the importance of providing some offers to the group of senior citizens who would normally be more or less prevented from making use of the information technology – simply because they don't dare to plunge into it on their own, states Erik Normann, adding:
- Information technology can bring people together who otherwise might not know each other. Here they can meet and share interests – for example genealogy and family history. And from the outset it has been our assumption that people would find each other, and across clusters, too. This is happening now, and it is a very rewarding experience. But if the IT clusters are to become really efficient, the projectet should be disseminated to the rest of the country.
When the project is closing by the end of the year, the intention is to let the IT clusters carry on as self governing groups. The EUC Nord will, however, continue to offer PC training courses based on distance learning. And E-supply, the IT company that created the Web-site, have promised to maintain it for at least another year.
Read more about the project on the Web-site www.senior-city.dk - or on www.thedigitalnorthdenmark.dk. Also visit Senior-IT Brønderslev at www.seniorit.nordjyskeklubber.dk
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