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 Oct. 5-9 will include Make Energy Cents and All Things Zoom.

In addition to classes in English, two classes during Oct. 5-9 will be delivered in Spanish. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the spring and summer program quarters, more than 7,000 participants joined 234 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This fall, classes will cover how to use and host on Zoom, online basics, popular social media sites, lowering one’s utility bill, financial security and civic engagement.

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 Oct. 5-9 will include:

• Make Energy Cents: Tuesday, Oct. 6, 3-4 p.m. Lecture will introduce the new County website on energy: https://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.
• Hello Montgomery County!: Thursday, Oct 8, 2-3 p.m. Join fellow Montgomery County residents for an hour of socializing.
• Job Searching in the Digital Age: Thursday, Oct. 8, 4-5 p.m. Interested in getting back into the workforce? Curious about the new “gig” economy? This lecture will provide an overview of how to use social media in a job search, demonstrate digital job searching tools like LinkedIn and offer advice to job seekers. Learn about new opportunities for freelance work and how to supplement income in innovative ways.
• Startup!: Friday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m.– noon. Lecture will give an overview of some important digital tools to help get an online business up and running. Learn about e-commerce sites, how social media can help promote a business, how to use video chat platforms for services and how to get paid using digital payment services.
• All Things Zoom: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2-3 p.m. Lecture will go over how to use Zoom to chat with friends and family, and take virtual classes with Senior Planet! Learn about useful Zoom features on an iOS, Android or Windows devices and important security considerations.

Clases en Español:

• YouTube: Lunes, 5 de octubre. 11 a.m.- noon. Puede ser que usted asocie Youtube con videos graciosos de gatos pero es mucho más que eso. Cada día personas alrededor del mundo ven más de 1 billón en horas de videos, incluyendo películas clásicas, cómo hacer videos, clips de noticias y más. Esta presentación le dará un resumen de todo el contenido gratis disponible en YouTube y le enseñará cómo navegar el sitio con facilidad. Usted también obtendrá consejos para ver y compartir videos de otras personas y aprender a descargar su propio video.
• Tech Talk: YouTube: Miércoles, 7 de octubre. 11 a.m.- noon. ¿Tienes curiosidad por saber más sobre YouTube? ¿Quiere practicar sus habilidades de búsqueda y perfeccionar cómo encontrar lo que está buscando? ¡Únase a este programa para responder todas sus preguntas acerca de YouTube!

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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