Riolu Detroit

Program notes

The class schedule, curriculum, and what to expect as a volunteer.

The program

We teach at St. Patrick Senior Center in Detroit. Classes have at least two volunteers: one presents, and another is available for individual help. Participants practice on their own phones, tablets, and computers.

An eight-week program has four meetings, held every other week. Each meeting is approximately four hours, with instruction adapted to the group's pace.

Volunteering

The commitment

  • Patience and a willingness to explain the same thing more than once.
  • Comfort with basic smartphone and tablet tasks.
  • About four to five hours every other week, for at least eight weeks.
  • Clear explanations without technical jargon.

Teaching experience and a second language are helpful, but not required.

Getting started

New volunteers begin by observing sessions, then work with participants individually before leading a class.

Volunteering inquiries

Before and between classes

Preparation includes reviewing the next lesson, setting up 15 minutes before class, and keeping notes on what to revisit. The team coordinates in GroupMe and meets monthly.

The eight-week curriculum

  1. Meeting 1

    Device basics

    Power, charging, volume, touch gestures, and accessibility settings. The physical device comes before the apps.

  2. Meeting 2

    Communication

    Calls, texting, contacts, video chats, and sharing photos with family and friends.

  3. Meeting 3

    Healthcare access

    Patient portals, telehealth, appointments, and pharmacy apps, using the services participants already have.

  4. Meeting 4

    Safety and review

    Safer passwords, suspicious calls and messages, and basic troubleshooting, with time to return to earlier questions.

The approach

Volunteers describe a step or point out a control, leaving the actual tapping to the person learning it. Going back, closing a screen, and undoing an action are part of the lesson.

People take printed notes home and practice the same tasks again at the next meeting. We use the questions that come back to decide what to revisit.

Privacy

Participants enter their own passwords and verification codes. Account details, medical information, and identifiable personal stories stay out of volunteer notes.

Product feedback

Some recurring difficulties came from the apps themselves. We reproduced those problems and reported them to app makers. Participation was optional, and reports excluded private account details.

How we documented and reported problems

Further reading