November Digital Literacy Newsletter

As November rolls in and we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible work you do. Your dedication and commitment to empowering others with digital skills is making a significant impact in our community. Each session you lead, each question you answer, and each person you inspire contributes to a brighter future for those we serve. We know that your time is valuable, and we truly appreciate the countless hours you’ve devoted to helping others navigate the digital world. Your passion and expertise is what makes our program thrive!

Volunteers Needed:

I am looking digital volunteers new or old that would be able to cover the shifts listed below. Please reach out to me if you or someone you know might be interested in any of these positions.

Irondequoit Library:

  • Mondays 10am-1pm 

Seymour Library in Brockport:

  • Preferably a Monday shift but we can work out the best time for the volunteer and site

Upcoming Site Closures:

Monday November 11th – In Observation of Veteran’s Day

  • All Rochester Public Libraries
  • East Rochester Public Library
  • Webster Public Library
  • Penfield Public Library

Thursday November 28th – In Observation of Thanksgiving

  • All locations CLOSED

Friday November 29th – In Observation of Black Friday

  • East Rochester Public Library
  • Irondequoit Public Library
  • Webster Public Library

Digital Literacy Classes:

Thank you to all the digital volunteers who have helped make our classes/workshops a success. I have decided it would be best not to schedule any classes in December due to the holidays. I do plan on having more classes scheduled in the new year. To find the most recent workshops visit our Digital Literacy Workshop page on the Literacy Rochester website. From there you can pick a location, find the class/workshop, and register to attend.

Inservice:

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to join Digital Literacy Volunteers from Monroe, Wayne, Yates, Ontario, Onondaga, Madison, Oneida, and Herkimer Counties learn how to protect seniors from scams.

We will begin the training with a viewing of the one-hour presentation “Protecting Seniors from Scams: Why Webinars (Even This One) Are Not Enough” by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE). See an in-depth description of the presentation below.

This viewing will be immediately followed with a 30-minute discussion with Literacy Rochester’s Digital Literacy Coordinator Lisa Roe, and LiteracyCNY’s Digital Literacy Coordinator Lydia Torres.

Topic: Protecting Seniors from Scams- Inservice

Time: Dec 4, 2024 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86322946090?pwd=lssgY0f6pDARnt24dsUcSbiChLSwnB.1

Meeting ID: 863 2294 6090
Passcode: 570300

Description: Protecting Seniors from Scams: Why Webinars (Even This One) Are Not Enough:

As one of the most vexing problems of the century, we are witnessing the escalating speed, scale, and level of sophistication of online deception (spear phishing and catfishing scams, personal information hunting schemes, fake content, AI-assisted impersonation, and misinformation on social media) that have severe consequences. The most impacted demographic is older adults, who are disproportionately targeted for online exploitation, manipulation, and fraud resulting in significant financial loss, emotional distress, and even loss of independence. Many free resources about scams exist in the form of websites, articles, videos, and blog posts. However, simply providing these resources does not work—they are inaccessible to many people due to jargon or interfaces that do not accommodate the needs of older adults. Webinars, like this one, provide another avenue for learning, that is more engaging and interactive. In this webinar we will discuss:

  • Why older adults are particularly targeted by scammers (common myths busted)
  • Why people need more than just information
  • Three of the most common scams targeting seniors: ID Theft, Grandparent Scam, and Romance Scam (how to spot them and what to do to protect yourself)

Advanced techniques: Deepfakes, Website Encryption, and How to set secure passwords.

Speaker: Cynthia Stewart, DART Collective

Literacy Rochester:

The LR office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm. Please feel free to call the office if you need any assistance 585-473-3030. You can also contact me directly at Lroe@literacyrochester.org.

LR Office CLOSED:

  • Monday November 11th – Veteran’s Day
  • Thursday November 28th – Thanksgiving
  • Friday November 29th –  Day after Thanksgiving

Thank you for your commitment to empowering others through digital literacy. Together, we’re bridging the digital divide!