The tutoring will be carried out as part of a joint project run by the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL), Eshel-Joint, and the Education Ministry. The young tutors will receive for their efforts a scholarship from the Impact Fund.
"Using personal computers and surfing the web have important advantages for the older population," says Nava Gilad of ISOC-IL, "including strengthening ties with the younger generation, and bridging gaps between them and their environment." Gilad is an advisor to the organization on issues involved in reducing the digital gap.
ISOC-IL, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use of the Internet for research, communication and collaboration, is an International Chapter of the Internet Society, and serves as a forum for government, industry, and individuals.
Some 1,000 senior citizens have learned about the internet in the organization's Israeli Internet Information project, "thus significantly improving their standing in their families and with the younger generation," Gilad says.
Gilad believes that the elderly should be afforded the opportunity to purchase a computer, internet connections and internet courses at a low rate. "This will help those with cognitive and physical problems," she notes, adding that the general public must be made aware of the importance of computers in senior citizens' lives. ISOC-IL has created a help-kit package for the elderly that can easily be downloaded by those interested or their younger relatives.
The National Technological Committee finds that 64% of those over age 65 have no computer in their home, and that only 14% of them use their computer.