Youth of the Month April: Landon Eisenhut
By Jeremy Brown
Some say that the current generation of youth struggle with interpersonal communication due to their immersion in technology.
While there may be truth in that, 16-year-old Landon Eisenhut is showing his community peers and adults that technology is a powerful tool in learning how to communicate and connect with others.
Eisenhut, Youth Resources’ April Youth of the Month, is the founder of the nonprofit organization iSENIOR. Inspired by his experience educating his grandfather on how to use an iPad, Eisenhut started iSENIOR fresh out of eighth grade to bridge the gap between senior citizens and technology.
Two years later, the soon-to-be junior swimmer at Castle has a volunteer base of over 30 community youth who regularly visit nursing and retirement homes. iSENIOR recently partnered with Walgreens to ensure its customers are educated with its app, and Eisenhut said that partnership may expand iSENIOR’s reach as far as Louisville.
“We use phones, tablets and everything all the time,” said Eisenhut. “We want to give back and share our knowledge with our community.”
Eisenhut is hopeful that his volunteer base continues to grow so that more seniors can be reached. Those interested in volunteering or receiving iSENIOR’s free services can visit senior.biz and contact Eisenhut directly. He and his team of volunteers are next presenting at SWIRCA Thursday at 6 p.m.
“Our volunteers get life-changing experiences. You’re not only gaining communication skills but you connect with senior citizens in the community.”
His passion for connecting with and educating seniors led to multiple accolades last month. He was a Bronze Finalist for the 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards in Indiana and received a signed letter from President Barack Obama as part of his President’s Volunteer Service Award.
It is not about the accolades for Eisenhunt, however, it is about the connections and experiences. His fondest memory of serving seniors was helping an elderly couple see their great-granddaughter for the first time via the FaceTime app.
“Connecting them with their families and their friends is my favorite part,” said Eisenhut. “When they first get on FaceTime they are all excited. They may otherwise isolated if it wasn’t for us exposing them to the technological world.”
Eisenhut’s recognition qualifies him as the first finalist for Youth Resources’ 2016-17 Youth of the Year award, which will be announced at YR’s 23rd Annual Hall of Fame Celebration in April 2017.
For more information and to nominate a student (5-18) for Youth of the Month, click here!
Jeremy Brown is the TEENPOWER, Special Events & Communications Coordinator at Youth Resources.