Technology Assistance
Helping older adults understand smartphones, tablets, computers, email, apps, and everyday technology.
University of MiamiStudent-led service organization
Bridging Generations Through Technology
Tech Connect empowers older adults through technology education while giving University of Miami students the opportunity to serve, connect, and make a meaningful impact in their community.
What we runWorkshops, visits and social nights
1-on-1help after every workshop
Always freeOne on one helpApple and AndroidCoral Gables, FloridaAll are welcome
1-on-1Every session is personal, patient and unhurried
About Tech Connect
Technology should connect people, not leave them behind.
Tech Connect brings University of Miami students together with older adults in the local community to provide personalized technology assistance, digital literacy education, and meaningful social interaction.
Our members help older adults become more comfortable using smartphones, tablets, computers, apps, email, video calling, online services, and other everyday technology.
Patience before expertiseNo question is too small and nothing is rushed. We follow the pace of the person we are helping.
Students grow tooMembers build teaching, leadership and communication skills, and relationships across generations.
We come to youSessions happen where people already live and gather, so nobody has to arrange transportation.
What We Do
Four ways we show up
Every Tech Connect program starts the same way: sitting down next to someone, asking what they want to do, and working through it together.
Digital Literacy
Internet safety, online communication, accessibility features, and navigating the digital services people rely on.
Community Visits
Members visit nursing homes, senior living communities, and local organizations to work directly with older adults.
Social Connection
Technology education is only part of our mission. Members also build real conversations and friendships across generations.
Activities and Events
Tech Connect also organizes games, letter writing, community events, technology workshops, social nights, and other programs designed to create engagement and connection across generations.
Game afternoonsLetter writingTech workshopsSocial nightsCommunity events
Real questions we answer
The things people actually ask us
Apple or Android, phone or computer. These are the requests that come up at nearly every visit.
Video calling family
Email and texting photos
Passwords that work
Spotting scam calls
Searching and shopping online
Doctor and pharmacy portals
Wi-Fi and settings
Reminders and calendars
Streaming and photos on TV
Making text bigger
Maps and ride apps
Anything else you bring us
How it works
From signing up to sitting down
Three steps, and no technical background required at any of them.
1
Join Tech Connect
University of Miami students become members and take part in meetings and volunteer opportunities.
2
Volunteer
Members attend community visits, technology workshops, and social events with older adults.
3
Make an Impact
Help someone become more confident with technology while building a genuine connection.
Why Tech Connect
More Than Technology
Sometimes helping someone learn how to send a photo, make a video call, or navigate an app might seem small.
But technology can determine whether someone feels connected to their family, friends, healthcare, information, and the world around them.
Tech Connect exists to make those moments easier, one conversation and one connection at a time.
Our impact
What that adds up to
100+
Older adults supported
50+
Student volunteers
20+
Community visits
Hundreds
of technology questions answered
Programs and events
What we run
Dates for each semester go out by email and on social media. Ask us about any of these and we will tell you when the next one is.
Workshop
Senior Technology Workshop
A technology workshop taught by UM students, followed by one on one help with whatever device someone brought.
Dates announced each semester
Apple or Android, phone or computer. All are welcome.
Service
Community Service Visit
An open help session at a partner community. Residents bring a device and a question, and members work through it beside them.
Dates announced each semester
Members rotate one on one through the room.
Workshop
Digital Safety Workshop
Spotting scam texts and calls, building passwords that hold up, and knowing what is safe to share online.
Dates announced each semester
Our most requested session.
Meeting
General Body Meeting
Semester updates, volunteer sign ups, and training for the next round of community visits.
Dates announced each semester
Open to every member, on campus.
Social
Community Social Night
Games, letter writing and conversation across generations. No devices required.
Dates announced each semester
The part members tell us they remember.
Social
Intergenerational Letter Writing
Members write to residents they have met this semester, then hand deliver the letters on the next visit.
Dates announced each semester
Run jointly with partner communities.
Gallery
Moments from our visits
Workshops, meetings, and the conversations that happen in between.
Get involved
Make technology more human
Whether you are interested in community service, technology, healthcare, leadership, or simply helping others, there is a way in.
For UM students
Join Tech Connect
Become a member, come to general body meetings, and sign up for the visits that fit your schedule. No technical background required, because we train you.
- Service hours that actually mean something
- Leadership and board opportunities
- A fit for pre-health, education and social work paths
- Come to one visit before committing
For communities and organizations
Bring Tech Connect to your community
Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior communities and nonprofits can host our students for technology education, volunteer visits and social programming, at no cost.
- A 45 to 60 minute workshop on a topic your residents choose
- Open help sessions with members rotating one to one
- Recurring visits, so progress sticks
- Games, letter writing and intergenerational events
Leadership
Meet Our Leadership
Meet the students leading Tech Connect’s mission to bridge generations through technology, service, and community.
Executive Board
The officers who set direction, manage the organization, and carry it year to year.
Ava Sabella
President
Zia Zelman
VP Finance
Enrique Lara
VP Operations
Laura De Wilde
VP Education
Sebastien Gotto
VP Secretarial Strategy
Directors
The leads who run each side of the work, from curriculum and training to outreach and service.
Aun Abbas
Director of Technology Innovation and Accessibility
Linnea Chapman
Director of Marketing
Tyler Patino
Director of Service
Alex Hing
Director of Member Training
Andrew Rosenbaum
Director of Philanthropy
Milana Camilleri
Director of Community Outreach
Representative
Bringing the perspective of our newest members into every decision.
Jeronimo Gonzalez
Freshman Representative
In their words
Why this matters to the people we sit with
“I finally learned how to use FaceTime to call my grandchildren.”
We are collecting more of these.
If Tech Connect has helped you, your resident, or your student, we would be glad to share your words here.
Share your experienceQuestions
Before you reach out
Do I need to be good with technology to join?
No. If you can use your own phone, you can do this. Every member is trained on the material before their first visit, and nobody is sent in alone.
How much time does membership take?
General body meetings run about an hour. Visits usually run one to two hours. Members sign up for the sessions that fit their schedule, and there is no minimum.
Is there any cost, for students or for communities?
No. Membership is free for students, and every workshop and visit we run for a community is free.
Can my community or organization host a visit?
Yes. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior communities, libraries and nonprofits are all welcome. Send a message and we will find a date.
What should someone bring to a session?
Whatever device they use, plus the passcode if there is one. A written list of questions helps more than anything else.
Do you repair broken devices?
We teach and troubleshoot, but we are not a repair shop, and we do not handle accounts, payments or passwords on anyone's behalf. For hardware problems we point people to the right place.
All are welcome
One hour of your week changes someone else’s whole month.
Join Tech Connect, volunteer for a single visit, or invite us to your community. Each of those starts with a message.
Contact
Get in touch
Students, families, community partners and sponsors. We read everything that comes in.
Tech ConnectUniversity of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
Email usumiamitechconnect@gmail.comLinktreelinktr.ee/umiamitechconnectCoral Gables, Florida