October means that the annual Victorian Seniors Festival has kicked off with a host of activities and events across the State.
October has become a month to raise awareness and promote connectedness of older adults in our community which is led globally by the United Nations International Day of Older Persons on the 1 October every year.
In Australia, Queensland celebrates its third annual Queensland Seniors Month this October, while South Australia is hosting its Week of Ageing Well from 1 to 7 October and Tasmanian Seniors Week celebrates its 25th anniversary from 16 to 22 October.
The Victorian Seniors Festival also runs for the month of October with a jam packed schedule for older adults over 60 years of age, to engage in free and low costs events including digital literacy and lived experience activities
With so much happening it could be a good excuse for older adults to jump on a plane, train or automobile and experience new places throughout Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and/or Tasmania!
Lived Digital Experiences for Older Adults
Victorian Seniors Festival activities include a range of digital skills that older adults can tap into to learn more about digital technology using traditional skills-based learning as well as lived experience based learning.
Lived experiences are where we learn through trends, influences and interests and is becoming a popular and social way for older adults to embrace digital skills. This is a great insight for educators, service providers and community groups when creating educational digital programs for this cohort.
Victoria Seniors Festival Lived Experience Examples
The list below showcases some examples of digital learning through lived experiences which are available during the Victorian Seniors Festival. For a comprehensive list please visit the festival calendar.
Attend the ACMI Gallery Memo Aitken Distributed Consciousness Exhibition featuring unique images that incorporate AI technology at Federation Square, Melbourne for the month of October.
Learn how to code a game, create stop motion movies using Lego and code robotics at Melton and Caroline Springs Libraries on various dates throughout October.
Learn about 3D printing on 6 October at the Warrnambool Library.
Learn about eBooks and eAudiobooks on 10 October and 12 October at the Melton City Council Library.
Learn how to record and edit video/audio using soundbooth software on 13 October at the Warrnambool Library.
Learn how to learn a language through a digital platform on 14 October at the Caroline Springs Library.
Learn about how to watch movies and listen to music on Kanopy and Freegal on 17 October at the Melton City Council Library.
Learn how to plan and manage holidays using digital tech on 19 October at the Torquay Library.
Learn about coding on 20 October at the Warrnambool Library.
Learn about digital art on 27 October at the Warrnambool Library.
This list is just a taste of the activities available during the month of October for older adults. We encourage you and your network to jump online or contact your local council or U3A to find out more and explore digital technology through lived experiences.
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