Digital Connecting Corps

Digital Connecting Corps
Digital Connecting Corps (DCC) is a program that provides digital support for senior citizens living in Washtenaw County. The DCC is a collaboration between Eastern Michigan University, University of Michigan and Milan, Ypsilanti, and Chelsea Senior Centers seeking to provide an intergenerational and sustainable digital support program for seniors living in the county. 

Among seniors living in Washtenaw County, a combination of increased social isolation and lack of digital access and digital literacy has been exacerbated by COVID-19. Currently, there is no county-wide infrastructure or nonprofit focused on digital connection and literacy for seniors, yet, as noted by local senior center directors, digital access, understanding, and the connection is critical to the health and wellness of seniors who live in Washtenaw County. 

We are currently in the beginning steps of the pilot phase and seeking students to conduct a community-based survey to 40-60 seniors living in Washtenaw County via Google Voice phone calls. The survey will allow us to understand the scope of the county’s seniors’ digital and technological needs. The survey is designed to identify if seniors have working devices, whether they have access to a device, what type of videoconferencing, email, and other communications applications they have access to, their perceived comfort in using this technology, and other technological goals they hope to attain.