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Enriching the Lives of Mature Adults |
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News
OASIS: Department Store Helps City Seniors Find Haven to Continue Learning
By Jim Stafford, Business Writer, The OklahomanMarch 24, 2005 The glow of the computer monitor reflected off James Yahola's glasses as he followed his instructor's directions. After a few taps on the keyboard, he leaned back and read the completed form on the screen. Yahola had just learned the intricacies of filling out address labels in the Microsoft Word computer program. Mission accomplished. The 70-year-old retiree from Indian Health Services had gained another skill in his quest to master the computer. "I'm in a master gardener organization, and I told my wife one day that everyone has e-mail but me, Yahola said. "I got left out, a lot of times, of notices of workdays and meetings, things like that. At Christmas she bought me a computer." The Christmas gift prompted Yahola to enroll in one of 15 computer courses offered by OASIS, a St. Louis-based nonprofit education organization that seeks to enhance the quality of life for people age 50 and older. 
Classroom space is in former warehouse space provided by Foley's department store in Crossroads Mall. Computer courses are taught by Bobby Killian, 74, a retired computer skills teacher from Southeast High School.
Killian bounces around the room providing personal guidance to each of his students. The participants enrolled in the OASIS classes destroy the theory that older Americans are hesitant to embrace technology, Killian said.
"The myth of seniors being afraid of computers and not willing to learn something new is totally false," Killian said. "That's not true at all. All the classes are full, by the way. We usually have a waiting list."
OASIS courses are limited to five students each because that's the number of computers available for the classes, said Marcia Brown, OASIS director in Oklahoma City.
"I would love to have more," she said.
"A recent survey conducted by the national public affairs company Public Strategies Inc. found that 64 percent of adults ages 50-64 are using the Internet and 31 percent aged 65 and up are online.
The need to stay connected to family and friends drives many seniors to begin exploring the digital world, Brown said.
"It's practically demanded of them by their families," she said. "A lot of them will be gifted with a computer by their families at Christmas, and then everyone leaves and they are sitting there looking at this and it's never even turned on."
That's where OASIS fits in, with its broad menu of courses, which cost students $5 to $15 per course. Popular selections include Introduction to Computers, Intro to the Internet, Intro to Microsoft Word and Safety First: Privacy & and Security Online.
OASIS users tackle the course load with enthusiasm, Brown said.
"That, to me, is the neatest thing," she said. "The more they learn, the more they want to know. They really do get into it."
Students sharing the classroom with Yahola in Killian's Microsoft Word class included Eileen Meadors, 77, and Lee Delong, 71, a Foley's employee who sought to enhance her skill at using the store's computer bridal registry.
Killian laughed when asked to compare the students in his OASIS classes with the high school students he left behind when he retired in 1988.
"It's 180 degrees different," he said. "These folks are very receptive because they want to learn the computer. They are highly motivated.
"High school kids have a million things going on. Some days they may be interested in what you are trying to teach them and some days they could care less. There's no comparison."
Related Story: More Seniors Use Technology to Stay Connected New study shows Internet use by mature adults up 6 percent (age 50-64); 9 percent (age 65+) March 1, 2005 For more information: Janice Branham, Director of Communications The OASIS Institute 314.862.2933 ext 229 jbranham@oasisnet.org OASIS News Releases April 28, 2008 OASIS Video to be Broadcast on National Television April 1, 2008 OASIS Receives $2.5 Million from The Atlantic Philanthropies Supporting Business Plan for Expansion October 10, 2007 OASIS Marks 25th Anniversary at National Conference, unveils five-year business plan to increase its impact March 14, 2007 AT&T Foundation Makes $1 Million Technology Grant to The OASIS Institute March 7, 2007 OASIS Receives National Leadership Award from NCOA February 8, 2007 OASIS Plans to Expand Programs to Reach a Broader Audience Atlantic Philanthropies Grant To Support Expansion Plan February 5, 2007 OASIS Institute Names Five Centers of Excellence for 2007-08 November 6, 2006 Marylen Mann Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from Washington University October 30, 2006 OASIS Institute Receives National Award from HHS for Promoting Healthy Lifestyle August 2, 2006 New Research Shows Active Living Every Day a Success at Activating Sedentary Adults June 21, 2006 Four New Directors Elected to the Board of The OASIS Institute April 11, 2006 OASIS Wins National RespectAbility Program of Excellence Award Recognizing Promising Practices in Civic Engagement April 11, 2006 OASIS Awarded $45,000 Grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for Intergenerational Healthy Lifestyles Program January 24, 2006 OASIS Receives $778,424 in Grants from the Missouri Foundation for Health to Improve Physical and Mental Health for Mature Adults January 18, 2006 OASIS President Participates in White House Conference on Aging December 5, 2005 OASIS Founder Marylen Mann Receives AARP Impact Award August 25, 2005 SBC Foundation Funds OASIS Project to Expand Workforce Development and Community Service June 27, 2005 Survey Finds Older Americans, Baby Boomers Want Jobs With a Purpose April 5, 2005 Department Store Helps City Seniors Find Haven to Continue Learning March 16, 2005 AoA's You Can! Steps to Healthier Aging Campaign Recognizes Joint Project of OASIS and San Antonio Partners March 5, 2005 More Seniors Use Technology to Stay Connected New study shows Internet use by mature adults up 6 percent (age 50-64); 9 percent (age 65+) |
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