On October 1, 2024, the International Day of Older Persons was celebrated under the theme “Ageing with Dignity: The Importance of Strengthening Care and Support Systems for Older Persons Worldwide.” In line with this theme, DigitalScouts aims to contribute to the well-being of older individuals by training people to support them in using digital tools. This initiative empowers seniors to take advantage of opportunities for health promotion and digital participation.
In today’s increasingly digitalized world, improving digital literacy is essential for participating in social life. By enhancing their digital skills through needs-based education and support services, more older adults can access digital services and technologies, helping them improve their quality of life and maintain their independence.
The project recognizes the need to bridge the “digital divide,” defined by Van Dijk (2008) as the gap between those who do and do not have access to new forms of information technology. DigitalScouts aims to address this gap by:
– Sharing best practices across Europe (see compendium)
– Developing an online course for digital scouts (ongoing)
– Providing a toolkit that offers guidance on utilizing the online platform, whether in a fully online or blended learning format (ongoing)
At DigitalScouts, we believe that learning is most effective when adapted to real-life contexts. We focus on promoting digital participation across various areas, such as cultural activities. In terms of health promotion, our goal is to equip trainers and supporters with a range of digital opportunities to enable them to find individually interesting tools for their learners such as national health service apps, setting pill reminders, and utilizing telehealth services. Additionally, they can pass on how to track fitness and activity levels, access exam results, and search for health information online.
For more information about DigitalScouts and its initiatives, visit our website.