Seoul City, 100 Members of 'Eodina Support Group' Active to Bridge Digital Divide for Seniors... 10,000 Free Trainings

Senior Instructors Begin Activities for Digital Vulnerable Elderly Education 'Eodinajiwondan' from the 1st
100 Instructors Selected with a 3-to-1 Competition Rate Completed

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Digital Foundation announced on the 31st that it has selected 100 instructors to participate in the Seoul digital gap reduction education program "Eodinajiwondan," which employs a senior-to-senior (노노, Nono) care approach where elderly individuals teach other elderly individuals.

The instructors, all seniors with experience in fields such as education and IT, were selected through a competition with a ratio of 3 to 1. They include a 74-year-old senior instructor who worked as a vocational training teacher for over 25 years, as well as instructors with 20 to 30 years of teaching experience or those who have worked in IT-related companies, representing a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds.

Starting April 1, the instructors will be deployed on-site to provide free digital literacy education to approximately 10,000 seniors. This year, the number of trainees will increase beyond last year's total of 8,323, and the program will expand to all 25 autonomous districts (up from 24 last year), offering more seniors the opportunity to learn.

The curriculum includes basic smartphone usage such as setting up Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, sending text messages, KakaoTalk usage like editing profiles and sending photos in chat rooms, and how to download and verify vaccination apps.

Education will take place at 52 locations including welfare centers and libraries throughout Seoul. While previously education was provided at pre-designated venues such as welfare centers and libraries, starting in April, seniors who apply directly through the "Eodina Call Center" will receive education at separate locations.

On the morning of the same day, the Seoul Digital Foundation held the "2022 Eodinajiwondan Kickoff Day" at Seoul City Hall to mark the start of this year's program. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and 100 members of Eodinajiwondan attended both online and offline. Chairman Kang Yo-sik stated, “The one-on-one customized education provided by Eodinajiwondan is highly meaningful in resolving the practical digital life difficulties faced by seniors,” and added, “We will actively support making Seoul a digitally inclusive city where all seniors can easily and conveniently use digital services.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.