HUD - NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING FOR SENIORS IN MEMPHIS TENNESSEE

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

  1. Teaching basic computer skills to senior citizens. Seniors already trained, and to be trained by MECCA, are providing volunteer training to other seniors at Plough Towers and St. Peter Manor. These basic computer skills will be expanded to include additional senior instructor training in the use of hardware, software, and network connectivity.
  2. Provide on-line services for seniors by seniors. Utilizing the MECCA World Wide Web (www) server, powered by a DEC Alpha with DEC UNIX, seniors interested in advanced computer training will be trained as on-line information providers. They will learn to publish using hypertext markup language (html), and they will learn to maintain a presence in the networked senior community of Memphis as well as on the Internet.
  3. Train Seniors to utilize the various modes of computer communication to interface with elements of K-12 education. This will include local and outside educational programming with K-12 teachers and students. Collaborative agreements have been made with several K-12 schools in Memphis, and educational projects are underway with components of the MECCA educational program at LeMoyne-Owen College. These model projects will be expanded for educational programming with HUD Assisted Multi-Family apartments in conjunction with the educational programs at these locations being offered by the Neighborhood Christian Center.
  4. Developing a seniors micro-enterprise. Seniors will be encouraged to participate in the Memphis business community to provide network information services for pay when appropriate. Seniors will be able to provide computer services based on available software, skills and connectivity (network, FAX).
  5. Encourage seniors to interface with young adults who are in job training and/or preparing for their GED exams. Individuals in training for their GED, such as those with the O.R.D.I.S. (One Room Drop In School) and those who are being tutored by the Neighborhood Christian Center, will be asked to communicate with the seniors via email and/or using www communication pages prepared on the MECCA server. Communication pages on the MECCA server will be subject oriented to stimulate areas of discussion.
  6. Work with The Delta Area Agency on Aging and SeniorLink. Both these groups are involved with providing a telephone information center for seniors to obtain needed service information available from both within and without our local community. MECCA and the seniors in training will work with both of these groups to convert current database information into hypertext markup language for world wide web availability. Current and future senior networked sites will function as testing grounds for this mode of information delivery.
  7. It is expected that current objectives may be fine tuned and new objectives added as these programs evolve. To be sustainable this program MUST ALWAYS REMAIN A WORK-IN-PROGRESS!!.