Our Story
Participant Feedback
100%
saw an increase in implementing Smartphone vocabulary terms
100%
were able to identify and understand the important Status Bar icons
100%
increased
confidence in safety & security while using their Smartphone
100%
Found the Senior Guides offered calm peer-to-peer guidance
Access to services, benefits and discounts is migrating to mobile apps at an increasingly rapid pace — and leaving older adults behind. Lack of Mobile Digital Literacy (MDL) among older adults has risen to a crisis level, resulting in social isolation, limited access to essential services, and reduced quality of life.
Recognizing this, EngAging Seniors was born in September 2021 by our Founder and CEO, Chief of Enthusiasm and Optimism, Nicole Christ. Since childhood, Nicole has been passionate about making peoples' lives better…especially those of older adults.
For more than two years, Nicole conducted extensive focus groups and in-person pilot courses with seniors and adult educators to design and improve the core OWL Everyday Technology curriculum and protocols for measuring program impact. Concurrently, she developed the screening and training program for the Senior Guides who assist participants during each class session. The first “official” Everyday Technology class was held in January 2024. Since then, EngAging Seniors has graduated over 83 Senior Adults, and 20% of them have become Senior Guides themselves! And, because technology is constantly evolving, EngAging Seniors continues to develop supplemental programs to address advances in smartphone applications, such as, the use of QR codes, detecting and protecting against scams, privacy protections, and adapting seniors' Smartphones for easier use, specifically, physical limitations .
Senior-specific technology education is key to achieving our mission. All EngAging Seniors' materials and modules are designed specifically to meet the learning styles and preferences of older adults, including individual and small group classes taught by Nicole and supported by senior adult peer class “guides,” printed copies of instructional materials, accommodations for vision, hearing, and/or dexterity difficulties, and customization to specific brands/models of smartphone. Participants get hands-on practice with their own phones by applying easy-to-understand concepts taught by their peers in a safe, judgement-free setting.
We are grateful for our partnerships with the Junior League of Cincinnati for donating classroom space at their Columbia Center, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library for making classroom space available at local branches around the Greater Cincinnati Area, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for their financial support which helps fund the production of our training materials, One Source Center for Nonprofit Excellence for their consulting, coaching, and training expertise, and of course, our Senior Guides and other Volunteers who help us execute our mission everyday.
Our flagship program, OWL Everyday Technology, is often the gateway for our students to engage with our other experiential offerings. Our broad range of intimate, engaging experiences creates opportunities for Senior adults on the move to form and solidify relationships with like-minded peers while they laugh, learn, and grow.