The Mountain Arts Community Center is offering free smartphone workshops specifically for seniors. The first session is directed toward iPhone users and is scheduled for Wednesdays, Sept. 6 and 13. The second session, intended for Android users, is set for Mondays, Sept. 11 and 18.
For either session, participants can choose to take the class from 10-11 a.m. or 1-2 p.m.
MACC Executive Director Barb Storm said the idea to offer the classes grew out of an impromptu conversation with some of the participants from the community center’s Silver Sneakers class, a fitness program designed for senior adults. The seniors told Storm they’d recently discovered – and loved using – Bitmoji, an app that allows a person to make an avatar of themselves, and it occurred to Storm that a smartphone class focused on basic operation as well as useful apps might be beneficial to other seniors.
Roz Veltenaar, a senior and Signal Mountain resident who has previously taught similar classes elsewhere, agreed to teach the class free of charge.
“She just likes helping people of her age bracket,” Storm said. “She’ll teach everything from turning [a smartphone] on and finding the controls, to pulling up email or Facebook and how to use lots of apps.”
When developing a strategic plan for the MACC four years ago, Storm said senior citizens were one of the groups identified as underserved by the community center’s programming.
“Every semester we try to add a few more classes directed toward a range of ages or specifically for older adults,” she said.
Other new classes starting Sept. 11 that seniors may enjoy include “Adults Piano Together,” a group piano class; sculpture for adults; and self-defense for adults and teens ages 14-plus.
The MACC is at 809 Kentucky Ave. Stop by the office or call 886-1959 to register, or visit the MACC’s website at signalmacc.org.