Baltimore County Department of Aging has renewed its partnership with GetSetUp, an online, interactive learning community through which older adults better their lives through the pursuit of learning. Through this partnership, all Baltimore County residents age 60+ have free access to real-time, engaging learning experiences that range from teaching everyday technical skills to enrichment-focused courses taught by expert instructors.

Funded by a 2021 grant from the Maryland Department of Aging (BCDA), GetSetUp’s initial partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Aging was established to help reduce isolation and loneliness for older adults in Baltimore County. Since launching, residents have participated in classes and discussions on topics such as healthy aging, fitness, photography, technology and mental health. The platform features more than 4,000 classes in languages such as English, Spanish, Hindi, and Mandarin, featuring instructors and participants throughout the world.

“Adding GetSetUp to our catalog of virtual programs offered through the OPAL Center significantly increased our ability to reach individuals who do not attend senior centers,” said Jill Hall, Chief of the Senior Centers and Community Services Division of BCDA.  “We were also able to increase our programming in languages such as Hindi and Mandarin to serve a more diversified market.”

GetSetUp’s model of community-based classes taught by experts – older adults themselves – acquaints seniors with technology, fitness, art, and more, allowing them to share this knowledge with others. The platform’s most popular classes have been Morning Fitness, Decluttering, Tai Chi, Brain Games and Yoga; each with hundreds of participants at a time.

"We are thrilled to be continuing to partner with Baltimore County Department of Aging,” said Lawrence Kosick, president and co-founder at GetSetUp. “We admire how dedicated to meeting the needs of their older adults the county has been and the support they have fostered in scaling GetSetUp’s lifelong learning offerings to their older adult community. We look forward to reaching even more Baltimore county residents to assure that they, too, have the opportunity to stay active and engaged and reimagine themselves at any age in a safe, fun, and interactive way."

The Baltimore County Department of Aging offers free technology classes, tech support and resources to support the older adults in living connected in Baltimore County.