Haciendo Conexiones Intergeneracionales—Una Sonrisa a la Vez
Bettano, a former teacher, contacted Principal O’Mard of East Boston’s O’Donnell Elementary School, and Brian Johnston, a third-grade teacher at the school. She also contacted Lindsay Sulprizio, Activities Coordinator at the Elder Service Plan’s Barnes programa PACE Center, which is just a two-minute walk from the school. Together with Johnston’s kids and Sulprizio’s adults, this group formed an intergenerational program that had everyone smiling.
The children and adults first met at the Barnes PACE Center in February to create “Masterpizzas,” working in pairs to decorate “pizza” slices out of cardboard. Sulprizio recalls, “The looks on the kids’ and the elders’ faces were priceless. The participants looked so happy and the kids did as well.” After the success of that first meeting, Bettano, Sulprizio, and Johnston planned more activities. Bettano explains, “The projects were a means to an end—to have the kids get comfortable and forget the stigma of what an elderly person is supposed to be, discovering that elderly people have lots of experience and good stories to share.”
In March, it was time to share stories with the “Stir a Memory” activity. This engaging event fostered great conversations between the students and adults as they recalled favorite food memories. Drawings of everyone’s favorite foods were displayed for all to see. Johnston observed his kids sharing with the adults, noting, “The kids were always excited to go and spend time with their new friends. They had fun with the different activities, but, most importantly, they enjoyed doing the activities with their new friends.”
In the spring, the children and adults got together again to plant seeds, which they took home to grow. At the June meeting—the final one before summer vacation—the kids and adults requested a party with time to visit and play games. At the party, the smiles just kept coming. The kids and adults played Scrabble, Connect Four, cards, chess, and checkers, and exchanged hugs, cards, and little trinkets. Sulprizio notes, “The elders and the kids made such good relationships; it was so nice to see. One little girl asked me if she could come back over the summer with her mom to visit. She said she liked coming so much she would miss it over summer break.”
Bettano will restart the program this fall, and Johnston and Sulprizio are enthusiastic about jumping on board again. Bettano also hopes to coordinate programs between neighboring schools and the other Elder Service Plan PACE Centers at Lewis Mall and Winthrop.
Thinking about the success of the program, Bettano notes, “Doing it on a regular basis formed a bond between the kids and the adults. Both felt a connection and comfort with each other, which was the goal.” According to Johnston and Sulprizio, the program met and exceeded their goals. As Sulprizio commented, “Some participants who don’t really participate in the normal activities at the center light up when the kids come in. It’s a positive experience on all sides.”
El Centro de Salud Comunitario de East Boston (EBNHC) ha sido una parte vital de la comunidad por más de 40 años, ofreciendo atención médica fácil, accesible, y de alta calidad para todos los que viven y trabajan en East Boston y las comunidades cercanas de Chelsea, Revere, Everett, y Winthrop. El EBNHC atiende a 300,000 pacientes por año—más que cualquier centro de atención médica ambulatoria en Nueva Inglaterra.
