Volunteer Digital Skills Coaches for Older Adults

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to utilize technology became an essential skill for staying socially connected, accessing telehealth and obtaining resources. However, many older adults lacked the skills, equipment, or access to engage online. To help improve social connectivity and digital equity for older adults, WSU King County Extension, at the request of the Aging and Disability Services (ADS) Division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD), conducted a small pilot in the summer of 2020 to explore providing one-to-one intergenerational digital skills coaching to older adults. Coordinated by a King County Extension volunteer 4-H leader, and implemented by a few handpicked teenaged volunteers, the limited pilot showed some promise.

In spring 2021, HSD-ADS contracted with the WSU Metropolitan Center to expand the pilot and explore its viability as an ongoing sustainable volunteer program. Over the next year, the Metro Center streamlined operations and increased the potential for long term growth in part by initiating a partnership with, Cyber Seniors International, making it possible for virtually any organization to administer the program within their existing staff capacity.

To further support local program administration and a smooth transition from the Metro Center to another organization, we developed a series of tools, including local administrator and local volunteer handbooks (Appendix 1 and 2 of the project report) and an online workspace, website, and social media pages which could be easily transferred to another entity.

• Martha Aitken,  Assistant Director and Project Director
• Maggie Anderson Fasy, Project Manager
• Christina Vitellaro, Project Coordinator
• Barbara Schreibe, Project Coordinator