History and Mission

Many Connected Canadians volunteers are also newcomers to Canada. These volunteers benefit from the cultural awareness and conversational opportunities that come from their interaction with older clients, while clients feel a sense of pride and connection in helping to welcome and integrate these newcomers into our communities.

Our mandate is to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst older adults by promoting digital literacy skills and providing technology training and support.

By 2030, we want all Canadian seniors to have access to free technology training and support. Learn how you can help us reach this goal.

We believe that all people should be empowered to use technology safely and effectively, to engage with loved ones and enhance quality of life.

Check out our Programs to learn more.

Connected Canadians is a registered charity focused on digital literacy and digital inclusion. It was founded in Ottawa, Canada in January 2018. 

Co-founders and women in technology Emily Jones Joanisse and Tas Damen realized that they had both spent countless hours helping older adults in their network develop digital literacy skills. Despite their best efforts, they were unsatisfied with the reach of their activities, so they decided to partner to create an organization that would provide a more scalable and sustainable solution.

Connected Canadians uses a customized, person-centered learning approach. Volunteers with a high comfort level in technology are paired with senior clients. Working side-by-side, either one-on-one or in group workshops, they tackle clients’ various technology challenges, frequently learning together in real time.

Hear the stories of some of our learners on our testimonials page.