LevelUp Senior Tech Bridge (LSTB) is an established 501(c)3 that gained nonprofit status in April of 2024. Between 2014 to 2024, Executive Director Pavel Goldstein ‘s mother resided at Golden West, a senior living apartment community run by Boulder Housing Partners, and during that time he began assisting her friends and neighbors with their tech support needs. Through this work, Pavel recognized the notable lack of affordable technical support available to the low- to middle-income older adult community in Boulder County, as well as the significant impact of this lack.
Certain demographics and age groups have fairly certain and nearly lifelong technological access, and are able to develop their digital literacy parallel to the rest of their learning—so that it becomes almost second nature. Americans above the low-income threshold (approx. $30k annual income) and under the age of 50 are statistically almost guaranteed to have easy access to smartphones, other devices, and broadband internet service. Despite disparities in access and education, our modern world generally assumes that both are universal. Access, as we at LSTB defines it, means more than internet connectivity and the number of devices in a given home. Access means understanding, where support can be found and how to understand the language of that support, and the ability to traverse online spaces without fear.
Our mission is to expand technical literacy, increase equal and safe access to the digital world and to narrow the socio-economic digital divide.
Through both our Internet Essentials Open House Clinics and in-home appointments, we provide installations of free antivirus software on computers, tablets, and cellphones, ensuring that operating systems, applications and browsers are installed with the most recent updates, talking through the importance of caution when clicking on links, opening pop-up ads, of following prompts indicating that there is a software issue to be resolved, and providing any other support in relation to software or hardware issues (i.e. help with email, connecting hearing aids to TVs, backing up or recovering data, etc.).
By its nature, this program addresses the inequities formed by the digital divide—the split between those who can effectively access information and communication technologies, and those who cannot—in the Boulder community. We are looking at this division not only in terms of material and physical access, but also how it can contribute to differences in overall quality of life and well-being. Connectivity, stimulation, independence and confidence are all natural byproducts of safe and easy technological access, and are all of invaluable benefit to older adults, both for their positive impact on cognition and on one’s general mental state.
Organization name
Levelup Senior Tech Bridge
2024
Tax id (EIN)
99-2416806
Category
Human Services, Education, Science & Technology, Mental Health & Crisis Intervention
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
3208 LAKE PARK WAY APT 201Boulder, CO, US
Longmont, CO, US
Superior, CO, US