Southington SeniorNet Learning Center

The Southington Senior Center opened a Learning Center in 2000 in a newly built addition to Calendar House. Its first function was to offer computer education to older adults through a new affiliation with the international organization, SeniorNet.

For Southington, it all started in 1999 when Calendar House Executive Director Bob Verderame had a notion that the community's seniors would spark to the idea of learning about computers. His staff and Board of Directors supported this thought and contacted SeniorNet.

Calendar House volunteer Frank Ciliberti was asked to establish the Learning Center. Ciliberti combined the expertise of his son, Mark, Neil Kucinkas, and a handful of others to start up the computer lab using some used, donated computers from Southern New England Telephone Company.

Local concerns, such as the Main Street Foundation of the Bristol Savings Bank and The Southern New England Telephone Company, made grants and donations to afford more equipment, course materials, and furniture. Sessions were held by the regional consultant of SeniorNet to train instructors and coaches and to guide in the formation of course offerings. A staff of some 30 volunteers was organized to handle the administration, training and technical functions of the Learning Center.

In February, 2000, the Southington Learning Center opened its doors to the first ten students with seniors teaching seniors the first course: "Introduction to Computers." By 2006, more than 1500 graduates of SeniorNet had experienced the computer magic offered in a wide variety of courses. In 2007, a new director, Peter Freeman, purchased new flat-panel monitors, a digital projector and screen, and some new computers programmed with the new Vista operating system.

Affiliation with SeniorNet afforded access to its licensed software, learning programs and its far-reaching worldwide website. Each year the Center expands its course offerings that extend over the four seasons of the year. In 2005 shorter courses were introduced for preliminary studies and workshops, along with three free new clubs for seniors that are ancillary to computer courses, including Genealogy, Finance and Computer clubs. In 2007 Director Peter Freeman, organized a Digital Camera Club. For the standard courses, students were charged a fee to join SeniorNet and a course fee for class materials. Free lab times were offered for the entire year, and volunteers were on hand to assist students.

SeniorNet grew out of a research project of the Markle Foundation in 1985. The Foundation wanted to determine if computers and telecommunications could enhance the lives of older adults. Membership dues, learning center fees, donations of individuals and sponsorship of companies and foundations, fund the non-profit organization, based in Santa Clara, CA. The mission of the California-based organization is to provide older adults education for and access to computer technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge. After more than 20 years in operation in the United States and other countries, there are hundreds of centers and thousands of graduates.