Get Tech Savvy With Virtual Classes

Germaine St. John, 89, recalls “feeling pretty sorry for myself” in March 2020 as COVID-19 shutdowns took effect and isolation set in.

Then the Laramie resident heard about virtual Senior Planet technology classes offered by AARP. She downloaded Zoom, and for the next year and a half participated in sessions almost daily—making friends from around the world. She learned about online maps, taking and editing photos on her smartphone and staying safe online.

Senior Planet was a “silver lining” of the pandemic, St. John says. “I treasure that.”

AARP Wyoming will host more tech classes this summer through Senior Planet, the flagship program of Older Adults Technology Services from AARP. The nonprofit offers free virtual and in-person classes around the country on topics such as telemedicine, digital wallets and data privacy.

In sparsely populated, rural Wyoming, virtual classes are a particularly good way to help people stay connected.

“We’re only four staff and we’re in Cheyenne, so we can reach the entire state when we do something virtually,” says Jennifer Baier, AARP Wyoming’s outreach and local advocacy manager.

The classes move at a moderate pace so anyone can follow along whether or not they are tech savvy, says Senior Planet trainer Johnny Hernandez.

Upcoming classes will be held on Thursdays from noon until 1 p.m. Topics will include cloud storage (June 13), streaming and smart TVs (June 20), Google Maps (June 27) and smartphone photography (July 11). To see the full lineup and to register, go to aarp.org/wyevents.

AARP Wyoming also offers free fitness, cooking, art and other classes. View recorded sessions at aarp.org/wyondemand.

—David Lewellen