DENVER (KDVR) — On the University of Denver campus, there is no shortage of students – young and not so young.
Jay is 82 years old and along with dozens of other mentees, learning the ropes of technology from mentors who grew up with it.
“I want to know good tools … it’s got to be user-friendly.”
Generation Exchange is a nonprofit founded in Denver meant to pair up those who know technology, with those that know and have life experience.
“He’s given me a lot of good tools and a lot of good advice,” Jay said.
Matt Isola is the founder of the Generation Exchange and got the idea a few years back after helping one of his grandfather’s friends with his new iPad.
“I went over to his house one day, sat on his couch with him, and just gave him a basic how-to on how to use his iPad,” Isola said. “When I showed him Facetime, it was like the equivalent of me waving a magic wand in the room and making an elephant appear. He was laughing, crying.”
Isola continued, “I knew that moment changed his outlook on technology forever. It really impacted me, because I knew there were so many more people like Ted out in the world, and a whole generation of people like myself who’ve grown up with this technology and can pass on a lot of valuable information.”
The workshops are helping pairs from different generations connect, online and face-to-face.
“I get a lot of things out of this. The number one thing is access to a resource that is mostly lost from society and especially from younger people our age, which is the wisdom and perspective of the older generations.”
Isola is bridging a divide through conversation.
“It is an extraordinary resource to be able to tap into, to ask advice or just learn from,” Isola said.