GENERATIONS ON LINE

AT GENERATIONS ON LINE, 2024 WAS A YEAR OF EXPANSION, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT. WE CONTINUED TO EMPOWER INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH DIGITAL LITERACY TRAINING, COVERING EVERYTHING FROM MASTERING TABLETS AND SMARTPHONES TO JOB SEARCHING, READING THE NEWS ONLINE, REGISTERING FOR VACCINATIONS, AND CONDUCTING TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENTS. BUT THIS YEAR, WE TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER. CHAMPIONING INTERNET SAFETY IN FEBRUARY, WE LAUNCHED A HANDS-ON INTERNET SAFETY TRAINING INITIATIVE IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAFER INTERNET DAY. THIS CAMPAIGN HELPED OLDER ADULTS RECOGNIZE ONLINE SCAMS, PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION, AND ADOPT CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES. THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE REQUESTS FOR TRAINING POURED IN FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY-EVEN AS FAR AS HAWAII, WHERE WE SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED A REMOTE SESSION. EXPLORING AI'S ROLE FOR OLDER ADULTS MID-YEAR, WE TURNED OUR ATTENTION TO THE POTENTIAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO ASSIST OLDER ADULTS. AI PRESENTS TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES, FROM ACTING AS A PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO OFFERING NONJUDGMENTAL CONVERSATION. HOWEVER, WE ALSO RECOGNIZED THE RISKS-INCLUDING TROUBLING CASES WHERE AI INTERACTIONS LED TO NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES FOR VULNERABLE USERS. TO ENSURE WE APPROACH THIS RESPONSIBLY, WE SOUGHT GUIDANCE FROM ETHICISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND LEGAL EXPERTS FROM MORGAN LEWIS LLP. OUR COMMITMENT TO THOUGHTFUL AND ETHICAL INNOVATION WAS RECOGNIZED WITH A SIGNIFICANT GRANT FROM THE SARAH RALSTON FOUNDATION, SUPPORTING OUR CONTINUED WORK IN THIS SPACE THROUGHOUT 2024 AND INTO 2025. SIP & SWIPE CAFS: EXPANDING DIGITAL INCLUSION GENERATIONS ON LINE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT SIP & SWIPE CAFS, PROVIDING MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS FOR HOST ORGANIZATIONS. THESE NEWSLETTERS INCLUDE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS AND SCAM ALERTS TO HELP OLDER ADULTS STAY INFORMED AND PROTECTED. IN WISCONSIN, OUR PRESENCE CONTINUES TO GROW ORGANICALLY, WITH FOUR NEW SITES OPENING IN 2024-A TESTAMENT TO THE LONGSTANDING SUPPORT FROM BADER PHILANTHROPIES OVER THE PAST DECADE. ADDITIONALLY, TEN NEW ORGANIZATIONS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN HOSTING SIP & SWIPE CAFS, FURTHER EXPANDING ACCESS TO DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAMS. IN RECOGNITION OF OUR TRANSPARENCY AND IMPACT, GENERATIONS ON LINE EARNED THE GOLD TRANSPARENCY LEVEL FROM CANDID (GUIDESTAR) IN 2024. STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS WE ADDED CARODOL TYLER, SENIOR DIRECTOR AT THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON AGING FOR THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, TO OUR BOARD OF ADVISORS. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYOR'S COMMISSION ON AGING CONTINUES TO BE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING LOW-INCOME OLDER ADULTS AND RETURNING CITIZENS FIND EMPLOYMENT. WE ALSO REMAINED ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN KEY COLLABORATIONS, INCLUDING: THE DIGITAL EQUITY HEALTH TASKFORCE; DIGITAL LITERACY ALLIANCE; NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSION ALLIANCE; AND ON THE BOARD OF THE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE AT THE TECHNOLOGY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE, WE LED A HIGHLY PRAISED PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE RESPONSIBLE USE OF AI, FURTHERING THE CONVERSATION ON ETHICAL DIGITAL INCLUSION. ADVANCING DIGITAL EQUITY IN A MAJOR STEP TOWARD DIGITAL EQUITY, WE SUBMITTED PROPOSALS TO THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION FOR FUNDING TO SUPPORT SKILLS TRAINING AND ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVES. WE WERE ESPECIALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF THE PHILADELPHIA OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY'S SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL, SECURING FIRST-ROUND FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE ACT. THIS FIVE-YEAR INITIATIVE AIMS TO ENSURE THAT ALL PHILADELPHIANS-REGARDLESS OF AGE-CAN CONFIDENTLY AND SAFELY ACCESS ONLINE SERVICES. GENERATIONS ON LINE WILL SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON CLOSING THE DIGITAL GAP FOR THE 25% OF OLDER PHILADELPHIANS WHO CURRENTLY LACK DIGITAL SKILLS. ALTHOUGH BASED IN PHILADELPHIA, PA, OUR WORK REACHES ACROSS THE U.S. AND ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES. IN 2024, WE INTRODUCED THOUSANDS MORE PEOPLE TO THE INTERNET AND ONLINE TOOLS, PROVIDING SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE TO MORE THAN 300,000 PEOPLE NATIONWIDE. BUT OUR GREATEST REWARD? THE COUNTLESS MESSAGES OF GRATITUDE FROM THE PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES WE'VE HELPED IMPROVE.