Northeast Ohio Seniors Cross Generations to Share Experience

Seniors in Ashtabula, OH have the opportunity to teach young adults and learn a little bit along the way through an intergenerational initiative co-sponsored by the Senior AIDES Program and youthOPPORTUNITIES! (yO!).

The collaboration began in 2003 when the two programs moved into the same building at the Ashtabula County Department of Job and Family Services Office of Workforce Development. Entitled "Building Bridges: Linking the Future with the Past," the project is the brainchild of Senior AIDES Project Director Ed Fleisher and yO! Project Coordinator Jeff Seth. Their initial program received a nomination for the U.S.Department of Labor Region 5 Best Practice Award.

The thriving partnership continued this year when seven seniors joined seven students from the Accelerated Career Exploration Class at the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School. The "juniors" and the "seniors" shared experiences relating to family, education, work, transportation, technology and leisure pursuits, and learned of the challenges that face both generations. Swapping stories and slang, the group also compiled a photo scrapbook to preserve their memories of the weekly Wednesday meetings.

"We're learning a lot from the older people," said yO! student Duane Yates. "We compare our teenage lives to theirs. It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

The seniors all agreed. "The interactions were great," said Senior AIDES Job Developer Judy McGinnis, also a senior participant in the program. "I think we were all surprised by how much everyone learned from each other. The kids and the seniors have to deal with the same issues like employment and transportation, so we're not really that far apart."

In addition to intergenerational programs, seniors in Ashtabula also have access to a diverse array of programming at the Ashtabula Senior Center. Recently the Center created a "Memorial Wall" upon which veterans or their spouses could sign their names or inscribe tributes to friends who served. "It brought back memories," said Senior Aide Mel Hendrix, who signed his father's name to the wall.

The Senior Center also sponsored an "Older Americans Appreciation Day" on May 21. Youth from yO! acted as greeters and helped serve lunch, while the seniors had the opportunity to participate in a Medicare question and answer session with representatives from Sen. George Voinovich's office.

Read an article from the May 22, 2004 issue of the Star Beacon ...

Read an article from the June 2004 Ohio Works First Newsletter ...