AARP Movies for Grownups to Showcase the Film CYBER-SENIORS at Randallstown High School
Documentary screening encourages older adults to get online and connects attendees with youth “mentors”
AARP MD and Mentor Up, a new way to make a difference from AARP Foundation, will join with the Baltimore County Public Schools Parent University to host a free screening of CYBER-SENIORS on Monday, September 15, 2014, at 3:00 p.m., at Randallstown High School, 4000 Offutt Road.
CYBER-SENIORS is a documentary that takes a candid and humorous look at the victories and challenges seniors face as they collaborate with teenagers who help them cross the digital divide, enabling them to engage with the world around them via the Internet. The film highlights the impact of older adults and the benefits derived when generations work together.
The film also illustrates some of the core components of Mentor Up, an initiative that encourages younger people to offer volunteer support to seniors struggling to navigate today’s realities. At the event on September 15, which also celebrates Grandparents Day, tech-savvy Baltimore County Public Schools students will provide hands-on mini-tutorials to older moviegoers, and audience members can participate in a Q and A with the filmmakers.
“The reverse mentoring effort, Mentor Up, draws on the digital knowledge and ‘can do spirit’ of a younger generation to enhance the lives of older adults through technology literacy and the creation of meaningful relationships,” said AARP MD State Director Hank Greenberg. “There are millions of adults 50 and older living in a state of vulnerability. Mentor Up — together with CYBER-SENIORS draws awareness around this issue and creates opportunities for the generations to connect in a variety of ways, ultimately bringing them together.”
“We are pleased to work with AARP MD and Mentor Up to bring this film to the Baltimore community,” said BCPS Superintendent S. Dallas Dance. “The seniors in our community are valuable members of Team BCPS – as the parents and grandparents of our students and as our neighbors and volunteers. This film, ultimately, encourages lifelong learning, which is part of the mission of our Parent University. We want to support Baltimore County in being a learning community – for all ages.”
Registration is open and free to the public! RSVP at http://aarp.cvent.com/
More information about CYBER-SENIORS and Mentor Up can be found at: http://www.
Also on Facebook at Facebook.com/
Visit the Mentor Up website www.mentorup.org and on Twitter @mentorup.
About the Film
A humorous and heartwarming documentary feature, CYBER-SENIORS chronicles the extraordinary journey of a group of colorful senior citizens and their equally engaging teenage mentors as the seniors discover the world of the Internet through the guidance of their youthful teachers. Their tentative, exploratory steps together in cyber-space catapults to a feverous pitch when Shura, a grandmotherly 89 year-old, connects with her competitive spirit when her YouTube cooking video logs thousands of views and sparks a rather serious competition with her fellow cyber-seniors. This charming film provides insight into the wonderful things that can happen when generation gaps are bridged and proves you are never too old to get “connected.”
About Mentor Up
Mentor Up is a new way to make a difference from AARP Foundation that brings together the younger generation’s energy and talents to pursue reverse mentoring and community service opportunities that help people 50 and older. In addition, Mentor Up is also working with organizations rooted in service and driven by social missions, including the 4-H Council, DoSomething.org, Generations United, The Intergenerational Center at Temple University, Magic Johnson Foundation and Facebook. For more information about Mentor Up, visit: www.mentorup.org
About Baltimore County Public Schools and the BCPS Parent University
Baltimore County Public Schools, home to 2014 National Teacher of the Year Sean McComb, serves 110,000 students as the nation’s 25th largest school system. Dedicated to producing globally competitive graduates, BCPS is expanding world languages instruction to elementary grades and integrating technology into curriculum and instruction through S.T.A.T. – Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow. The BCPS Parent University offers a variety of in-person workshops throughout the community as well as online resources and videos to meet the unique needs of all families. Parent University provides centralized access to resources that support parents in guiding their children to academic success and enhancing personal growth and family wellness.
About Area 23a
Area23a is an independently owned “event” based theatrical distribution company, co-founded by distribution specialists Richard Abramowitz and Kirt Eftekhar. The company focuses on event driven films, providing value-added distribution through alternative ways to reach audiences across the country, releasing films in convention and performing art centers, libraries, museums, and college campuses, in addition to traditional venues like theaters, cinematheques and festivals. Area23a distributes award-winning films such as Dan Sturman and Bill Guttentag’s SOUNDTRACK FOR A REVOLUTION, Michael Paul Stephenson’s BEST WORST MOVIE, Gerardine Wurzburg’s WRETCHES and