New Porto4Ageing Reference Site project dedicated to Empowering adult Citizens for a Digital world

Absence of digital skills in a senior population facing an increasingly technological society is synonymous of social isolation, segregation in access to information and services, including health services, loss of autonomy and an increased sense of inadaptability.

ICTskills4All project, a Strategic Partnerships for adult education financed by the European Commission through ERASMUS Plus programme, aims to improve confidence, digital skills and online safety of the senior population who have minimal or no engagement with digital technology.

ICTskills4All wants to develop an ICT Learning Programme through the creation of a dedicated website with information, training tools and resources for older adults, and to provide access to face-to-face help and support, through an intergenerational and peer-to-peer approach. In order to contribute to potential longer-term benefits, the draw up of recommendations for transferability of ICTskills4All results will also be a goal of the project. ICTskills4All will allow the improving of digital skills in older adults, as a way of improving their quality of life through an active lifestyle and freedom of choice and decisions.

ICTskills4All expects to contribute to increasing digital skills of older adults across Europe, through a free access to educational material developed during project activities, and through the access to in-person support and help materials. Online and in-person support materials, and recommendations for transferability of ICTskills4All results will be kept as an open access resource to be widely used, which contribute to potential longer-term benefits.

This Project is led by the University of Porto (www.up.pt) (Portugal), and the partners are: Telecentre Europe (www.telecentre-europe.org) (Belgium), Cybermoor Services (http://www.cybermoor.org) (United Kingdom), HIPOKAMP (www.seniorzy-hipokamp.pl) (Poland), and Alliance Senior Active Riga (www.biedribarasa.lv) (Latvia).

ICTskills4All – Empowering old adult citizens for a digital world Kick-off Meeting – the project’s partners met at University of Porto in October 2018 to start the project’s activities.