County staff reported that a Digital Navigator Coalition tech training, supported by an AARP Community Challenge grant and county device-repurposing efforts, served residents at ArtsQuest on Oct. 1 and distributed refurbished devices to people who needed them.

A county staff member said the training brought students and staff from the Bethlehem Area School District, AARP volunteers and other partners together to help participants with device setup, health apps, spreadsheets, social media and other practical tasks. The county’s repurposed-device program provided 10 laptops and 17 cell phones at the event; the staff member said the county has run five trainings this year and will hold one more before year-end at the Bangor Senior Center.

"We were able to sit and give them individual attention, whether they were having trouble with a health app or a spreadsheet or social media," the county staff member said. The staff member described a senior participant who needed help connecting a new laptop to home Wi-Fi so she could order groceries and pay bills online; staff and volunteers provided hands-on guidance and written steps for her to follow.

The trainings combine county devices, AARP grant support and school-district volunteers to address digital access and literacy for seniors and other residents. County staff said the program is ongoing and that the county will continue to repurpose devices for community use.