Community heART: Connecting Generations

1. Community heART:Connecting Generations • Presented by Alexandra Roberts • AED 618: Partnership • Kristi Oliver

2. The CAST • Wellfleet Elementary School: Alexandra Roberts: k-5 art teacher, 13Grade 3 Students • Wellfleet Council on Aging (COA): Terri Frazier- Office Manager, 6 Senior Citizen Members of the COA

3. PROGRAM GOALS:WES STUDENTS • TO ENCOURAGE AN INTERACTION AND TO PROVIDE A CONNECTEDNESS TO THE ELDERS. • TO GAIN AN APPRECIATION OF THE AGING PROCESS AND REDUCE AGE RELATED STEREOTYPES. • TO TEACH THE BENEFITS OF WORKING AS PARTNERS WITH SENIOR CITIZENS TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL.

4. PROGRAM GOALS:SENIOR CITIZENS • TO OBTAIN A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND VALUE THROUGH CONNECTEDNESS AND ENGAGEMENT TO THIER COMMUNITY’S YOUTH. • TO BE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPEL STEREOTYPES OF ELDERS. • TO FOSTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND SHARING OF EXPERIENCES

5. review of the literature Benefits of Intergenerational Partnerships: • While traditionally, there may have been a view that the adults were the providers of service and the children were the recipients, the prevailing perspective appears to be that senior participants receive a coequal benefit from their participation. In many programs, whether they have involved community service or mainstream educational learning, there has been a consistent recognition of the benefits received by older adults. These include, allowing the older adults to remain productive, useful and valued as contributing members of society allowing adults to apply lifetime skills to new challenges, to dispel stereotypes about inability of senior citizens to be productive, and to allow senior citizens to learn from young people and employ new technologies (Generations United, 2002). • Young participants have opportunities to be recognized and valued for their productiveness and skills, and can gain an awareness and appreciation of the aging process. They also receive the guidance, wisdom, support and friendship of senior participants (Generations United, 2002). Mentoring programs help establish relationships of mutual caring and trust between young people and older adults (Kaplan, 2002; Flaxman, Ascher, and Harrington, 1988)

6. Review of the literature cont... • Not only do these programs enhance academic skills and performance for children, but they have resulted in positive attitudes toward aging and the senior citizens in their communities (Kaplan, 2002). Respect for the skills and life experiences that the seniors bring to these programs is fostered, and young people can see past negative stereotypes and learn that despite physical limitations, senior adults have extensive knowledge, abilities and positive perspectives on life (Kaplan, 2002) • It takes planning and concentrated efforts to prepare the participants in working together in the program (Generations United, 2002). Programs need a balanced relationship between young and old participants; each gives and each receives (Generations United, 2002).

7. THE PLANNING & PROCESS • Met with fellow staff and community members to brainstorm ideas about where a partnership would be of good service to Wellfleet’s community. • Connected with Wellfeet’s COA to discuss the possibilities of a partnership. Met with the office manager to plan the dates, location, logistics and task list for each of us. • Met with our school’s principal to discuss plan and approval from our school committee. • IRB approval and consent forms were distributed and returned • Day 1 of the Partnership: Seniors arrived early to fill out guest forms. Students and Seniors were placed into groups and completed a questionnaire relating to commonalities of their childhoods and living n Wellfleet. Results were shared among the class and a chart of commonalities among the groups was created. • Day 2: Each group chose a topic based on the following choices: Hobbies, Toys and Games, Why we love Wellfleet, and, Places we’ve lived. The canvases were started: chalk drawings on black paint. • Day 3: Groups continued to work on their canvases-completing the chalk drawing and adding white paint. The first of two questionnaires was distributed to the seniors. • Day 4: The Culminating Event at COA: Students took bus to COA where we met with our senior participants. Students and Seniors worked together to create paper dolls, snack and conversation was had, the canvases were put on display in the lobby and survey’s were distributed to both seniors and students

8. WORKING AT W.E.S.

9. data collection • Notes taken during planning meetings • Memos and observational notes • Questionnaires • Photographs • The Art: multi-media-paint, chalk, paper and photographs on canvas

10. Methodology: Goal Based Evaluation • Notes taken during planning focused on what the planning process entails and acted as a tool for me to evaluate whether we met the the goals of our developed plan. • Senior Citizen questionnaire focused on the impacts of the partnership, the strengths and weaknesses of the partnership, whether goals were met and, recommendations • Student questionnaire focused on the impacts of the partnership, the opinions of Intergenerational Partnerships, and attitudes on aging. • Responses to the questionnaires were compiled and used to inform conclusion and recommendations. • Notes taken during the planning process were used to inform conclusion and recommendations. • Observational notes were used to inform discussion and recommendations.

11. WORKING AT COA: Culminating Event

12. results:senior responses • This partnership was effective in meeting my goals and expectations for the experience. • strongly agree=67% • somewhat agree=33% • After my participation in this partnership, I find Intergenerational partnerships beneficial. • strongly agree=100% • I feel like this partnership reduced age related stereotypes. • somewhat agree=67% • strongly agree=33% • I feel this partnership contributed to my role in the Wellfleet community closeness. • strongly agree=100% • I feel the artwork reflected the information and connection during the partnership. • strongly agree=100%

13. Results: Student responses • How the partnership changed feelings of growing old: 90% of responses were positive. 10% had no change. “I think growing older might be fun”(student).“Good, because when I’m older I can still have fun”(student).“It made me feel better about growing up”(student). • What students learned from the elders: 90% of responses were positive, 10% had no response. 40% said it was fun to connect with the elders, 20% said they learned how to have fun. “I learned what kinds of things they did when they grew up” (student). • What the elders learned from students: What it is like for children to grow up today-40% That kids are polite-20% “Maybe I reminded them of what it was like being a kid “(student). • Would students participate in an Intergenerational partnership, again? 70% said they would love to, 20% said ok, and 10% said they were not sure. • The favorite things about the experience: 36 %said that it was fun, 36%said they enjoyed making art, “I enjoyed spending time with them and talking”(student).

