Entry #36: Bringing together
the old and the young

Colorado Springs, CO -- After driving 37,865 miles through 44 states while visiting with hundreds of educators, parents, and students in over two dozen schools, I was looking forward to some time to digest and reflect on what we have learned this year.

We chose Colorado Springs as our final destination, a kid-friendly place with lots for our boys to do while I checked in to the local library to find a quiet place to review collected materials and plan out my presentation to my school in August.

All was going according to plan, with the boys scheduled to have sports and outdoor camps for two weeks. I even found the library to be within biking distance from our RV park and dropped by to learn their hours of operation. That's when I found out about the West Center for Intergenerational Learning housed on the campus of West Middle School. So much for digesting and reflecting.

You see, I happen to be reading Mary Pipher's book, Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders. After reading Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other, I wanted to see what this insightful author had to say about the elderly and aged. I had just read about her description of our country as being "age segregated" and that "for our own mental and societal health, we need to reconnect the age groups." She even wants "schools to be facilities where people of all ages can work and play."

So when I learned that West Center was a place for ages 0-100, it caught my interest. What I found was a middle school with an attached daycare, family resource center and senior center all in one. Funded by city, district and private agencies, they are open daily from early to late, all year round. What intrigued me the most was learning about the school field trips chaperoned by seniors, the nine retired band members practicing and marching with the school band, and the students coming in to the preschool classes for reading time. In the eight years the center has been open, the relationships have only been limited by the openness of the school staff.

The idea for the field trips came from a first-year teacher at West who observed the seniors going on their own trips to places like the Science Center and Museums. Unable to get enough parent involvement, she had more than enough senior volunteers. They were able to come along free of charge and they even enjoyed being around the kids.

While the age integration in Band stopped with the leaving of the teacher, the music room is still being used to the fullest. After 3rd period, the room is readied for the daily senior lunch served by, among others, middle school student volunteers. Even though the school year has ended, I observed 14-year-old Amanda Haug serving food to 20 seniors -- all of whom couldn't say enough good things about her. (see photo)

This ninth grader-to-be actually splits her volunteer time between the morning elementary summer program and the mid-day lunches, 3 days a week. While Amanda admits to needing volunteer hours to make her more marketable for future jobs and colleges, she really likes being around the older generation. Her friends, on the other hand, are "busy" at home watching TV.

Standing in the foyer of West Center, I couldn't help but think how pleased Mary Pipher would be to see preschoolers scurrying past the older folks waiting for art class and the "Amandas" listening to stories of World War II and life in the 50's.

So, as I get back to the task of pulling together all I have learned about parent involvement and community support, I don't mind these occasional interruptions. It's what has made this journey so worthwhile.


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