From 5 November to 17 December, Digital Campus Toulouse is launching its Intergenerational Digital Encounters initiative in partnership with the City of Toulouse.
A simple idea: each week, a student becomes a teacher and guides a senior citizen through their discovery of the digital world. 25 new students aged 65 to 89 join us every Monday from 2pm to 4pm at Digital Campus.
They are paired with a Digital Campus Prep Master's student and find answers to their digital questions.
From building a website, to using social media and laying out a document, ideas flow freely between the two generations. One thing they all have in common: laughter and good spirits.
Who did you work with on this project? I worked with Huguette, aged 89 and a former chemist at the CNRS in Toulouse. You started working as a pair with a senior citizen — what was her first request? She doesn't like digital technology but realises she needs it more and more. She asked me to help her use her tablet. We started by writing a shopping list with a title and contents. We also touched on administrative documents. I hope to continue working with her on this.
How did those two hours go? It went well — I really enjoyed it because Huguette is a wonderful person. It was a real exercise for me. I had to adapt, speaking slowly and being clear in my explanations. What did this experience bring you? The word that comes to mind is patience. What seems obvious to us is not obvious to everyone. I was also saddened because, not knowing how to access information on her tablet, Huguette was unable to go and see the Machines show in Toulouse. That really touched me, but the programme continues and I would love for her to know how to use her tablet's functions by 17 December so she can get information whenever she wants.