Intergenerational Learning, COVID lockdowns, Christmas Cheer & old people Ch 7 News Sydney Dec 2020

In Dec 2020 after a year of lockdowns, Year 6 students in the Intergenerational Learning and Wellbeing program finally visited the residents they had only met via video calls, at a local aged care home.
To ensure a 1.5 metre distance, students stood on the grass area while the residents were on the first floor balcony.
They spoke to each other using a wireless microphone and speaker system. It was like a scene from Romeo and Juliet, except this version involved school students and old people.
Being Christmas time, the students and residents exchanged gifts, shared some jokes and sang a few Christmas songs.
The foundations of this program have been based on the research by academics at Griffth University's "Intergenerational Care" team. Three years later the "Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice was established by Emeritus Professor Anneke Fitzgerald and fellow academics from Griffth University.
The program is now in its sixth year and has been implemented in Sydney, Brisbane and regional areas of NSW and QLD from Wagga Wagga to Cairns.
We appreciate the vision of the leadership teams at the schools, aged care homes and other aged care organisations who have implemented and continued this program.
Special thanks to Michael Hopley (Principal), Cathy Moses (teacher) and fellow teachers at OLQP Catholic Primary School Greystanes (NSW) for their pioneering leadership with this program.
Thank you also to Channel 7 News Sydney for an excellent news report. This can also be viewed on the Channel 7 News Sydney Facebook page:
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To see how this program has impacted the student's wellbeing, their attitudes about being resilient and grateful during hard times, view these videos:
• RUOK Day Intergenerati...
• RUOK Day - Eva's Breat...
• RUOK Day - Intergenera...