A new freshman class has started the journey of engaging with residents from Larksfield Independent Living in Wichita, KS. For the second half of the spring semester, students and residents will come together twice a week, both at Larksfield and on WSU's campus. The purpose? Capture each resident's story, compile a life story book/banner to be cherished for years to come, and gain new perspectives across generations. When we see the world through another generation's eyes, we begin to break down stereotypes we may hold against each other because of age alone. Students and residents alike have an opportunity to explore that even though we are decades apart in age, we have so much to gain if we look beyond the years. Day one required a little creativity to get organized, but once we got beyond the logistics of how to set the stage, everyone was off and running. As a considerably larger group this year, we organized into small pods. While it is a little different layout to begin than last year, it has provided a much more intimate setting and opportunity for students and residents to really get to know each other. When we are well underway with our story books/banners writing, small group discussion and story telling among the whole can happen. If I learned anything from teaching this for the first time last year, it is to be flexible - to let the students dive in, take the lead, and simply enjoy their time engaging across generations. As we go, I hope to capture snippets from student reflections of each weekly experience. Even after only one day, there is an energy and excitement about the experience unfolding. Here are a handful of the initial student reactions to the project... Student Snapshots "We (student and resident) both agreed that greater collaboration on both fronts is critical to closing the age gap that separates us. All in all, I believe this will be a very personal project that will extend far beyond the walls of this class and into the atmosphere of my world..." "I think that very often college age students or even teenagers get so caught up in responsibilities in life that having a conversation with a complete stranger or making connection with someone is not something that happens enough. Meeting with my resident was a refreshing moment for me in the last week. It felt good to lay aside all my worries and problems and connect with someone much older than myself." "I was not expecting it to go as well as it did because we all have never met before. It was a good surprise." "I consider myself a history buff and am excited to talk more with my resident about events from the past." "I'm in awe that even at 83 he not only wants to stay working but is physically able to get up and actively create positives effects on his community." "I think that this experience will be equally beneficial for us both to be able to share our stories especially since we are both open minded people." "It went a lot better than what I was expecting. It was eye opening to hear her stories about when she was younger. It makes me excited to continue to talk to her!" Thanks for following Sharing Life Stories with Shockers!
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AuthorHi! I am Jacie Green, an instructor in the aging studies program at Wichita State University. Follow our freshman class journey as we engage with residents from a local senior living community. Enjoy! Archives
May 2023
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