Senior Planet Montgomery Free Online Classes for Seniors April 18-22 will Include ‘Spotify’ and ‘Virtual Museum Tours’

For Immediate Release: Friday, April 15, 2022

Senior Planet Montgomery, a technology training program designed for County learners 50 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 for Seniors April 18-22 will include “Spotify” and “Virtual Museum Tours.”

In addition to classes in English, two classes will be taught in Spanish, and one class will be taught in Mandarin. A variety of exercise classes also will be offered.

During the fall and winter program quarters, more than 2,000 participants joined 201 virtual programs hosted by Senior Planet Montgomery. This spring, 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 week of April 18-22 will include:

• Spotify: Tuesday, April 19, 10:30-11:30 a.m. In this lecture, learn about Spotify’s important features, including how to search for songs and create playlists.
• Virtual Museum Tours: Thursday, April 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m. In this lecture explore some of these virtual galleries, as well as digital tools that help bring art, architecture, and history to life.
• Job Searching in the Digital Age: Thursday, April 21, 4-5 p.m. This lecture will provide an overview of how to use social media in a job search. Learn about new opportunities for freelance work and how to supplement an income in innovative ways.
• Stop Losing Money on Your Utility Bill: Friday, April 22, noon-1 p.m. During this presentation we will discuss the two main ways to keep money in your pocket. We will cover the difference between conservation and efficiency and the benefits of using less energy, plus some of the most efficient ways to do it.

Class in Mandarin:

• 雲端儲存空間  4/20, 12 - 1 p.m. 在這堂講座裡，您會學到雲端儲存空間的基礎摘要 ： 一款讓您以遠端方式存起檔案、圖片、和其他媒體的電腦科技，讓您以更方便、更可靠和更有保固性的方式收集您的重要資料。我們會一起討論雲端儲存空間是什麼、它為什麼是檔案收藏的未來趨勢、以及且示範一些近期給交費者最普遍的雲端儲存空間服務。

English Translation for Class in Mandarin:

• YouTube: Wednesday, April 20, noon -1 p.m. In this lecture, you will learn the basics of cloud storage — a technology that lets you store documents, images, and other media files remotely while giving you greater accessibility, reliability, and protection for your important data. We will discuss what it is, why it is the future of data storage, and demonstrate a few of the most popular services currently available to consumers.

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 mocoinfo@seniorplanet.org.

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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Release ID: 22-227
Media Contact: Neil H. Greenberger 240-205-1915
Categories: Senior