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Teens Teaching Tech for Baltimore County Seniors

North Oaks Residents Learning to use Smartphones
Posted at 5:52 PM, Mar 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-10 17:52:17-05

Two Juniors from McDonough School are using a class project to teach seniors smartphone technology.

Jack Jankowski and Maddie Jenner spend time at North Oaks Senior Living Community about once a week, and are making a difference for residents.

Resident Bernie Raynor says he's now able to keep up with his grandchildren (and great grandchildren) thanks to lessons from the teens.

"Now I feel more secure being in the twenty first century!" Raynor said.

Raynor and others mostly learn smartphone apps like Facetime, Uber and Youtube. It's innate knowledge for the teens, but opening up brand new possibilities for the residents.

"'You can do that?!,' is a common reaction," Jankowski said.

The students say they are learning a lot about their own potential after their experiences volunteering.

"It's something that we take for granted, so it's easy for us to help," Jenner said. "They didn't grow up around these types of technologies."

Forty hours of community service is required of all students who attend McDonough.

Follow Brendan McNamara on Twitter @BrendanABC2

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