EarthLink,
AARP Pennsylvania and the School District of Philadelphia
Partner for the Pennsylvania Launch of GenerationLink
[April 21, 2004]
PHILADELPHIA,
Apr 21, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- In
collaboration with AARP Pennsylvania, four high schools
in Philadelphia will launch an innovative program spearheaded
by EarthLink (ELNK) , one of the nation's leading Internet
service providers (ISP), to bring together seniors,
net-savvy teenagers and the Internet.
The program, GenerationLink, is a national
classroom-based initiative that enlists high school
students to teach seniors how to use the Internet. Developed
and launched by EarthLink in 2002, GenerationLink seeks
to foster intergenerational understanding by using the
Internet to forge a connection between teens and seniors.
"What better way to bring people
together than through the Internet," said Dan Greenfield,
vice president of corporate communications for EarthLink.
"GenerationLink gives us the opportunity to create
a dialogue between teens and seniors in a way that enriches
the lives of both generations."
"Computers can provide an important
way for seniors to communicate with family and friends.
The Internet can be a lifeline connecting individuals
to new resources and information, encouraging them to
be engaged, grow and meet their ever-changing needs
and interests. The Internet also can provide a critical
linkage that reduces isolation and allows more people
to remain independent and lead satisfying lives,"
said Shane J. Creamer, president of AARP Pennsylvania.
The EarthLink project is being implemented
through the School District of Philadelphia. GenerationLink
will bring 40 local seniors (10 at each high school),
aged 60 and above, to sit side by side with high school
students at South Philadelphia High School, University
City High School, George Washington High School and
Julia R. Masterman High School. The students will teach
the seniors how to send email, surf the Web and download
attachments.
The one-hour class will run for six
weeks, with the high school students serving as Internet
mentors and teachers for the seniors. Senior citizen
participants will come from Wilson Park Older Adult
Center, Martin Luther King Older Adult Center and other
local senior centers. In addition, EarthLink will award
a scholarship to the student from each high school who
best captures the essence of the intergenerational experience
in an essay contest following the six-week program.
Teachers at each of the high schools selected the participating
students and will lead the class. GenerationLink sessions
begin today at South Philadelphia and University City
high schools, and next Wednesday at Masterman and George
Washington.
"As a school district, we realize
that our mission is not only to educate the future leaders
of our community, but also to prepare better citizens
for Philadelphia," said Patricia Renzulli, chief
information officer for the District. "Collaborations
such as this between EarthLink, AARP Pennsylvania and
the District are a win-win situation. The students learn
about the importance of taking an active role in the
community, and our community seniors benefit from the
care and technical expertise of our students. There
is no doubt that this is how you build character among
our youth, and we applaud EarthLink for their partnership."
To date, EarthLink has launched GenerationLink
programs in Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas. As testimony
to the program's success, participating seniors continue
to use email to stay in touch with faraway children
and grandchildren, while others are using the Internet
to explore information and hobbies, such as reading
a hometown newspaper.
The program was created in part to address
a study published in February 2002 by the U.S. Department
of Commerce that found that teenagers are the most prolific
Internet users, while seniors over age 55 show a sharp
drop in Internet use.
Greenfield noted that plans are underway
for launching GenerationLink programs in additional
cities. "We've seen so much enthusiasm for this
program in Atlanta, Orlando and Dallas. The seniors
are eager to go online and use email, and the students
are proud of their role as teacher and mentor - ultimately
we'd like to bring this program to schools and senior
centers across the country," Greenfield said.
About EarthLink
"EarthLink revolves around you(TM)."
Celebrating ten years as a leading national Internet
service provider (ISP), Atlanta-based EarthLink has
earned an award-winning reputation for outstanding customer
service and its suite of online products and services.
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Internet
Service Provider Residential Customer Satisfaction Study(SM),
EarthLink is ranked highest in customer satisfaction
among high-speed Internet Service Providers. Serving
more than five million subscribers, EarthLink offers
what every user should expect from their Internet experience:
high- quality connectivity, minimal drop-offs and ISP-generated
intrusions, and customizable features. Whether it's
dial-up, high-speed, Web hosting, or wireless Internet
service, EarthLink provides the tools that best let
individuals use and enjoy the Internet on their own
terms. Learn more about EarthLink by calling (800) EARTHLINK
or visiting EarthLink's Web site at www.earthlink.net
.
About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership
organization dedicated to making life better for people
50 and over. AARP provides information and resources;
engages in legislative, regulatory and legal advocacy;
assists members in serving their communities; and offers
a wide range of unique benefits, special products, and
services for our members. These include AARP The Magazine,
published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper;
AARP Segunda Juventud, our quarterly newspaper in Spanish;
NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for
50+ educators; and our Web site, www.aarp.org . We have
staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
SOURCE EarthLink
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