How to participate

BGTIME has two categories of participants—college students and senior citizens. The participants in both categories have been selected for the first year of the project. However, new participants will be selected for 2010. BGTIME currently has three centers—located at the Capital Senior Center, Oak Read Senior Apartments, and Still Hopes. These centers have been established for three years. In 2010, two additional BGTIME Centers will be opened. The locations for these two centers will be announced late in 2009. Openings will be available for both students and seniors at all five centers in 2010.

Students

Students enrolled in the USC College of Mass Communications and Information Studies and in the Benedict College School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; School of Education; and School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics are eligible to apply for participation in the BGTIME program. Students are selected based on their technology and communications capabilities and their commitment to community service. Students will be provided with 40 hours of specially designed training at USC's Ifra Newsplex prior to participating in the program. Students who complete the training successfully are provided with a $1,000 stipend and must provide at least 100 hours of training and mentoring to the seniors with whom they are assigned.

Click HERE to view the student application form. You can print it from the new window, or save the file.

Seniors

Seniors 60 years or older from all areas of the Midlands who would like to learn how to use digital media to share their experience, insight and historic perspective with the Midlands community should apply to be a BGTIME participant. Seniors who have access to the Internet may gain a better understanding of the program by reading some of the stories written by current participants on a broad range of topics. For seniors who are members of the Capital Senior Center or who are living in either a Columbia Housing Authority facility or at Still Hopes, we encourage you to talk with those seniors who are now participating in the initial year of the program. Most seniors have great stories to tell—take advantage of the opportunity to learn how to share those stories with others in our community.

Click HERE to view the senior application form. You can print it from the new window, or save the file.

For More Information

For more information about becoming a BGTIME participant, please contact the BGTIME Project Director at Carolyn@yourfoundation.org or by calling 803.254.5601 x328.