Onboarding & Meet Your Buddy
Every resident leaves with a working, accessible setup on their own device and a practice partner down the hall.
- Larger text, louder sound, simpler home screen
- Buddy pairs matched on day one
Free workshops · North York, Toronto
Stay close to the people you love.
Connected Seniors is a free four-week workshop series that helps older adults use their phones and tablets with confidence, spot scams, and keep learning together long after the last session.
Video calls with familySpotting scamsPhotos & messagesSafe browsingA buddy down the hallTech Coffee Hour
Why this matters
Why this matters
When a phone feels confusing, people miss the video call from their grandchild, drift out of community life, and become the first target for scams.
- 01
Missed connection
Family photos, group chats and video calls pass by when a device feels like a puzzle.
- 02
Quiet isolation
Sign-up sheets, appointments and community news have moved online. People without confidence get left out.
- 03
Scam risk
Older adults are the main targets of phishing texts and phone scams, and one bad call can cost savings and trust.
- 04
Skills that fade
Most classes teach a skill once and leave. Without practice and someone to ask, it is forgotten within weeks.
The support network is the product. The skills are how we build it.
Every resident leaves with three things: a working setup on their own device, a practice buddy down the hall, and a weekly Tech Coffee Hour run by residents themselves.
The program
Four weeks, one hour each
Expanding the Circle
Youth volunteers join. Buddy pairs set two or three personal goals and join a safe, residents-only chat group.
- Personal goals, like calling a grandchild
- A private group chat for the residence
Safe Surfing & Shared Defense
Pairs play a scam-spotting game and learn the Pause and Check routine, so residents become a shield for each other.
- Real-world scam examples from Canada
- Who to call when something feels wrong
The Digital Social & Handoff
Residents show off a new skill, receive certificates, and launch their own weekly Tech Coffee Hour, led by resident champions.
- Certificates and a small celebration
- Champions take over the weekly meetup
Tech Coffee Hour
The workshop ends. The learning doesn't. Residents meet weekly to help each other, with volunteers a message away.
How support works
Three layers around every resident
Inside a session
One hour, minute by minute
Sessions run 60 to 90 minutes depending on the venue. Every one follows the same shape, so residents always know what comes next.
Try a Week 3 activity
Scam or safe? Test your instincts.
Read each message and decide. Tap a button, or drag the card left for scam and right for safe. These are practice examples, not real messages.
Your score0 of 0
The Pause and Check routine
- Pause.Urgency is a warning sign. Real organizations give you time.
- Look.Who sent it? Is there a link, a fee, or a request for secrecy?
- Check.Ask your buddy, or call back on a number you already trust.
Get involved
There's a place for you here
Care homes & community centres
Host a free four-week program. We bring trained volunteers, lesson plans and large-print flyers. You provide a room and Wi-Fi.
Bring us to your residenceStudent volunteers
High school and university students teach one-on-one after a one-hour training. Earn community involvement hours while you do.
Become a volunteer
Families & residents
Want a program at your parent's residence or your own building? Tell us where, and we'll reach out to the staff for you.
Suggest a location4weekly sessions, then a resident-run Tech Coffee Hour
1:2volunteer-to-resident ratio for hands-on help
16residents at most per group, so nobody gets lost
$0cost to residents and host facilities
Where we work
Rooted in North York
We're a student-led team based in the heart of North York. We bring the program to you: seniors' residences, long-term care homes, libraries and community centres across the area.
- Sessions run on-site, so residents never have to travel.
- Tell us which languages your residents speak, and we will try to match volunteers.
- Outside North York? Ask anyway. We plan to grow across Toronto.
Reviews & stories
What people say
Our first reviews are on their way
Our first sessions are being scheduled now. When residents, families, volunteers and staff share feedback, their words will appear here exactly as written, and only with their written permission. We never write or edit reviews.
Does it cost anything?
No. The program is free for residents and for the facilities that host it.
Do residents need their own device?
Yes, we teach on the phone or tablet each resident already uses, so the skills carry over to daily life. If someone doesn't have one yet, talk to us and we'll help plan around it.
Will volunteers see passwords or bank details?
Never. Volunteers are trained to step back when a password is typed, and they never handle banking or financial accounts.
What happens after the four weeks?
Residents keep meeting at a weekly Tech Coffee Hour led by resident champions, with volunteers available when they need extra help.
Let's begin
Bring Connected Seniors to your community.
Four free sessions. One hour a week. A support network that keeps going after we leave.