Corangamarah residents are trialling the use of iPads, and Colac Secondary College students are teaching them.

iPads are flat, portable computers.

Colac Area Health volunteer co-ordinator Karen Aucote said the home bought six iPads with funding from Western District Employment Access.

Mrs Aucote said she had read research which suggested new technology could help increase wellbeing.

“It was just a discussion that technology is a way to work with people that are feeling isolated and lonely,” she said.

“We needed the inter-generational training.”

Six Year Nine students volunteered to work with residents for the first session yesterday.

Student Madeline Dale said she volunteered because she was interested in aged care.

“I’ve thought of becoming an aged care worker when I am older, I thought this would tell me whether I wanted to or not,” Madeline said.

Colac Secondary College Year Nine community leader Ronice Knight said the iPad lessons would “help bridge the generation gap”.

“It’ll help give them confidence to engage with people they don’t know,” Mrs Knight said.

“And this shows them as good young citizens that can do things,” she said.

Corangamarah resident Lorraine Thomas said she hadn’t used an iPad before yesterday’s session.

“They are all right, but I’m not into this type of thing,” Mrs Thomas said.

“The young ones know more about it,” she said.

Mrs Aucote said she hoped the program would continue.

“You are only limited by your own imagination really,” she said.

Photo and article courtesy the Colac Herald