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Thursday: Free workshop to help seniors apply for reduced internet costs

Computer laptop typing internet working
Posted at 6:09 PM, Mar 21, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-22 09:51:37-04

PHOENIX — The City of Tempe is holding a free workshop on Thursday to help residents apply for free or reduced internet costs through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

“The Affordable Connectivity Program is a program through the federal government to assist low-income households with getting the internet and, in some cases, through this program, they could qualify for the Internet for free,” said Heather Hamilton, a Connect Tempe facilitator.

Thursday’s workshop will not only help people apply for ACP, Hamilton said but, “It's going to help them to be able to understand the lingo of internet service providers so that they feel empowered when they go into a business to sign up for [the] internet.”

The workshop is part of the City of Tempe’s Digital Skills Ready@50+ program, which is specifically designed for adults aged 50 years of age or older.

While Thursday’s workshop will specifically focus on applying for ACP, future courses will include ways for adults to protect their personal information online, connect to the internet, find information online, and in the future, how to navigate telehealth and telemedicine, according to Hamilton.

The goal of the program, Hamilton said, is to increase digital equity, so residents can feel more connected to the modern world. Classes are made possible through a grant from AARP, and a donation from Google to “address the digital equity issues that exist for low-income, older adults across the county,” Hamilton said.

Tempe’s Digital Skills Ready@50+ program officially launched in November 2022, and since then, over 200 Tempe residents have attended at least one of the classes, Hamilton said.

“They leave feeling empowered,” Hamilton said. “We've heard wonderful feedback from people saying they no longer have to ask their grandkids how to help them do things on their phone or their computer. They just leave feeling like they've made a connection with someone else that can offer technology support in an age-friendly, patient manner.”

To see if you qualify for ACP, click here.

Space is limited to 40 people for Thursday’s workshop, so RSVPing is necessary.

To sign up, call 602-920-3138 or email heather_hamilton@tempe.gov.

For a list of upcoming Digital Skills Ready@50+ workshops, click here.

IF YOU GO:

Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Location: Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road, Tempe, Arizona 85282