A group of students from St. Mary’s Anglican Girls School in Karrinyup, Western Australia, have undertaken an initiative to educate retirement village residents on how to use technology, encompassing topics from text messaging to using digital navigation.

Participation in the program was alongside residents from Moline Retirement Village and Lady McCusker Retirement Village, with many praising the students for their maturity and enthusiasm when teaching their older mentees.

Allied Health Services Health Care enrichment manager Emily Lees said the connect program had increased social connections with family, other residents, and the wider community.

“Using technology is second nature for the St. Mary’s students, but for many of our residents and clients, it is a whole new world that can be very intimidating,” said Ms Lees.

“This wonderful program with St. Mary’s not only closes the digital divide, but offers such wonderful opportunities for older and younger people to learn from one another and to see the world from a new perspective.”