Roar do Digital

Overview

Roar Do Digital is an intergenerational project whereby High School Students in Renfrewshire deliver basic digital skills and internet safety on both tablets and Chromebooks to older adults across the Renfrewshire area and the older adults share their life and work experience with the students.

The overall goal of the project is to enhance digital inclusion in Renfrewshire and break down barriers and stereotypes between our different generations allowing the students to gain confidence in communicating and interacting with the older generation.

Other objectives include the development of meaningful relationships and understanding the challenges of being both younger and older people in 2023.

Older adults are being left behind and this was the easiest and simplest ways to bring the older ones to get them up to speed on digital. And the students learn a lot of things from the older people. It was the most efficient way for the service users to learn and it’s enjoyable.

Excellence Award Winners 2023

Roar do Digital won a Generations Working Together Excellence Award for the category - ‘Tackling age discrimination & stereotypes award’. Watch the video here.

Benefits for the Community

  • Opened up everyone’s eyes to how intergenerational work benefits both generations.
  • We now have an excellent working relationship with the school and more schools are approaching us to work with them locally.
  • Its students are now more confident in speaking to the older generation.
  • Helped Roar's profile and the school’s profile locally.
  • Got more people involved.
  • A lasting legacy has been left.

Benefits for the Younger People

Patience, skills and confidence.

‘I learnt that I’m not that bad at teaching people stuff also learnt how to play candy crush from my adult’

Benefits for the Older People

One to one learning. Very educational. Learned about students’ hobbies / more patient / understanding about applications.

'It was very educational and enjoyable as my student took me through every step getting me set up with music on my tablet. Thank you for all your help and patience’

Funding

Roar lost it’s funding during covid. Some digital reserves paid for the intergenerational project.

From the local community mental health and wellbeing fund.

Evaluation

Roar spoke and got feedback from the key stakeholders. Teacher, students and older people were surveyed.
One to one was better than group settings as it develops better relationships. Expand what we are doing – but capacity and funding limits this.

Local Priorities

Roar’s mission is to empower older adults.

Socially connected and physically active. Befriending combats social isolation and provides companionship for older adults. It expands their learning and increased their social connections.

So, the project was a perfect fit to contribute to Roar's main mission.

Scottish Government - National Performance Framework -  National Outcomes

This project cointributes to the following outcomes:

Children and Young People - We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential.

Communities - We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe.

Education - We are well educated, skilled and able to contribute to society.

Health - We are healthy and active.