Residents of The Woodlands recently concluded the five-week Interages Program, in partnership with Silver Creek Middle School and the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA). The program’s goal is to build a better community together by fostering learning between students and seniors that leads to greater intergenerational understanding and respect.
Weekly seminars, where 6th-grade student volunteers and Kensington Park residents from the Woodlands spent time together writing, storytelling, and other one-on-one activities, were facilitated by the JCA program coordinator. Participants focused on the elements of “community” — building, understanding and defining it — through different projects each week. The culminating event was a celebratory social hosted in the Silver Creek Middle School media center.
Kensington Park and Silver Creek Middle School enjoy beneficial geographical proximity and we are thrilled to participate in this group effort to promote collaboration between generations that will help our local community thrive.
Many thanks to Dr. Traci Townsend and MYP/SSL Coordinator Renee Hill of Silver Creek Middle School for their commitment and trust as we plan a new mentorship program. We also greatly appreciate the contributions of Bonnie Leko-Shapiro, Leah Bradley, and Janel Peters from the JCA which are paramount to the success of this partnership. Lastly, a big thank you to The Woodlands residents who took part, the Kensington Park team and, especially, Tracy Clark, the activities coordinator at The Woodlands, for helping implement such an engaging community project.