Bridging generations at Plymouth Harbor through technology

As anyone who has ever   explained new technology to an aging parent understands, it takes patience. That was the problem Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay was facing with residents needing assistance with personal technology.
Compare that to the speed at which a teenager can navigate a smartphone.

Through the Teens and Elders Achieve More, or eTEAM, volunteer program, students from local high schools give up part of their Saturdays to guide Plymouth Harbor residents through any technology. 

Each Saturday, the students arrive to help residents with everything from tablets to cellphones and personal computers.
Students as young as 14 are sometimes partnered with residents as old as 101.

“I think it’s rather humbling for both of them,” said Becky Pazkowski, senior vice president of philanthropy at Plymouth Harbor.

Pazkowski started the program three years ago as a way to meet the need of residents struggling with technology and also to promote volunteering among local teens.
 

In three years, 17 students have volunteered more than 600 hours  to help 160 residents. Through the program, students are able to earn community service hours while also helping residents with their technological needs. In some cases, the program has evolved into a two-way learning experience.

Sometimes the solution is as simple as making sure the technology is properly plugged in, while other dilemmas require a keen pair of eyes to read the fine print on instructions to operate a watch.

“Our residents are so smart, and they figure things out,” Pazkowski said. “They’ve done that all their lives with problem solving and critical thinking. So to have something sitting in front of you that you don’t understand can be frustrating, and they’re motivated to learn it.”

Through the eTEAM volunteer program, students have access to residents who have had a variety of careers with varying levels of expertise. Residents become mentors and have an opportunity to engage students in conversation.
Resident Charles Gehrie has called Plymouth Harbor home since 2012. He was a mechanical engineer and inventor. Everyday products like a rotary combination lock on a briefcase and a tube of Revlon lipstick have been credited to Gehrie.

“eTEAM gives them access to a group of people here who have been wildly successful in their careers. Many times students say that they choose a field of study based on a conversation they had with someone here.” -Becky Pazkowski 

Gehrie was one of first clients for the eTEAM program in 2013. He has difficulty with his vision and purchased an iPhone to use Siri technology to help him communicate.

In 2013, Riverview High School alumnus David Yaegers began volunteering his Saturdays with residents. Already considering a career in engineering, Yaegers found particular interest in spending time with Gehrie.

“Talking with this gentleman gave me a connection to a real person that engineered very important mechanisms used by almost every adult in our society,” Yaegers said. “I was honored to get to spend time with him, hear about his inventions, and then be able to help him with his technology needs.”

Gehrie showed Yaegers some of his patents on display in his residence and shared his experience in the field. Yeagers, who has since graduated from high school, is now studying aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Florida.

“When I talk to these youngsters who are enthusiastic anyway, I told them about some of the experiences I’ve had and they loved hearing about it,” Gehrie said.