Volunteer
The success and impact of Virtual Connections depend on volunteer coaches working with people they know or with local agencies that have an interest in digital literacy efforts. Here are the first steps in volunteering in Michigan or outside of Michigan.
MICHIGAN
In mid-Michigan – Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties – Please contact Virtual Connections directly at virtualconnect@msu.edu. We will be able to get you prepared for coaching in smartphone and telehealth sessions delivered in collaboration with local partners. As a potential coach, you will be asked to submit your information to the Tri-County Office on Aging (TCOA), our local partner, for a background check.
Outside mid-Michigan the process will be different. If you live in Antrim or Otsego counties we will connect you with our local partners for follow-up. If you live elsewhere in Michigan and are interested in becoming a volunteer in organized coaching sessions, we will work with you to locate an agency or library where your volunteer services can be used. If they do not have a process for completing a background check, we will ask you to submit your information to TCOA for this purpose.
We are continually reaching out to potential partners in Michigan who are seeking volunteer coaches and will list these in the “Our Partners” section. If you belong to or know about a local agency or library that might be interested in sponsoring digital literacy sessions, please let us know and we will follow up with them and offer support in their efforts to launch sessions.
OUTSIDE OF MICHIGAN
If you are outside Michigan, you are welcome to use our free smartphone guides and telehealth videos with relatives and others you know. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer in organized coaching sessions, we will work with you to locate an agency or library where your volunteer services can be used. If you belong to or know about a local agency or library that might be interested in sponsoring digital literacy sessions, please let us know and we will follow up with them and offer support in their efforts to launch sessions.