Res Ipsa wrote:Jersey Girl, I’m intrigued. It looks like we have one in West Seattle that operates a pre-school inside a nursing home. Are there programs that do similar things with school agers?
The Seattle area was once renowned for it's early learning programs. I can't say how it is these days. Actually, Tacoma was my first introduction to early education more than 30 years ago. I fell in love with the practice and it's philosophy, and not a few years later, I married it. ;-)
Typically what you'll see is just as you described. Preschool children interacting with seniors. My hypothetical Village School System takes that a step further so that learning takes place throughout one's life span.
The virtual absence of school agers (elementary, middle school, high school) is the very reason I dreamed it up. So, I am unaware of programs that fill in the gap with those grade levels.
When you consider that program you located, think about how many young children live long distances away from their grandparents and how many seniors are deprived of interaction with younger generations. Think about the possible benefits to both in having those opportunities.
And consider this and I do believe it's one of the reasons that intergenerational programs work so well. Young children and the elderly are for all intents and purposes, at the same developmental stage in their lives. The only difference is that seniors are losing what preschoolers have yet to develop.
:-)
