Scott City High School group to teach tech day for seniors

Scott City High school's AMPLIFI organization will host its first tech day Thursday, March 23.

Senior citizens aged 55 and older in the area will have the chance to meet with local students to help learn about cellphone apps, how to create and use social media or anything else they have questions about dealing with technology.

The event will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the high school cafeteria, and is free and open to senior citizens. Lunch will be provided, and there will be games of bingo for the students and senior citizens to play and interact more. Students and senior citizens may leave the day with a penpal for ongoing interaction.

AMPLIFI is an acronym — action, mission, purpose, leadership, influence, future and innovation. The organization was created last year and has more than 40 students involved. They are also partnered with SCIPP — Strengthening Community Involvement Partnership Program — in Scott City.

SCIPP president Paul Schock said the two groups merged naturally, allowing the students to have a voice in the community. The main focus of AMPLIFI is to connect with the community and build bridges within it for the students. Schock said he thinks this is a great thing for the students because they have limited available time because of other clubs and sports. The SCIPP group listens to the students and what they would like to accomplish, engages with them about their ideas and then helps them work toward goals.

AMPLIFI groups plan to have more events to engage the town, such as movie nights that would be free. They also are looking to do two senior citizens-based events each semester.

In the works for the beginning of the next school year, the organization plans to-go packages for the elementary school to teach younger students the importance of personal hygiene. The package would have shampoo, conditioner and soap, among other items.

Schock said that while the students are helping the senior citizens at events such as the tech day, the students are also learning life lessons from the attendees.