Saturday, June 11, 2011

Meadows School Project: Students And Seniors Unite



What a great way to bring generations together.

Students, ages 9 to 12, were bussed to an assisted living facility in Canada where they spent their full day of classes, for 5 weeks in the fall and 3 weeks in the spring:
"For the children, the project plan required that students spend time on their dedicated studies, which for a large part adapted well into the senior context. (i.e. study of immigration, study of the body's growth and aging, literature studies, singing, poetry memory work, spelling bees, and so on.) It also required each student to participate in at least ninety minutes of public service each week (e.g. setting the dining room tables, filling bird feeders, cleaning the classroom, etc.). The third aspect of the project created designated daily times for older adults and children to connect one-on-one, in small groups, or in audience/performer orientations."
- Meadows School Project: History of a Full Intergenerational Immersion Project 2000-2008
The video is rather moving towards the end. Sharon MacKenzie, the teacher who started the project:
"This is the texture of the society and the community that I think we're starting to lose."
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2 comments:

virginia said...

loved this, sent it to a few teachers, and posted on my blog...

Bix said...

That teacher was really motivated.

I like the woman with the hat. I mean, I really like her.