The class is sponsored by SeniorNet. SeniorNet is a non-profit organization in San Francisco. It started as a research project in a church basement at the University of San Francisco, in 1986. SeniorNet helps adults over 55 learn to use computers. More than 65,000 older adults have joined the organization across the country in the last nine years.
Classes are small with individualized attention, going the speed of the student.
The group has more than 78 centers, nine of which are in Northern California. Learning centers establish partnerships with local companies, such as Pacific Bell, and volunteer organizations. SeniorNet provides course materials and trains instructors and administrators. Founder Mary Furlong has a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California. She is impressed with seniors's enthusiasm for technology.