| 1992 |
December |
The Executive Board of the IBM San Jose Retirement Club, knowing that IBM and Pacific Bell had committed funding for a SeniorNet Learning Center in San Jose, asked Phil Carnahan to lead an effort to start a center in San Jose. |
| 1993 |
February |
Initial meetings with Willows Staff. A site at the Willows Senior Center was located and contract negotiations were started between SeniorNet and the city of San Jose. |
|
June |
IBM approves sponsorship funding |
|
December |
San Jose City Council approves SeniorNet contract |
| 1994 |
January |
Classroom is populated with 7 IBM PS/1's. 38 volunteers attend the "teach-the-teachers" class. Six IBM computers and printers were received
and 35 volunteers were trained by SeniorNet's Dick Perkins and
Joe Walton. A committee composed of a few of the volunteers worked
with Pam Wagner-Rosales, Co-Director of the Willows Senior Center,
to plan the start of classes and a Grand Opening ceremony. |
|
March 9 |
Open Registration - 300 apply; 120 are enrolled in ten "Intro" classes; remainder are wait-listed. |
| |
March 14 |
Ten classes in Introduction to Computers started. |
|
March 26 |
Grand Opening ceremony on March 25, hosted by Pam, attended by Mayor Susan Hammer, Councilman Frank Fiscallini, Mary Furlong, sponsor representatives and more than 100 others. |
|
May |
First ten classes are completed; Second session of classes begins; Saturday class is added |
| 1995 |
January |
2 PC's added - total now 9. 35 inch TV installed to display instructor's screen |
|
April |
10 PC's (one PC given by Intel). 69 Volunteers. Applications for Enrollment Pass 1000 |
| |
May |
SNLC has the largest membership of all 55 SeniorNet Learning Centers with over 500 members. |
|
September |
11 PC's (one IBM Aptiva purchased) |
|
November |
16 PC's (five PC's given by Intel and Acer) |
|
December |
18 PC's (one IBM Aptiva and one compatible purchased). Volunteers build new furniture and restructure classroom |
| 1996 |
January |
Willows SNLC was featured in the Japanese magazine ASAHI |
|
March |
72 Volunteers |
|
April |
The President s Service Award Citation, Points of Light Foundation, presented by President Bill Clinton. This was followed by congratulatory letters from: Senator Dianne Feinstein, May, 1996, Governor Pete Wilson, June, 1996 |
|
May |
Commendation: City of San Jose, presented by Mayor Susan Hammer. The SNLC is still the largest of 75 SeniorNet Learning Centers with over 550 members. |
|
June |
Applications for Enrollment Pass 1500 |
| 1997 |
June |
75 Volunteers. Applications for Enrollment Pass 2000 |
|
June |
Third Place, Learning Centers, World Wide Web Page Contest |
| 1998 |
April |
Applications for Enrollment Pass 2500. All 18 PC's now upgraded for Multimedia; now have six phone lines |
|
June |
Web page launched |
|
August |
Over 1500 people have taken one or more classes (over 4300 students have been taught). 76 Volunteers (24 have taught, 68 have coached, all have helped) |
| 1999 |
November |
Edwin Dewling Service Award initiated for outstanding volunteers |
| 2000 |
January |
Jerry White is first volunteer to be presented with the Dewling Award |
|
April |
Applications for Enrollment Pass 4000 |
|
April |
City of San Jose Outstanding Volunteer Award presented by Mayor Ron Gonzales |
|
August |
San Jose splits into three centers, The Willows, Almaden and Cypress. |
| 2001 |
October |
Al Hubbard presented Dewling Award |
| 2002 |
December |
The first Willows volunteer holiday potluck is held |
| 2003 |
September |
The willows SeniorNet Learning Center is featured as the cover story for the Willow Glen Resident |
| 2004 |
March |
The Willows SeniorNet Learning Center celebrates its tenth anniversary. We held an afternoon banquet attended by SeniorNet Officers, former officers, District 6 Councilman, and 200 current Willows members. |
|
March |
Commendation: City of San Jose, presented by Mayor Ron Gonzales and Councilman Ken Yeager. For 10 years of exemplary service and education to San Jose seniors. |
| 2005 |
June |
Grant from EBay and City of San Jose to upgrade 20 machines |
|
September |
Electronic Newsletter initiated to announce registrations |
| |
November |
SNLCSJ received a grant from the city of San Jose for a loop system to be installed in the Lab so that students with a T-Coil on their hearing aides can turn it on to improve their hearing. Thanks to Ron Springer, Tom Wilson, and Joe Russo.
|
|
December |
Amplified sound system with T-coil system is installed. |
| 2006 |
February |
Applications for enrollment are 5828. One hundred and two Volunteers (26 Instructors, others are coaches and administrative staff). Five sessions/year; 13 Courses/Session; 5 days/week |
|
April |
President's Volunteer Service Award: Joe Russo, the Coordinator for SeniorNet at the Willows Learning Center, is presented with the Volunteer Service Award from President Bush. |
| 2007 |
January |
Flat-panel monitors installed on all computers. |
| 2007 | March | Late registration via
telephone begun |
| October | Mail-in proxies accepted for
registration |
| 2008 | June | Dick Blum receives the first
Judy Moak Award |
| October | Implemented data base
registration |
| October | Machines were loaded with
both Windows XP and Vista and the user could choose operating system at
"boot up" |
| October | Willows Learning Center
enrolls its 10,000 student |
| December | Willows receives the
SeniorNet Chairman's Award |
| 2009 | March | Willows Awarded Best
Practices in Advertising & Marketing from SeniorNet |
| August | "How-To" Videos from Willows
LC put on youtube.com |
| August | Triple boot with XP, Vista and
Windows 7 operating system was achieved |
| 2010 | December | Slide show introductions
to classes at Willows put on youtube.com |
| 2011 |
April |
SeniorNet Willows officially became a non-profit 501(c)3 organization through the extra efforts of Dick Ferman. It was four years ago, on Oct 7, 2007, that President Joseph Russo suggested we apply for 501c(3) status. |
| |
May |
Our national organization, SeniorNet, celebrated its 25 anniversary in Washington D.C. As part of that celebration, they asked each of the SeniorNet Learning Centers to send them a video telling them about their local organization. The Willows video is at youtube.com/watch?v=gncCJPUZVkY |
