A Senior Moment – A Message from the Founder

Our third mission statement reads, ” (3) …  is an innovative program that bridges the generation gap between Senior citizens and the youth.“

In the beginning this was a dream.

The idea was not new. We intuitively know that senior citizens can provide value to young people.

However, the question was, “how do seniors effectively share what they have to offer?”

This led a small group of us to embarked on a journey of developing an “inter-generational” learning environment.

We had supporters but surprisingly we also had skeptics and even adversaries who did not support this notion and actively tried to block our efforts.

The good news is, we keep moving forward.

Today, we consider our efforts successful and encourage other communities to be open to utilizing seniors as an educational resource.

Here is what we have learned in the last seven years.

1) Seniors are a Hidden Resource. Senior do bring a wealth of knowledge and skills that can be passed on to the younger generation.

Their knowledge is not out of date. In fact sometimes our knowledge is particularly relevant. Whether it’s cooking, gardening, woodworking, or a trade, seniors can pass on skills and knowledge that might not be learned in school.

2) Seniors as Mentors. Seniors can be valuable mentors to young people, offering guidance and support.

In our experience “trusted” bonds can be developed in these inter-active learning environments.

The nature of our STEM classes is experimental and creates dialogue among the students and the seniors. We have seen our longer classes create unique connections between student and teacher.

3) Seniors share Valuable Perspectives. Our senior instructors teach life skills and life sciences. This provides opportunity to offer insights into what life was like in the past and provide historical perspective on events that young people may not have experienced themselves.

4) Seniors and Young People Connect. When seniors and young people come together, they can form meaningful relationships.

In our view, Inter-Generational learning has an important role in education.

The value of seniors teaching youth cannot be overstated. By sharing their knowledge, skills, and experiences, seniors help prepare the next generation for success and make a meaningful contribution to their communities.