Connecting senior citizens to Facebook

The Laura Deniele Senior Activities Center will host multigenerational classes planned by Marco Mendoza.
Photo by: Tiera Allen, College Times

An ASU class devoted to connecting senior citizens with their friends and loved ones by teaching them to use Facebook was the subject of a recent College Times article.

After speaking with senior citizens who had lost contact with family and friends at The Laura Danieli Senior Activities Center, ASU student Marco Mendoza felt compelled to help. “I wanted to do something long term, to help a large group of individuals and to incorporate students,” he says.

Mendoza’s solution was to teach them to use Facebook to combat the sense of isolation they felt. Together with professor Mikulas Pstross, they created a semester-long project that would be a collaboration between the seniors, students and ASU staff.

“If this project allows The Laura Danieli Senior Activities Center to become an area where seniors and students can interact, I think we can offer a great service to the senior population that is in this area. I think it can be wonderful,” Pstross says.

Mendoza says the group is looking for volunteers to keep the project running after this semester is over as well as donations. The group is fundraising for computers, tables, chairs and other items to make the seniors feel comfortable and ready to learn.

 

Article source:
College Times

Article:
http://www.ecollegetimes.com/student-life/asu-students-staff-connect-seniors-to-facebook-1.2820242