Bridge EU project meeting in Austria

Nu åker jag på söndag till Österrike, inbjuden av ett EU-projekt för att berätta om SeniorNet Sweden och mitt arbete att skapa nya SeniorNetklubbar i Sverige.
Nedan ungefär som jag tänker prata för de som ev. är intresserade. Om inte ---- botanisera då istället bland de nästa tusen inläggen i högerspalten

My script for lecture in Austria May 2011

SeniorNet Sweden is the largest and oldest ICT association for seniors in Sweden
My name is Bo Jonsson.
I am a board member in the organization SeniorNet Sweden.
I am SeniorNet Sweden's project manager for the creation of new local clubs.
I am also chairman of the local club SeniorNet Nyköping.
I live about 100 km south of Stockholm

SeniorNet Sweden is a nonprofit and nonpolitical organization
that started in March 1997 with financial support from the ICT Commission in Sweden.
The SeniorNet model comes from the U.S.,
but is organized and managed totally according to our Swedish regulations and traditions.
The Association has as a primary objective to promote seniors' use of information communication technology to adapt to today's ICT community

Our Activities
SeniorNet Sweden works in the ICT area for its members and other seniors, specifically by:
• Assisting seniors to connect with ICT and encourage their broad participation in SeniorNet
as an opportunity to strengthen links between seniors.
• Increasing skills of seniors so that they,
based on their different situations,
can make use of information that ICT enables.
• Maintaining a comprehensive website
( www.seniornet.se )
to provide information on the association's activities and the computer and other media devices as instruments of information and communication,
and – for members and affiliated member seniornet clubs - provide an opportunity to connect for interaction and exchange of ideas
and help with questions about ICT based devices and the Internet.
• Encouraging the formation of new local clubs, monitoring and supporting the activities of the affiliated clubs.
• Promoting the concept
that training, equipment, information and services in the ICT field should be adapted to seniors needs.
• Seeking collaboration with similar associations in Sweden and other countries
as well as with the higher education, continuing education, public authority, and ITC industrial sector organisations in Sweden.

Our Organization
The association is operating as national organization, and by clubs affiliated to the association.
The association is aimed primarily at seniors 55 + . Member may without additional cost join a local club, if he/she so wishes.
The membership fee is 250 SEK per year (about 28 € ). In December 2010, the association had approximately 8500 paying members. More than 95 percent of them are affiliated club members.
100 SEK of the member fee is transferred to the local clubs.
150 x 8500 makes 1.250.000 SEK ( about 137.000 € ). This is not enough to operate the whole of SeniorNet Sweden's activities.
Therefore we apply for sponsorship/contributions from various organizations.
A list here are examples of our sponsors and activity external support.
These different contributions are always dedicated to specific projects within given time frames.
.SE is a private foundation with the mission of administering Internet's Swedish top domain. The surplus - nearly 40 million SEK in 2010 - finances continued development and promotion of the use of the Internet in Sweden.
SIAT
The Swedish Institute of Assistance Technology is a national Resource Centre for assistance technology and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
SIAT works for full participation and equality for persons with disabilities by ensuring access to high-quality and secure assistance technology, an effective provision of assistance devices and an accessible environment.
PTS
The Swedish Post and Telecom Agency
monitors the electronic communications and postal sectors in Sweden.
PTS has been assigned by the Government to ensure that crucial and important services within areas such as telephony, the Internet and postal services are available to persons with functional impairment.
PTS is also carrying out trials to improve and develop new communications services for persons with functional impairment.
Microsoft, the Swedish banks, and other ICT technology companies have and do support us both generally as well as for specific projects.
Municipalities can, and to varying degrees support our local clubs.
Education
Training usually takes place in computer studios borrowed at no or small charge
either by the municipality or of a adult educational association.
The adult education associations, are in turn financially supported through municipality and state subsidies. Instructors are volunteers and are only paid for direct expenses as travel cost, etc.
The course direct cost for students is insignificant, 100 - 300 SEK (11 – 33 euros),
It´s about a tenth of the normal market price.
Our basic training material consists of an interactive CD-ROM which means that it can also be used for private study.
The CD is designed for Windows XP, Vista / Windows 7, Word 2003, 2007, Open Office Writer, Explorer 7, 8, E-mail Windows Live. The PC needs download of Adobe Reader and Windows Media Player.
An accompanying CD for the teacher helps him/her to support student/senior with minor physical disabilities.

A typical basic course is 10 3 hour sessions, a total of 30 hours.
Basic courses for computer novices are the most important for our members and a good help to get members.
Typically for the clubs is that they also have other more advanced courses, theme meetings and lectures.
We even have a club for members that is maintained entirely over the Internet.
It is important that there is always something happening in the local club, so that it is worthwhile to maintain membership after taking a basic course.
Our Local clubs have with bylaws/statutes, a Board of Directors, an annual meeting for elections and activity reporting and planning. Clubs sometimes start spontaneously by a few people and begins with an interim Board.
In order to accelerate the new club formation process, I have been given the task to be project manager.
What is my concept for this acceleration process?
I have been (even if I do say so myself) rather successful working in the following way:
I will attract many people (100 -150) to attend my lecture.
I have a lecture that would attract both ICT novices as well as those with ICT skills.
It is comprehensive and has the theme "What can I do with a computer?".
The lecture takes two hours including a coffee break.
I use a Powerpoint presentation with some thirty slides.
I do the lecture with an Internet-connected PC with a projector and screen and can then run programs like Google Docs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Skype, etc. in sharp mode.
It is also good if the auditorium has good speakers because we 55+:ers often hear badly.
I usually use a public library's auditorium
I have to advertise the lecture in different ways, primarily through the local newspaper, but preferably also in an advertising magazine that is distributed to all households in the location in question.
I make a poster that is sent to the appropriate voluntary associations,
Then I do a press release sent to local media newspapers, radio and television.
In the press release I link to videos from past activities Ihave sone.
In order to save money, I make the coffee myself and take it with me in big thermos jugs.
I buy frozen buns- it's cheap and easy.

Before the lecture starts, I place on each chair SeniorNet-brochure, Expression of interest form, pen and a small note block
After the lecture, the “ Expressions of interest “ are collected. They are worth gold.
The Expression of Interest forms are then sorted in interest order.
Those who would be willing to work actively in the club management or want to become a teacher for beginners will be called to a first meeting to create a club.
When the teachers are identified, the training premises is arranged and an interim board is agreed, we invite those who showed an interest in attending a course for beginners. Names and addresses are taken from Expression of interest.