(Published on Facebook, May 2018)
FRIENDS,
VERY cool stuff happening that’s been taking up a ton of my time, but that I’ve been unable to talk about until now...
FIRST - GREAT NEWS!
Comcast® reached out to Teeniors this spring and asked to partner with us in teaching digital literacy / online safety to seniors! Amazing win! 40+ workshops in ABQ and Santa Fe this year alone. All FREE to older adults! All PAID, meaningful jobs for teens and young adults! (Meaningful because, not only do our coaches build their resumes and learn unique life skills, they also develop amazing self confidence through this work and broaden their view of the world and different generations. There's also an enormous impact on the older adults we've worked with. The effects on both generations have been astounding.)
SECOND:
Through this grant, we’re partnering on our first Teeniors™ pilot program outside the state! After the ABQ press conference in May, we headed to Tucson where seven (7) new ‘teeniors’ helped almost 70 elders at our first workshop in Arizona’s largest YMCA. This test run will be small but impactful over the next year! And the new rookies LOVED the work, just like our ABQ team. Why? Because they immediately go from being completely underestimated (like many seniors) to the most valued people in the room. They're respected for their knowledge and appreciated for their help. (We also heard nothing but enormous gratitude from the adults in the room!)
THIRD:
Every attendee at our workshops received a FREE LAPTOP!! 💻 Oprah style. AND we'll be raffling off more free laptops at upcoming events.
FOURTH:
Through this grant, we are also creating our first partnership with SANTA FE senior centers! We will host a free workshop there every month starting June 28th, and as such, are looking for new Teenior applicants from the Santa Fe area immediately. Our first public workshop there will take place at Mary Esther Gonzales senior center on June 28th. See our homepage for details!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Comcast will now extend their “Internet Essentials” program ($9.95/month internet; no contract) to low income seniors in NM and AZ who attend the workshops! YES! (PLUS the wonderful folks at Adelante Development Center, Inc. will be helping seniors with classes in Las Cruces!)
It also needs to be said that Comcast was open to EVERY idea I've had throughout this process, and I'm so grateful for that. This tiny drop in the bucket for them is gonna turn into a huge ocean!
Triple win for these cities. Our youth, our elders, our community. The new funding has already allowed us to employ several more teens; help way more seniors than we could have otherwise, and it brings an investment to NM that we didn't have before.
Originally posted this on my Facebook page and wanted to share with you as well. Good things happening!
Press:
ABQ Journal
KRQE News 13 video
Arizona Public Media (NPR)
FRIENDS,
VERY cool stuff happening that’s been taking up a ton of my time, but that I’ve been unable to talk about until now...
FIRST - GREAT NEWS!
Comcast® reached out to Teeniors this spring and asked to partner with us in teaching digital literacy / online safety to seniors! Amazing win! 40+ workshops in ABQ and Santa Fe this year alone. All FREE to older adults! All PAID, meaningful jobs for teens and young adults! (Meaningful because, not only do our coaches build their resumes and learn unique life skills, they also develop amazing self confidence through this work and broaden their view of the world and different generations. There's also an enormous impact on the older adults we've worked with. The effects on both generations have been astounding.)
SECOND:
Through this grant, we’re partnering on our first Teeniors™ pilot program outside the state! After the ABQ press conference in May, we headed to Tucson where seven (7) new ‘teeniors’ helped almost 70 elders at our first workshop in Arizona’s largest YMCA. This test run will be small but impactful over the next year! And the new rookies LOVED the work, just like our ABQ team. Why? Because they immediately go from being completely underestimated (like many seniors) to the most valued people in the room. They're respected for their knowledge and appreciated for their help. (We also heard nothing but enormous gratitude from the adults in the room!)
THIRD:
Every attendee at our workshops received a FREE LAPTOP!! 💻 Oprah style. AND we'll be raffling off more free laptops at upcoming events.
FOURTH:
Through this grant, we are also creating our first partnership with SANTA FE senior centers! We will host a free workshop there every month starting June 28th, and as such, are looking for new Teenior applicants from the Santa Fe area immediately. Our first public workshop there will take place at Mary Esther Gonzales senior center on June 28th. See our homepage for details!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST:
Comcast will now extend their “Internet Essentials” program ($9.95/month internet; no contract) to low income seniors in NM and AZ who attend the workshops! YES! (PLUS the wonderful folks at Adelante Development Center, Inc. will be helping seniors with classes in Las Cruces!)
It also needs to be said that Comcast was open to EVERY idea I've had throughout this process, and I'm so grateful for that. This tiny drop in the bucket for them is gonna turn into a huge ocean!
Triple win for these cities. Our youth, our elders, our community. The new funding has already allowed us to employ several more teens; help way more seniors than we could have otherwise, and it brings an investment to NM that we didn't have before.
Originally posted this on my Facebook page and wanted to share with you as well. Good things happening!
Press:
ABQ Journal
KRQE News 13 video
Arizona Public Media (NPR)