Fort Valley State University

Keeping up with ever changing computer technology trends is a daunting task for most of us. But 18 Peach County citizens with a desire to be tech savvy weren’t about to be intimidated. The eager students at the Fort Valley Senior Center participated in a free, nine-week computer training course created by Literacy Education for Adults in Peach County (L.E.A.P.). The program’s Executive Director Mildred Lindsey collaborated with Fort Valley State University’s mathematics and computer science department Dr. John Dubriel, department head; Professor Nabil Yousif, and FVSU senior computer information system major Antonio McCray, taught students as young as 92 years-old.

For many of the students, learning the how to’s of a computer was a first-time experience – from operating the on/off button and logging in to accessing emails and retrieving documents. “Together we have made a difference. The group was so enthused about their experience that we’re gearing up for Part 2 this fall,” stated Lindsey. “There will be no rocking chairs for these seniors. Give them a computer.”

L.E.A.P. is housed in FVSU’s Evans Building in downtown Fort Valley. The mission of the program is to enable every adult learner in Georgia to acquire the necessary basic skills — reading, writing, computation, speaking, and listening — to compete successfully in today’s workplace, strengthen family foundations, and exercise full citizenship. The free class was a first-time collaboration among Literacy Education for Adults in Peach, Fort Valley State University and Fort Valley Senior Center.