Free Online Classes For Montgomery County Seniors: April 27-30

GERMANTOWN, MD — Montgomery County seniors can take free online classes to learn how to better navigate life at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Senior Planet Montgomery, the county's technology training program for residents 60 and older, typically offers lectures, hands-on workshops, and multi-week courses at libraries and senior centers. But during this public health crisis, Senior Planet Montgomery is moving all its programming online.

Many of the online sessions will focus on online user-friendly tools and resources for seniors.

"More Montgomery County seniors are online than ever before," said Montgomery County Chief Information Officer Gail M. Roper. "The Senior Planet Montgomery programs provide a means for them to get more out of their internet availability, and we hope, more out of life overall. We have programs that are geared specifically to support the way seniors learn best — which makes so many things easier to understand."

Classes change on a weekly basis. April 27-30, participants will learn how to initiate a Zoom video conferencing call, contact lawmakers online, and signing up for home internet service.

Courses are also offered in Spanish.

Programmable and Smart Thermostats

• When: Tuesday, April 27, 3-4 p.m.
• Description: Learn about the benefits of installing a programmable or smart thermostat as well as incentives like rebates through the Empower Maryland program. Additionally, learn how smart thermostats can be integrated into a smart home and controlled through apps and smart home hubs like Alexa and Google Home.

Instagram Basics

• When: Thursday, April 29, 11 a.m.-noon.
• Description: Learn about this visually-oriented social media platform. Lecture offers an overview of Instagram's more popular features and why it is one of the most used social media platforms.

Hello Montgomery County

• When: Thursday, April 29, 2-3 p.m.
• Description: Join fellow MoCo residents for an hour of socializing.

Facebook

• When: Thursday, April 29, 4-5 p.m.
• Description: Lecture offers an overview of Facebook's evolution, its most popular features, and tips for getting started.

Click here to learn more about Senior Planet Montgomery and its virtual program offerings. You can also call and email the group at 240-753-0676 and mocoinfo@seniorplanet.org.