Students in a new club at Abington Heights High School connect with older adults by helping them understand technology.
The high school launched CLEO club at the start of the school year. The club — the name of which stands for “computer literacy education outreach” — is a chapter of a national initiative to connect students with older adults to help them with their technology needs.
Club members work one on one or in small groups with older adults, who can ask students about a device, which they answer through demonstrations. No one in the club shares private information.
Club adviser Lisa Bath was inspired to start a chapter at the school when she saw a segment on “CBS Mornings” about the club in November of last year. She put out a call in the spring to gauge student and community interest.
“We instantly saw there was a need for it and … we were well received with the community organizations that we reached out to,” said Bath, an English teacher.
Abington Heights’ CLEO club is one of two chapters in Pennsylvania — the other is at Bayard Rustin High School in Chester County. The club was started in 2021 by students at Canterbury Upper School in Fort Myers, Florida.
The 15 to 25 regular student members focus on helping older adults with smartphones, which Bath said are a primary means of communication but are constantly changing and updating.
“For some people it’s a very simple thing, like ‘How do I send a picture? How do I change any area of your settings to make it easier to read your text?’ ” she said.
Students have assisted older adults at tutoring sessions at the Abington Community Library and the Gathering Place in downtown Clarks Summit and plan to do more sessions at both locations in the fall.
For club co-presidents K’lea Stanton and Liv Anhar, both seniors, the club was a natural fit. Liv has volunteered in nursing homes as her father, Wilson Anhar, has held leadership positions in various older adult facilities.
“When I heard about this club, I was like, well, I have nine years of experience, so I feel like I could have a good background to help,” she said.
Members of the Abington Heights CLEO Club assist patrons at the Abington Community Library with devices. The club started at the beginning of the school year. (Submitted)
Members of the Abington Heights CLEO Club speak with a community member at The Gathering Place in Clarks Summit during a session at the space. (Submitted)
Members of the Abington Heights CLEO Club assist patrons at the Abington Community Library with devices. (Submitted)
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Members of the Abington Heights CLEO Club assist patrons at the Abington Community Library with devices. The club started at the beginning of the school year. (Submitted)
K’lea is used to helping older adults navigate technology as she has lived with her grandparents her whole life. She felt she had firsthand experience and wanted to give back. Other club members also felt joining was a good way to help out the community.
“I joined just because I wanted to help out and possibly learn a little more about the in-betweens of technology on your phone,” said fellow senior Jocelyn Gocek.
The students said the best part about the club is getting to know people they are assisting and seeing them understand a new technological concept. They especially like helping them connect with their families.
“It’s a nice feeling to watch them know that they can be part of their family’s life,” Liv said.
For Jocelyn, helping people understand little things with technology is the most meaningful. She helped one woman who likes baking learn how to keep her phone screen on while she is baking.
“It’s just small stuff like that, knowing that I made someone’s life a little bit better, and them being happy for it is nice,” she said.
Senior Vida Gonzalez likes the conversations she has with people after helping them with their devices.
Bath said people who attended the sessions have been grateful for the students’ help.
“They tell the students and Judy (Detter, Abington Community Library’s project coordinator) and I, ‘This is wonderful, we’re so thankful,’ and they’ve clearly really benefited from it,” she said.
Bath loves seeing the relationships form between students and the older adults they are assisting and hopes community members feel their needs are important to the young people and the school community.
“Yes, the students help with the tech; however, relationships are being forged and wisdom is shared, relationships are developing,” she said. “It’s a beautiful thing to watch the young who have the patience and the kindness to accept what wisdom and stories and life experience that the seniors have to share. Honestly, that’s a very big part of what happens here.”
Bath hopes students see that through their involvement in the club there is a segment of the community they can learn from.
“It’s not just helping them, but it’s also going to them and realizing that when you sit with them and you start talking with them and hearing their stories and life experiences, the students are are growing and learning,” she said. “That wisdom that the older generation has to share is a treasure.”