Minister Karina Gould Visits HIEC to Announce Further Funding for Intergenerational Mentorship Program

(September 11, 2020) – HIEC was pleased to host The Honourable Karina Gould (MP, Burlington), at their Burlington-based office today for an announcement of an extra $21,000 of funding for the organization’s Expanding Online Safety and Technological LIteracy for Seniors program.

This funding is in addition to the original project funding that was awarded to the organization by the Government of Canada earlier this year to provide connections between students and seniors for online security and Internet literacy training that would protect seniors from cyber crime. The additional funding recognizes that COVID-19 has required an increasing need for virtual communication and online activity, and that seniors require the skills and confidence to navigate the online world in order to maintain connections to their family and to the community.

The program will provide secondary and post-secondary technology students with a meaningful experiential learning opportunity, tasking them with the job of developing and delivering an education program that will equip seniors with vital online safety and technological literacy skills.

“We’re always excited to develop intergenerational mentorship opportunities that foster collaboration between students and seniors because everyone walks away from the experience with new skills and new perspectives,” said Michelle Murray, Director of Operations, HIEC. “This particular program comes at a time when both students and seniors are facing their own unique challenges, and by bringing the two together we’re hoping that they can create meaningful connections that benefit both generations.”

This project is a part of the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, and will fulfill the program’s objectives of:

• Supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors;
• Introducing measures to reduce crimes and harm against seniors;
• Helping seniors navigate access to government benefits online;
• Developing and delivering virtual programming for seniors; and
• Recruiting and training volunteers to support the social inclusion of seniors.

Watch the announcement here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3221560957963344&extid=f0mF1pvtvtBBrsEL

To learn more about HIEC’s Expanding Online Safety and Technological Literacy for Seniors, please visit www.hiec.on.ca