PRESS RELEASE: Intergenerational meeting of digital assistants and clients of the Wise Network

The Wise Network focuses on supporting seniors in coping with modern technology through digital assistants. These are volunteers, mostly high school, college, and university students, who help seniors with the safe and correct use of digital devices, solving technical problems, navigating apps, and using the internet safely. The aim is to encourage the older generation to engage with the digital world and remove the barriers that often prevent them from fully using modern technologies.

The service is free of charge for seniors aged 60 and over and is available via a web application where they can submit their questions or problems. A digital assistant will then visit them at a pre-arranged location, such as a library or a seniors' club, to help them solve their problems. Last year, 16 educational seminars for seniors were also held in South Moravia.

"Within the framework of cooperation with the JINAG agency, we have managed to recruit over 40 digital assistants in the South Moravian Region. In the first year, they helped almost 200 seniors with their volunteer work and spent 500 hours explaining how to safely operate their digital devices. In 2025, which we are very much looking forward to, we are planning over 60 workshops across the Czech Republic and we believe that together with the JINAG agency we will be able to reach other towns and municipalities in the South Moravian Region," said Tomáš Hubálek, chairman of the Wise Network association.

At the festive meeting, which gathered almost 50 participants, seniors and their digital assistants shared their experiences and stories, which showed that the project has a profound impact not only on the technical skills of seniors but also on their self-confidence and engagement in society. "I would like to thank the digital assistants. They are always pulling me out of the trap of helplessness with their smiles, their knowledge, and their kindness and I always look forward to seeing them. What a beautiful life, I am aging beautifully with you," said seventy-year-old senior Olga.

On the other hand, digital assistants appreciate that this activity has given them new skills in communication, emotional intelligence, and patience, which they will use in their future professional lives. "It's a great project. It's the first time I've been part of something like this and for me, it has an overlap in that I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm scared of people and I have a social phobia. This experience is helping me overcome that and at the same time I am meeting interesting people," said the young digital assistant.

Within the project, the JINAG agency connects entities of the South Moravian Region, such as schools, municipalities, local action groups, senior points, or social services, with the Wise Network platform. In the past year, it was possible to establish cooperation with ten schools in the areas of Brno, Znojmo, Blansko, Moravský Krumlov, Boskovice, and others.

"The meeting was a beautiful demonstration of how technology can not only connect people, but
and deepen understanding between generations. The assistants proved to us that help doesn't have to be just about technical solutions, but about mutual trust and empathy. The feedback and appreciation of the assistants from the seniors themselves or the reflection of the assistants on how the involvement in the Wise Network itself moves them forward was just a confirmation that this mission is worthwhile," said Eva Nečasová, a specialist in social and health services from the JINAG agency.

Cooperation with the Wise Network also inspires volunteers to organize their activities to support the elderly. We can mention, for example, the active students from the Secondary School of Informatics, Postal Administration and Finance in Brno, who organize intergenerational meetings with seniors, prepare their lectures on working with smart devices and interesting facts from this area, and offer individual support to seniors.
The Wise Network plans to expand its activities in the future and invite more digital assistants to participate so that they can help more and more seniors. A big challenge is to ensure that seniors learn about this service. To do this, the Wise Network uses a variety of channels - passing on information through libraries, seniors' clubs, local newspapers, and magazines. It also works with care services.

The event was made possible thanks to grant support from Google.org and support from partners Vodafone Foundation and Veolia Foundation.