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OldSchool. A distance learning platform for 65+

· Education

A distance learning platform tailored for 65+ with different levels of digital skills. It aims to prevent the isolation of seniors and to provide tools for life-long learning.

Team: Burcu Demiray, Susanne Tönsmann, Patrick Joder, Ayse Öztürk, Egle Thomas

The inspiration for OldSchool comes from two intertwined factors: the education online tools that are used and developed at a rapid pace in light of the current pandemic are almost all targeting children and university students. Educational opportunities for adults and especially senior citizens, like senior universities and Volkshochschulen, have mostly come to a standstill. Secondly, the isolation that is induced by Covid-19 is particularly drastic for the elderly who have limited digital skills. 

OldSchool confronts these challenges by providing a single entry point for senior citizens to access educational content and to build up skills for the digital age. An ambassador program matches tech-savy seniors with seniors with fewer skills. Further, partnerships with companies and federal institutions are established to gain access to hardware for seniors.