Digital Skills Instruction

Introduction to Technology Series – Each course will be held twice for increased availability. This series was funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at the MassTech Collaborative under the Municipal Digital Equity Implementation Program. Funding was provided by Massachusetts ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds.

Protecting Your Medical Information Online – Community Meeting Room – registration required
Friday, May 29 from 11:00-12:00 pm
Join us for a lecture presentation that will provide an overview of how to make your various online medical/insurance accounts/portals) more secure and private. This is for people ages 60 and up. This Senior Planet from AARP class is being offered through the Senior Planet licensing program.

Learn Microsoft Word Basics – Local History Room, Registration required
Monday, June 1 at 1:00 pm
Join us today to learn about Microsoft Word! We’ll start at the very beginning and walk you through all the basics like: Opening, editing, and saving a file, changing text style (font, color, size, etc.), keyboard shortcuts, inserting an image, link, or non-standard text/symbols, adding a comment, finding text in a document, and using numbering and bullets

Hotspots 101 -Local History Room – Registration required
Tuesday, June 2 at 6:00 pm OR Thursday, June 4 at 6:00 pm
Need internet access on the go? Join us to learn how to borrow and use a mobile hotspot from the Charlton Public Library. This quick, beginner-friendly workshop will walk you through how hotspots work, how to connect your devices, and tips for using them while traveling or at home. We’ll also cover borrowing guidelines and hotspot consideration. Perfect for anyone looking to stay connected—no tech experience needed!

Learn How to Host a Zoom Meeting – Community Meeting Room – Registration Required
Monday, June 8 at 10:30 am
Are you interested in hosting a Zoom meeting but don’t know where to start? In this class, we’ll walk through the basics of hosting a Zoom meeting and demonstrate the features available with a basic, free Zoom account. This class is for folks age 60 and up. This Senior Planet from AARP class is being offered through the Senior Planet licensing program.

Learn Microsoft Word Advanced Skills– Local History Room – Registration Required
Monday, June 8 at 1:00 pm
Join us today to learn some advanced skills to use in Microsoft Word! We’ll cover: Advanced formatting, Image formatting, Tables, Mail merge, Tracking changes, and Using links and bookmarks within a file.

Getting started with Amazon – Local History Room- Registration required
Tuesday, June 9 at 6:00 pm OR Thursday, June 11 at 6:00 pm
Curious about shopping online but not sure where to begin? This beginner-friendly workshop will introduce you to the basics of using Amazon to browse, compare, and purchase items with confidence. You’ll learn how to create an account, search for products, read reviews, spot good deals, and avoid common scams. We’ll also explore helpful features like wish lists and Subscribe & Save.

Taking & Organizing Photos– Dexter Hall – Registration required
Thursday, June 11 at 12:30 pm
In this class, we dive into the Camera app on the iPhone, exploring different features of the camera and adjustments that can be made for taking pictures in different settings. We also go into Photos and discuss organizing photos into albums.

Outdoor Adventure Apps – Dexter Hall – Registration required
Monday, June 15 at 12:30 pm
Join us for a lecture presentation that will discuss a brief overview of a few popular mobile apps for outdoor enthusiasts. Please note that this will not cover step-by-step instructions for how to use any of the apps. This is for people ages 60 and up. This Senior Planet from AARP class is being offered through the Senior Planet licensing program.

Learn Adobe Acrobat Basics – Local History Room – Registration required
Monday, June 15 at 1:00 pm
Today, we’ll be walking you through the basics of using Adobe Acrobat. We’ll cover: Creating a PDF from a Word file or image, Creating one PDF from multiple files, Adding, reordering, and removing pages, Editing, Adding and removing comments, and Exporting a PDF to a different file type.

Save it Smart!– Local History Room, Registration required
Tuesday, June 16 at 6:00 pm, Wednesday, June 24 at 10:30 am, OR Thursday, June 25 at 6:00 pm
Confused about saving files, photos, or important information on your device? This beginner-friendly workshop will teach you simple and practical ways to save, organize, and access your digital content. Learn the difference between downloading and saving, how to take screenshots, what a PDF is, and how to choose between cloud storage and device storage.

