15 Years – 15 Stories of Belonging – Digital Literacy Programs

For the past 15 years, The Place has been creating opportunities for people to connect, learn, and belong. One of the most significant ways we've done this is through our Digital Literacy Programs, helping community members build confidence and connection in an increasingly digital world.

Since 2012, The Place has supported hundreds of people to develop essential digital skills. What began as volunteer-led digital literacy classes has evolved into a comprehensive suite of programs that have empowered people to confidently engage with technology. Since partnering with Good Things Australia in 2018, our digital inclusion work has expanded through initiatives such as our Community and Intergenerational Digital Exchange Program, Building Digital Skills Program, Digital Sisters, and Get Online Week.

Through workshops, one-on-one support, outreach services, and community events, we have supported hundreds of learners to build  the confidence to navigate today's digital landscape. While most participants have been over the age of 50, we have also supported women specifically, engaged with young people as mentors and offered opportunities for the whole community to come together, learn and have fun through Get Online Week events - creating meaningful intergenerational learning opportunities.

Over the years, digital skills workshops have covered a wide range of practical topics, just some include:

• Online safety and scam awareness
• Taking, saving, and sharing photos
• Making the most of Facebook Groups
• Video calling and staying connected with family and friends
• Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI)

While our workshops and events teach practical technology skills, their impact extends far beyond learning how to use a device or navigate the internet. They empower individuals, open doors to opportunity, reduce social isolation, strengthen community connections, and enable people to participate fully in modern life.

Building Connection & Confidence Through Digital Mentors

One of our most successful initiatives has been our Community and Intergenerational Digital Exchange program (termed cDEX and iDEX). This innovative program involved training community members and local high school students to become Digital Mentors, supporting family and community members aged over 50 to improve their digital confidence and skills.

Centre Manager Cristelle Govender explains: "The purpose of the program is to increase the confidence, skills and online safety of older Australians, empowering everyone to use the internet and everyday technology to thrive in our digital world. When COVID hit, we had to rethink the way we engaged with seniors and find new ways of reaching people. This was the beginning of the cDEX and iDEX programs, which have since enabled so much more than digital literacy."

Mentors don't need to be experts - instead, the emphasis is placed on empathy, patience, communication, and recognising that everyone has skills and knowledge to share. The result is a powerful exchange of learning, connection, and confidence between generations and across communities.

One community Digital Mentor shared: "As a mentor I found it very rewarding to share my digital knowledge with others in the community. Not only did I feel that I was helping others become more confident in using digital technology, I also learned some new things myself."

We are incredibly proud of our mentors and the positive impact they have had in our community.

Supporting Connection During COVID-19

The importance of digital literacy became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. As lockdowns and restrictions limited face-to-face interactions, The Place adapted quickly, moving training sessions online through Zoom and finding new ways to support seniors experiencing isolation.

For many older Australians, learning how to make a video call or join an online meeting became life-changing. Technology provided a vital link to family, friends, healthcare services, and community networks during a period of unprecedented social disconnection. To ensure support remained accessible, The Place also delivered Be Connected training as an outreach service to aged care facilities, retirement villages, and seniors' groups across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

The value of helping older people stay connected during this period is immeasurable and remains one of the program's most meaningful achievements.

Creating Inclusive Learning Opportunities

A defining feature of The Place's digital literacy work has been its commitment to inclusion and accessibility. Over the years, our programs have engaged a diverse cross-section of the community, including people who are deaf, people with low vision, participants attending alongside support workers and carers, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds with limited English, and individuals facing a wide range of barriers to digital participation.

To ensure everyone could participate meaningfully, we have adapted our programs to meet individual needs. This included engaging Auslan interpreters for deaf participants, providing interpreters for people with limited English, encouraging support workers and carers to attend sessions, and tailoring training materials and handouts to suit different learning needs. Resources were modified to support participants with low vision, and content was adapted to be culturally relevant and accessible for people from a variety of backgrounds and countries.

By creating welcoming, flexible, and inclusive learning environments, The Place has helped ensure that digital literacy and digital inclusion opportunities are accessible to as many people as possible.

Empowering Women Through Digital Sisters

The Digital Sisters program has provided culturally responsive digital literacy and artificial intelligence (AI) training for women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, including participants from Syria, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Congo, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

Designed to empower women through accessible, community-based learning, the program helps participants build confidence using digital technology and AI in safe, practical, and meaningful ways. Women are introduced to a range of digital and AI tools and learn how these technologies can support everyday life, from accessing reliable online information and learning new skills to supporting their children's education and staying connected with family and community.

A key strength of the program has been its focus on creating safe, inclusive spaces where women can learn, connect, and build confidence together. Bilingual training materials, translated resources, and interpreters enabled participation by women with limited literacy or English proficiency, ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities.

Participants reported increased confidence using digital technology and AI, a greater ability to find and evaluate information online, and improved skills to support their learning and family needs. Many applied their new knowledge in creative and practical ways, including using ChatGPT to translate family recipes, assist with their children's homework, and explore information in their preferred language.

Beyond digital skills, the program also fostered meaningful social connections. Participants developed friendships, shared cultural knowledge, and built supportive networks across cultural groups, strengthening community belonging and inclusion.

Some participants shared:

"This was my first time learning about technology. It made me feel proud."

"I used ChatGPT to translate my favourite Syrian recipe into English!"

"I learned how to use AI to help my children with schoolwork."

These stories highlight the program's success in helping women overcome technological barriers, embrace emerging technologies such as AI, build confidence, and discover new opportunities for learning and connection.

Looking Ahead

As The Place celebrates 15 years of belonging, our Digital Literacy Programs remain a powerful example of what can happen when people are given the opportunity, support, and confidence to learn.

What started as simple technology classes has grown into a community movement that strengthens connections, promotes inclusion, and empowers people of all ages and backgrounds to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Through every workshop, mentoring session, and community event, we've witnessed the transformative power of digital inclusion. At its heart our digital literacy programs are not just about technology, they are about belonging.

Want to learn more?

The Place is currently delivering introductory AI workshops for people over 50 across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

To find out more, call (02) 4032 5500 or email programsassistant@theplacecharlestown.org.au