The series Old People's Homes for Teenagers has inspired teachers to take their students' learning outside the classroom and share it with older people in aged care homes and retirement villages.
The Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (associated with Griffith University) is a knowledge resource hub and training centre for intergenerationalism. It reports burgeoning inspirational programs between schools and groups of older people across Australia.
"Intergenerational learning" programs connect students in classrooms with older people to have conversations, share experiences, trade jokes, sing, dance and participate in arts and craft activities together. School curriculum topics are integrated into these interactions.
Intergenerational learning programs are relatively easy to facilitate when both age groups are in the same area or via videoconferencing.
You can often recognise participants in these programs by their smiles, which are wide and long like a summer's day.
For many older people, these programs are a highlight of their week — an opportunity to transcend the drudgery of the day.
For teenagers, they are opportunities to connect with someone who they perceive is perhaps more vulnerable than themselves, and this is a positive experience.
Teenagers can benefit in many ways from intergenerational connections
The findings from interviews by Intergenerational Learning Australia show that regular guided conversations between students and older people enable meaningful connections, mental stimulation and a new sense of purpose.
For teenagers, conversations with older people about their learning or school happenings is a fresh way to connect with a "real audience" and "real purpose".
In interviews responses of teenage students who have participated in intergenerational learning programs, two recurring themes were the non-judgemental friendship of trusted older people towards them and the resulting positive boost to their mental health, which was reported to be like a breath of fresh air and relieved a lot of stress.
Students feel more confident to talk about a range of syllabus topics during these interactions and in other classes. They enjoy being listened to, and in turn, their listening skills improve.
Similarly, parents and teachers observe positive changes among their students: increased attentiveness in those who struggle to concentrate, and new historical insights into concepts they are studying in class.
Parents report seeing new aspects of their teenage child's personality, and growth in confidence. They say their child seems less stressed, looks forward to school when intergenerational learning is happening and even that it seems to be "life-changing" for their children.
Similarly, teachers report better dynamics in the classroom and kinder interactions among students.
Teachers can adapt class activity to create new learning environments
Any syllabus content can be adapted by teachers and students to share with older people. These can be integrated with creative activities including writing, painting and telling stories about sport, pets, hobbies and so on.
In other words, when students connect with elders, an exciting new environment is created to facilitate enjoyable learning experiences.
For older people, their enjoyment is instantly recognisable. They love seeing and talking with young people, making comparisons between their own experiences of growing up and those of the students.
Older people have wisdom to share, and they are always affirming. Once the two groups get to know each other well, there is always plenty of laughter.
Steps to setting up an intergenerational program for your class
The same set-up process is required whether you have interactions in the same room as the older people or via videoconference. Both modes work very well.
Make a decision to have a go, and be prepared to devote an hour of class time each week for an entire term.
Approach this as a pilot project where you learn the joys and hurdles, and how to improve the process for next term. (Don't think of this as additional curriculum — it is enhancing existing curriculum.)
Contact the lifestyle coordinator at the aged care home or retirement village and discuss partnering in a pilot project.
Once a time is arranged between the schedules of the school and the aged care home, you're off and running.
You can also collect pre- and post-program data to measure improved learning outcomes, such as new vocabularies, less anxiety about being at school and increased confidence with public speaking.
Organise a running sheet for how sessions will work. This might consist of two students hosting the session like a presenter on Q+A. Include an Acknowledgement of Country; an exchange of jokes between students and elders; question time; show and tell; and some movement to music activities.
In each session, the exchange is mutual. Both groups trade questions and stories to facilitate connections, new understandings and surprises.
Although the topics will change, keep the structure the same each week. In this way, participants become familiar with the way the sessions work.
Finally, we have found that successful implementation relies on having enthusiastic teachers and lifestyle managers who are highly engaged and able to facilitate positive interactions. Fortunately, there are plenty of these around!
Greg Cronan and Dr Pauline Griffiths are from Intergenerational Learning Australia. After completing studies at Griffith University, Greg Cronan has been implementing the Intergenerational Learning and Wellbeing program into schools and aged care organisations since 2019. After enjoying the role of school principal, Dr Pauline Griffiths is now an Associate Professor in the School of Creative and Cultural Research at the University of Canberra. Pauline has two PhDs in music and creative writing and is a creative care practitioner that integrates musical instruments.
Visit iview to watch Old People's Home For Teenagers.