A ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ project centred upon digital skills mentoring in the community has been developed to help close intergenerational gaps among students and older people.
The ‘Deonach Digiteach’ or ‘Digital Volunteer’ initiative is an intergenerational empowerment project that centres upon the development of essential digital skills while fostering meaningful volunteering connections.
The project sees student volunteers engaging in hands-on learning and mentoring in the community, supporting older adults to navigate technology confidently. Through collaborative activities, the initiative promotes inclusion, reduces digital divides, and creates a supportive network where learning flows both ways, aligning to a range of higher education priorities such as lifelong learning.
Digiteach Deontach initially launched as a pilot project ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ – a collaboration between the Student Volunteering Office and AccessCampus UL, running with Vodafone’s Hi Digital Programme. A year into the pilot, more than 100 older people in the community have been reached, with student volunteers and Transition Year students supporting at weekly gatherings and drop-in cafés across both the academic year and the summer.
With the success of the pilot, the project is now ready to upscale. Funding from Rethink Ireland – a funder of non-profit organisations working on social and environmental issues in Ireland – was recently secured following a joint submission from UL, University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University, and Student Volunteer Ireland.
Linda Fitzgerald, Student Volunteering and President’s Volunteer Award Manager, has welcomed the news.
“The Student Volunteering Office is delighted to receive support from the Rethink Ireland fund in collaboration with the University of Galway, Atlantic Technological University, and Student Volunteer Ireland. This project strengthens community connections, promotes inclusion, and bridges digital divides, while bringing student volunteers and older people together to help close intergenerational gaps.â€