This project involves 240 young volunteers and reaches more than 500 locals. University of the Third Age Poland – University of Wroclow https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/ilona-zakowicz-digital-inclusion-older-people Ilona Zakowicz is an education expert that has been working and advocating for the elderly for over 10 years. She is a teacher, a trainer, an author, a member of national and international project and research teams, and a researcher and social affairs manager at the Opieka i Troska Foundation – coordinator of a Local Activity Centre and a Senior Citizens' Club. Shas has been leading a discussion group at the Third Age University of the University of Wrocław for about 10 years. During her tenure, Ilona has used her knowledge and expertise to engage the members of the discussion group in thoughtful conversation, prompting them to think critically and creatively. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the group was forced to move their meetings online in March 2020. The members of the group had previously learned how to use remote communication tools, so the transition to online meetings went smoothly. Even senior citizens having competences in the digital area, Ilona Zakowicz notes that not all have the same level of digital competence, and those with less digital literacy have been more affected by social isolation during the pandemic. Ilona Zakowicz argues that digital education should be a priority for institutions serving older people, especially in the face of the pandemic and the isolation it has caused. Due to this, at the Senior Citizens' Club at the Opieka i Troska Foundation she started to provide over-the-phone consultations on the use of Skype for those who wanted to join the online classes that she has been organising since the COVID-19 pandemic. As digital education has become increasingly important during the pandemic, it is especially vital for institutions that serve older people to provide training on the use of remote communication tools. By providing older people with access to the right technology and training them on how to use it, institutions such as the Third Age University of the University of Wrocław and the Opieka i Troska Foundation can help ease older people’s transition into digital communication.
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