Lee Kinkaid stays sharp by keeping active. The 89-year-old great-grandmother travels the West Coast to visit relatives, plays bridge and gardens. Her latest activity: learning to use a computer with the help of her electric cooperative.

Kinkaid is enrolled in the Connected Senior Program at Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative and its broadband subsidiary, Beacon Broadband. The free course builds seniors' confidence using technology—such as logging on to their doctor's healthcare portal, communicating with family members through email or FaceTime, or managing finances online.

“Port Orford is the smallest [city in Curry County], so we get bypassed for a lot of things," she says. “I was just real pleased to see this class, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything."

Nearly 40% of the co-op's membership is age 65 or older, and the co-op and its subsidiary want to make sure they're not left out of the digital revolution.

“Access is only part of the equation," says Keith Buchhalter, member services and marketing manager at the co-op based in Port Orford, Oregon. “Confidence is what really makes it meaningful. When people feel comfortable enough to use technology in ways that matter to them, that's when it starts to change things."

Digital access for all is an important part of the subsidiary's business plan, says Scott Paul, director of customer experience and growth. “We're tying the experience of fiber to the experience of not being concerned about using a computer. If you can't use the internet, you're not going to buy a computer," Paul says.

Since its start in 2024 as a single hourlong course that runs six weeks in Gold Beach, the Connected Senior Program has added more class time and more sessions. It's also expanded to three locations, including Brookings and Port Orford.

Classes are limited to 10 students. Student mentors and seniors work on getting acquainted the first week before the instructor dives into the curriculum—turning on the computer, creating files, navigating the internet, using browsers and more. Graduation is the final week.

While cyberthreats are covered, instructors remain positive to reduce any intimidation seniors might have about technology.

“The main thing I see is that they're afraid of the internet," Paul says. “They've been told by grandkids, their own kids, their neighbors, 'Don't touch a computer, or you'll give all your information to some guy who will steal all your money and then you'll be destitute.'"

The program aims to help turn that fear into confidence through a method that also bridges the generational divide. Each participant is matched with a student volunteer from a local high school. Some of those bonds, Buchhalter says, are “magic."

When the program opened in Port Orford this spring, the technology director of the Port Orford Langlois School District wasn't looking for computer whizzes, but students who'd be comfortable working with someone old enough to be their grandparent.

“It's more of a willingness to be there and show up for the seniors," says Rusty Raymond, a course instructor who also drives the bus to transport the students to the Port Orford Library on Fridays for class.

Sophomore Logan Courtier, 15, is Kinkaid's mentor. For him, the best part about being a mentor is giving back to the community. “I have never mentored a senior before, or done anything like this, but participating has made me want to do more like it and keep helping others," he says.

Community partnerships keep the program going. Senior centers and public libraries help Buchhalter publicize the program. And counselors at local high schools and a career academy have invited Buchhalter to talk to students about the program. Southwest Oregon Community College in Brookings handles registration, recruits adjunct instructors for the three sites and reviews the curriculum. The Connected Senior Program is a great fit, says Jill te Velde, dean of instruction and workforce development.

“Part of the mission for a community college is to provide lifelong learning," she says. “So while we provide the academic and degree classes, we also provide community education classes. This fits right into our mission."

Funding for the program's first two years came from local civic groups, regional foundations and CoBank's Sharing Success Program. Beacon Broadband also held the first Connected Senior Golf Tournament last year to raise money for computers and instructors; the event raised $11,000.

If funding allows, Coos-Curry EC and Beacon Broadband hope to offer a tablet or smartphone version, as well as a 201-level version of Connected Senior Program.

“The 201 version is probably our most requested follow-up," Paul says.

In the meantime, a growing number of seniors in this rural coastal area are logging on to their computers, browsing whole new worlds—and maybe even doing some remote work for extra cash.

“There's a lot of capable older adults who still want to contribute," Buchhalter says. “This also opens the door for them, so they can keep contributing their talents, knowledge and everything else they have to give."