S'more Free & Cheap
Tech Training
S'more Free & Cheap
Tech Training
S'more Free & Cheap Learning →
Some More Free & Cheap Learning
The university here in Madison, WI has free courses for 60+ seniors which you can audit in person upon intstructor approval. I also get emails from the UW about free Zoom presentations from time to time because I'm an alumni. Here's a little more about resources I mentioned on the previous page.
RSVP of Dane County is located on the west side of Madison and works with AARP to present their Senior Planet classes in person and online. There's probably one in your area, the one here serves snacks and a lunch while teaching seniors about new technology. The tech classes coordinator, Mike Thomsen, is an excellent instructor and his enthusiasm for technology is contagious.
Cyber-Seniors
They enlist younger folks to help teach tech to seniors. A good place to start is the Cyber-Seniors welcome page which gives you a nice idea of what they have to offer. I've taken a Webinar on spotting AI fakes which I found thoroughly engaging and can't wait to do more. You can find Previous Webinars here and filter by favorite topic. To search for the AI Fake video choose Smart Technology, click Read More which leads to an email request page. Enter your email, submit and voilà, the Real or Fake video is ready to watch. I've also stumbled across iPad tech training and read some pdfs which are organized by feature and topic. You can find articles on scams, how-tos, what-is and a generous vault of cyber secuirty related information in the Cyber-Senior .pdf resources. The only cost I've seen is connected to training.
NCOA
The National Council on Aging has technology resources with sections on Aging Well and Professional Resources and links to topics such as Events, Research and a Benefits Check Up. There are four basic links under Technology Resources to help build your skills and confidence. I found three articles on boosting your confidence, staying safe and a job search from last winter with more recent articles below. Resources are funded by ATT and IBM.
IBM SkillsBuild
You need to create an IBM ID to access the free IBM courses which are listed in the middle of the NCOA page. You'll then see a synopsis of the Learning Plan. I chose the Basics of AI and got a YouTube video from PBS as well as an interactive lesson about Creating an Elevator Pitch Using Generative AI.
Osher (Inexpensive, but not free)
Another option in south central Wisconsin is Osher Lifelong Learning through UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education. The courses aren't free, but they don't cost much and most of them are very good. You can attend in person or via Zoom.
Click here for a list of Institutes throughout the country to find one near you.
Local Senior Centers and Libraries
The Monona Senior Center offers some of the same presentations as RSVP of Dane County and your local senior center might do the same. Senior centers are a great resource for many things and worth exploring.
My favorite library is the Waunakee Public Libary, partly because it's closer than the larger one downtown and mostly because it's small town safe with plenty of parking. It's a welcoming and energizing space with a plethora of study rooms and programs. You can find anything from the local bank's presentation on Frauds and Scams to sampling stroopwafles. And I recently got an email from the Deforest audiobook club called Chapters in Common which meets every 2nd Thursday of the month at the Deforest Area Public Library located at 203 Library St. You can drop by or call (608) 846-5482 for more information. This is the first I've heard of an audio book club and think it would be perfect for those who prefer or need to use audio books rather than print.