How to Video Chat With Zoom – Community Meeting Room, Registration required
Monday, June 22 at 10:30 am
This is a hands-on workshop in which participants will explore joining a Zoom meeting and using meeting controls as participants (not hosts) of the meeting. If you’ve been curious about using Zoom, this class is for you! This workshop is for people aged 60 and up. This Senior Planet from AARP class is being offered through the Senior Planet licensing program.

Basic Adobe Lightroom Classic – Local History Room, Registration required
Monday, June 22 at 1:00 pm
Lightroom Classic is a software program by Adobe that allows you to view, manage, and edit digital photographs. Sample skills to be covered: Understanding the screen elements, managing a photo library, using histograms, Basic presets – quick editing, editing photos, All-over edits, cropping and aligning, and basic masking (editing part of a photo).

Taking and Editing Videos – Community Meeting Room, Registration required
Wednesday, June 24 at 12:30 pm
In this class, we learn to use the Camera app to take videos. We explore settings that can be changed to adjust video quality and discuss how to take different types of videos on the iPhone. We also go into Photos to learn to edit videos.

Canva for Kids: Vision Boards – Story Time Room, Registration required
Wednesday, June 24 at 1:30 pm (This program is intended for ages 8-12)
Get creative and learn digital design with Canva! In this fun, kid-friendly series, participants will explore the basics of the Canva platform while creating their own colorful projects. Kids will learn how to add and style text, choose images and graphics, and experiment with some of Canva’s built-in AI tools to spark ideas and enhance their designs. In today’s program, we will be making vision boards!

Exploring Outdoor Photography – Community Meeting Room – Registration required
Tuesday, June 30, 12:30-1:30 pm
Following an introduction where we discuss photography concepts, we walk to a preselected location to learn about different photography techniques, such as portrait mode, panoramic photos, and more. We get hands-on practice with the iPhone camera’s different features, then return to the classroom for a slideshow of favorite photos.

Intro to Canva – Local History Room, Registration required
Tuesday, June 30 at 2:30 pm
Unlock your creativity and bring your ideas to life with Intro to Canva! This beginner-friendly course is perfect for anyone looking to create stunning visual content without needing graphic design experience. Whether you’re a student, small business owner, content creator, or just someone who wants to make eye-catching presentations, social media posts, flyers, or resumes, this course will walk you through the basics of using Canva.

Digital Art for Beginners: Exploring the Procreate App – Community Meeting Room, Registration required
Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 pm
In this class, we cover the basics of creating art in Procreate, the most popular digital art app for the iPad. We cover various features in the app, such as using different brushes, blending colors, and importing photos to work from. This class is for adults ages 18 and up. Check our August calendar for classes for kids and teens.

Setting Up a Gmail Account – Local History Room, Registration required
Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 pm
New to email or need help getting started? In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn how to create your own Gmail account using Google. We’ll guide you step-by-step through the sign-up process, choosing a secure password, and understanding the basics of sending, receiving, and organizing emails. You’ll also learn helpful tips for staying safe online and managing your inbox with confidence. No prior experience is needed—just bring your curiosity!

Business Setup & Digital Foundations – Dexter Hall, Registration required
Tuesday, June 30 at 6:00 pm
This is the first part of a six-part beginner-friendly workshop series designed to help small business owners and entrepreneurs build a professional, safe, and effective digital presence. Participants will learn practical digital skills, including branding, websites, AI tools, online visibility, cybersecurity awareness, and social media integration. Learn the essential first steps of establishing a professional business presence online. Topics include: Business entity basics (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation), choosing a business name, Domain name research and availability, Trademark and licensing lookup resources, username and social media handle consistency, Password safety and account protection, and Common online scams targeting small businesses.

This project was funded by the Massachusetts Broadband Institute at the MassTech Collaborative under the Municipal Digital Equity Implementation Program. Funding was provided by Massachusetts ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds.