Senior High Tech Set For May 6 at Cheyenne Senior Center

Courtesy Kim Shumway

The Cheyenne Central Boys Soccer Team will offer Laramie County residents  free one-on-one tutoring on their cell phones and other mobile devices from noon-1 p.m. on May 6 at the Cheyenne Senior Center, located at 2101 Thomas Avenue.

The event, called Senior High Tech, is a collaboration between Cheyenne Central’s Boys Soccer Team,the Cheyenne Senior Center, and AARP Wyoming. The training is free and there is no requirement to be an AARP member or over age 50 in order to take part in the event. 

The program is free, but registration is encouraged by going to: https://events.aarp.org/event/dc7b86e1-8b3f-449d-8939-d3644ebe0ee6/summary

The Cheyenne Central High School Boys Soccer Team is coached by Dirk Dijkstal, who is also a section chief at the Wyoming Department of Health, where he formerly worked in the Department’s Aging Division. The Central Boys soccer team is 10-2 this year as it prepares for regional at state soccer tournaments. 

AARP Wyoming has been sponsoring Senior High Tech events since 2018 with the first series of Senior High Tech events happening thanks to a collaboration between AARP’s Goshen County Community Group, The Goshen County Senior Friendship Center, as well as students from Lingle-Fort Laramie High School’s student council and Future Business Leaders of America groups.

At each event, a group of students from the local high school provides one-on-one tutoring sessions to those age 50 and over in the community. During past Senior High Tech events, high school students have helped citizens with questions such as finding old emails, sending photos to loved ones, or adding apps to the phone. These are typically easy answers to offer and the library does have WIFi, allowing for work online.

AARP Wyoming supports the events as they help address issues with social isolation, both in-person at Senior High Tech events, as well as by helping those age 50 and over to better engage online. According to studies, social isolation has the same health impact as smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Senior centers, or service organizations interested in holding a Senior High Tech in your community can contact Avery Yak at: ayack@aarp.org.