SeniorNet gets a special delivery

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Officials with the McGrath SeniorNet Learning Center received a special delivery from state Rep. Skipper Perry Wednesday afternoon.

Perry visited the computer learning center to present the program with a $17,500 check from the state from a competitive community grant.

The money will go toward purchasing new computers and software for SeniorNet students, according to Jim Jordy, coordinator of the learning center.

Perry said the program, which aims to teach computer skills to adults ages 50 and over, has been beneficial to employees who have lost their jobs with the Avondale Mill closing by teaching them the skills to help them get back into the workforce. Jordy agreed. "When the Graniteville mill closed, we saw an influx of older adults who needed computer training to make them more employable in today's job market," said Jordy.

He said the center serves anywhere from 325 to 350 seniors each year through its courses and workshops.

Some of the courses include: Intro to Computers, Computer Fundamentals, Digital Photo making, Basic Web Page Design, Digital Photo Editing and a course on how to set up and operate an e-mail account.

Classes are 4-8 weeks long, designed for basic and advanced level students. The SeniorNet center is located on the USC Aiken campus in the building next to the tennis courts.

"It's seniors teaching seniors," Jordy said of the program. "They have to do the work." He said the center was founded in 1999 by Bruce McGrath. He said the grant will help them purchase some of the latest technology to work with.

In the past, Jordy says most of the computers have been donated by local residents or family members of those participating in the program.

"This grant will help us provide the latest technology for our learning center, so we can teach seniors what is going on in the present," said Jordy.

For more information on SeniorNet visit, http://library.usca.edu/seniornet/.