Senior Academy spreads wings

Walter Wijnhoven

The SeniorenAcademie has been helping seniors to use their computer, tablet or smartphone for more than 25 years. Even those who have already taken the first steps on the digital highway can expand that knowledge. The SeniorenAcademie is now also inviting everyone who is not (yet) a member of HCC. Do you also want to keep up with this digital age or just make your digital life a lot more fun? Join HCC’s Senior Academy and meet other HCC members who share your interest in digital life.

UPGRADE
“We mainly focus on active people over 50 who fully participate in the digital world and want to be informed about new developments,” says Dick Elzinga, the brand new chairman of the SeniorenAcademie. “Those developments are happening at lightning speed. Banking, completing taxes, renewing your driver’s license, it’s all done online these days. It is especially important for such subjects that seniors remain self-reliant and independent. We help with this in an accessible way. But also think of the social. Nowadays it is so easy to quickly keep in touch with your children and grandchildren via, for example, FaceTime or Skype. You just have to know how it works and we like to give people that one push. It really enriches your life.” After ten years as treasurer, the chairmanship is a new challenge for Dick. “In my new role, it is mainly my job to maintain the many contacts and I really enjoy that.” Dick also literally plays a role in the informative and just launched promotional video that was made about the activities of the SeniorenAcademie. “And after an upgrade, our website has been made more accessible for people who are not HCC members and for whom all terminology is new,” says Dick with satisfaction.

(ONLINE) MEETINGS
The SeniorenAcademie organizes monthly meetings at many locations throughout the country. There is always a location nearby. Dick: “Fortunately, we can meet again more often physically and safely. But we also meet online where we exchange knowledge and learn more about new useful programs and apps. In May and June, the meetings are dominated by video calling via Skype and Google Photos, in July cookies are on the menu.” Online meetings about video calling via Skype are still available on 26 and 27 May from 9.30-10.30 am. Online meetings about Google Photos are scheduled for June 1 (7:30 PM-8:30 PM) and June 23 (1:30 PM-2:30 PM).

WALK-IN DIGITAL HELP
In collaboration with libraries and ICT training courses, HCC organizes ‘Digital Aid Walk-in’ in a large number of places in the country. The Senior Academy is also present. Here volunteers and ICT students are ready to help with digital questions and problems, regardless of the monthly themes. From July 1th, as it looks now, there will be more space for these physical meetings. Admission is free for HCC members and non-members can walk in for free to get acquainted. In June you can already visit the location of the Zadkine Center in Rotterdam Katendrecht, a learning project organized by IT students. This is possible on every Wednesday in June from 9.30 am to 12 noon. You can also encounter the SeniorenAcademie at many senior fairs across the country and of course as a participant in a large number of events organized from HCC.

TELEPHONE HELPDESK
Physical or digital: members of the SeniorenAcademie are never in need of help. The website www.hcc.nl/sr is always available. Here you can ask your personal digital questions 24/7 via the online HCC! Via the Telephone Helpdesk it is possible to approach HCC volunteers by telephone, during the day and in the evenings, with your computer questions. And in the Knowledge Base you can search for yourself whether your problem has been discussed before, including the corresponding solution, of course. In addition to the Knowledge Base, there is a ‘video library’ with instructional videos, such as about digital shopping, contactless payment, making a digital photo album or how to renew your driving license online. Last but not least, the Kort Nieuws newsletter is published every two weeks.

HCC SENIORS HELP SENIORS
Dick: “As seniors, we usually have other equipment (such as a PC) at home in addition to our mobile devices, which sometimes malfunction. You don’t want to carry around with such a device, you would prefer to have it repaired at home. For this purpose, there are HCC volunteers who come to their homes on request. They present themselves on our website with their specialism under the heading ‘Seniors help Seniors’. If you know a lot about IT and want to help fellow members at home, you can let us know on the website. You also build new contacts, make friends and get to know your fellow members within the Senior Academy. New volunteers are always very welcome!”

QUESTION OF THE DAY
The renewed website also presents a ‘Question of the Day’, with a different question (and the answer!) from the HCC! For example, a questioner recently asked: ‘I switched from an old iPhone to Android. How can I transfer my e-mail address, and preferably also my existing e-mail messages, from iOS to my new smartphone?’ Other questions include: how does sleep mode work in Windows 10, how do I back up my email, how does video calling work, how can I upgrade Excel to the latest version, and: Help, my outgoing email isn’t working! The answers can be found on the website!

COMPULINKS
Not everything is digital, because the free quarterly magazine CompuLinks is still ‘just’ sent home. This has been happening since the first edition in 1995, when it was still a black and white stencil under the name ‘CompuLeren’. The magazine is full of interesting facts. Examples from recent issues include how to best guard against the tricks of digital scammers. After all, a warned person counts for two. But there is also attention for the innovations of Android 11 and for useful tips to create order in your photo collection. And: how do you last longer with the battery of your smartphone? Readers will also learn everything about navigation from the past to the present, with of course the most popular apps for in the car, on the bike, during a walk and in public transport. CompuLinks is one of the components of the membership of HCC!seniorenacademie. Request a sample copy via penningmeester@ seniorenacademie.hcc.nl;

VOLUNTEERS
About 150 volunteers organize meetings at dozens of locations as coordinator, presenter or helper. As editors and correspondents, they ensure that the Compulinks magazine continues to exist and is published on time, they take care of the website and newsletters, maintain contacts with ICT students and external organizations, staff the source of information and perform all other incidental and structural tasks. New volunteers are always very welcome! You can sign up by sending an email to secretaris@seniorenacademie.hcc.nl