Jacksonville Jaguars, partners hold Senior Tech Training Camp to empower elders online

Jacksonville Jaguars, partners hold Senior Tech Training Camp to empower elders online (Courtesy of the Florida Times-Union) — Ninety Northeast Florida elders recently took a field trip to EverBank Stadium for their own training camp.

Hosted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, in partnership with AT&T, the YMCA and Florida State College at Jacksonville, the free Jaguars’ Senior Tech Training Camp provided seniors with basic technology and cybersecurity training. They also took part in breakout sessions on refilling prescriptions and telehealth appointments, transportation and rideshare apps, social media platforms and using online city services, among other topics.

Each participant also received an iPad to take home with them.

“The Jaguars’ Senior Tech Training Camp was a perfect example of community partners … coming together to ensure that our seniors are empowered to stay connected to each other and valuable community resources,” said Eric Mann, First Coast YMCA CEO and president. “It was incredibly well-received and we’re grateful for local organizations that share in our mission of serving the community.”

The seniors came from the First Coast YMCA’s Silver Sneakers program, the city of Jacksonville Senior Services Division and the Historic Eastside Community Development Corp.

The program was funded by the AT&T Foundation and an NFL Foundation Digital Divide grant, which is part of the league’s Inspire Change platform. It was the first instance of an NFL team using Digital Divide funds “to bridge the technology gap for senior citizens,” according to the Jaguars. Previously, the Jaguars and other NFL teams funded youth technology initiatives.

“As the world continues to rapidly evolve in the technology space, so often, our nation’s senior citizens struggle to stay ahead of the game,” said T’Neisha Tate, Jaguars vice president of social responsibility. With the NFL Foundation grant and support from the AT&T Foundation and First Coast YMCA, “the Jaguars opted to focus on this overlooked demographic to close the digital gap, providing access to technological tools and training for every day things that are taken for granted like making a telehealth appointment or keeping up with friends on social media.”

Speakers at the event included Mann; Mayor Donna Deegan; City Council Member Rahman Johnson; Kevin Craig, AT&T regional director/corporate external and legislative affairs; and representatives of the Jaguars.

For more information go to silversneakers.com/join-in/.

Photo courtesy of NFL’s Digital Divide