14. Reaching the goals FOR SENIORS: • TO OBTAIN A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND VALUE THROUGH CONNECTEDNESS AND ENGAGEMENT TO THIER COMMUNITY’S YOUTH:-”What I gained from this experience is immeasurable. The experience brings me, “back to basics”, just observing their laughter and excitement in doing the simple things in life!” ~senior • TO BE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISPEL STEREOTYPES OF ELDERS:“It made me feel better about growing up”.~student, age 8. “Growing old may be fun”. ~student, age 8. “There was an atmosphere of mutuality”.~senior • TO FOSTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GENERATIONS AND SHARING OF EXPERIENCES: In listing a strength in the partnership, our participating seniors said that, “It can reveal both commonalities and differences of experiences, likes and memories.” “It was fun to see pictures of them when they were young”~student, age 8

15. reaching the goals for students • TO ENCOURAGE AN INTERACTION AND TO PROVIDE A CONNECTEDNESS TO THE ELDERS.”It is fun to connect with them”~student, age 8 • TO GAIN AN APPRECIATION OF THE AGING PROCESS AND REDUCE AGE RELATED STEREOTYPES. “I think growing older might be fun”.~student, age 8 • TO TEACH THE BENEFITS OF WORKING AS PARTNERS WITH SENIOR CITIZENS TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL. “It’s fun to make art with partners”.~student, age 8

16. Sharing with our Principal

17. The Art: multi-media-paint, chalk, paper and photographs on canvas

18. Our Intergenerational Partnership art piece on display our COA

19. Recommendations • Offer more Intergenerational partnerships within our community. • To plan well, stay organized, confirm plans with all participants. (bussing, date conflicts) • Allow for ample time. • Be sure to have all contact information for senior participants to remind them of dates and to catch up folks who have missed a session as well as to firm up plans for the following session. • Lead by example to create enthusiasm and as well as a positive and creative atmosphere.

20. Conclusion • Consistent with the literature, this study confirmed the benefits of intergenerational programs in the educational process. Students and senior partners expressed positive experiences and benefits from working together in the creation of an art project. The partnership demonstrated a mutual respect and recognition of how interaction and communication between generations can achieve a positive goal. This comports with the many studies that support the need for further intergenerational programs in our communities, and in particular, in our educational systems. (Kaplan, 2002; Andrews 2011).

21. References • Andrews, B.W. (2011). The good, the bad, and the ugly: Identifying effective partnership practices in arts education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science: 1(13). pp. 38-46. • Flaxman, E., Ascher, C., & Harrington, C. (1988). Mentoring programs and practices: An analysis of the literature. N.Y.: Teachers College, Columbia University, Institute for Urban and Minority Education. • Freedman, M. 1999. PrimeTime: How Baby boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America. New York: Public Affairs. • Fried, L.P., Freedman, M., Endres, T., Rebok, G.W., Carlson, M.C., Seeman, T.E., Tielsch, J., Glass, T.A., Wasik, B., Frick, K.D., Ialongo, N., & Zeger, S. (2000). The Experience Corps: A social model for health promotion, generativity, and decreasing structural lag for older adults. Symposium presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. November 17-21, Washington, DC. • Generations United. (2002). Young and old serving together: Meeting community needs through intergenerational partnerships. Washington. DC: GU. • Jones, R.V. (1992). University-school partnerships:An organizational evaluation. Paper presented at the Partners in Education: Practical Solutions Through Partnership Conference, Park City, UT. • Kaplan, M. (2001). School-based intergenerational programs. Hamberg, Germany:Unesco Institute for Education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/education/uie/pdf/schoolbasedip.pdf • Kaplan, M. (2002). Intergenerational programs in schools: Considerations of form and function. Intergenerational Review of Education, 48(5): 305-334. • Newman, S., Karip, E., & Faux, R.B. (1995). Everyday memory function of older adults: The impact of intergenerational school volunteer programs. Educational Gerontology, 21: 569-580. • Newman, S. & Larimer, B. (1995). Senior Citizen School Volunteer Program: Report on cumulative data. 1988-1995. Pittsburgh, PA: Generations Together. • Rossberg-Gempton, I.E., von Dickinson, J. and Poole, G. (1999). Creative Dance: Potentiality for enhancing social functioning in frail seniors and young children. Arts in Psychotherapy, 26 (5): 313-327. • Short-DeGraff, M.A. & Diamond, K. (1996). Intergenerational program effects on social responses of elderly adult day care members. Educational Gerontology, 22: 467-482. • Taylor, A.S., LoSciuto, L., Fox, M., Hilbert, S.M., Sonkowsky, M. (1998). The mentoring factor: Evaluation of the Across Ages’ intergenerational approach to drug abuse prevention. In V. Kuehne (Ed.), op cit., pp. 77-99.