Senior Planet Montgomery, a technology training program designed for County learners 60 and older, is offering free online classes that focus on how to thrive at home. Classes, which are offered live via video conference, enhance a wide variety of life skills. Classes July 27-31 will focus on Food Delivery Apps, Cloud Storage and the Montgomery County Volunteer Center.

In addition to classes in English, two classes during July 27-31 will be delivered in Spanish. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the Spring quarter, more than 4,700 participants joined 124 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. In July, classes will cover Computer and Internet Basics, Shopping and Entertainment Online, Financial Tools and Saving Money Online and Zoom.

The program is supported by the County’s Department of Technology Services’ ultraMontgomery program in partnership with nonprofit OATS (Older Adults Technology Services). The County’s Department of Recreation and Montgomery County Public Libraries also are partners in helping provide the classes at no charge to participants.

Sessions concentrate on user-friendly tools and resources and are designed to enable older adults to learn to utilize technologies to improve their daily lives. Senior Planet Montgomery utilizes curricula created by OATS, which also provides training staff and works with numerous County departments to identify topics of interest for Montgomery residents. OATS sponsors similar Senior Planet programming in six states. The County’s Department of Environmental Protection contributes to the program’s course offerings by producing sessions on how to lower energy costs.

Classes change on a weekly basis. A home internet connection and a device (such as a smartphone, tablet or computer) are all that is required to participate.

Classes to be offered July 27-31 will include:

• Food Delivery Apps: Monday, July 27, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lecture provides an overview of the most popular food delivery apps, such as Seamless. Learn about the pros and cons, how to search for new restaurants and how to leave a tip and rating.
• Cloud Storage: Wednesday, July 29, 10-11 a.m.  Learn the basics of cloud storage — a technology that allows the storage of documents, images and other media files remotely while providing greater accessibility, reliability and protection for important data.
• How to Initiate a Zoom Meeting: Wednesday, July 29, 4-5 p.m. Learn the features of having and using a Zoom account: how to create an account, create a meeting, share meeting details and invite participants and adjust meeting settings.
• Finding Your Best Volunteer Fit During COVID and Beyond: Thursday, July 30, 4-5 p.m. Learn how to navigate the Montgomery County Volunteer Center's website and how to utilize the 50-plus Volunteer Network to find volunteer opportunities.
• Make Energy Cents: Friday, July 31, 11 a.m.-noon. This lecture will introduce the new County website on energy, which is www.MontgomeryEnergyConnection.org. It brings together trusted information and helpful solutions for managing and lowering energy usage and costs. Learn how to use the site for finding energy-saving programs, exploring energy-efficient technology and getting help understanding a utility bill.

Clases en Español:

• Redes sociales (Intro to Social Media): Lunes, 27 de Julio. 11 a.m.-noon. Las redes sociales nos facilitan el proceso de compartir contenido y hacer conexiones con otras personas por el internet. En esta presentación, tendrá una introducción general a las redes sociales y aprenderá sobre las redes sociales más populares como Facebook, Twitter y LinkedIn.
• Todo Sobre Facebook (All Things Facebook): Miércoles, 29 de Julio. 11 a.m.-noon. ¿Tienes curiosidad por saber cómo funciona Facebook pero te preocupa tu privacidad? ¿Interesado en cómo establecer un perfil o cómo crear una página? ¡Únase a este programa para que todas sus preguntas sobre Facebook sean respondidas!

For more information about Senior Planet Montgomery and to view its virtual program offerings, visit https://seniorplanet.org/Montgomery. The team can be contacted at 240-753-0676 or via email at [email protected].

To sign up for the Senior Planet Montgomery newsletter, which includes detailed information about upcoming classes, go to https://seniorplanet.org/get-involved/newsletters/.

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