School Partnerships Connect Generations and Build Career Skills
St. John’s collaborations with Allendale Columbia School and Edison Career and Technology High School, which are helping independent living residents and local students learn from one another in meaningful ways, were the theme of discussion on WXXI Connections with Evan Dawson recently.
Bonding through memories
Through Allendale Columbia School’s intergenerational learning program, St. John’s Meadows residents visit seventh-grade students throughout the school year to connect through conversations, storytelling, and shared activities. The program is designed to foster relationships while giving students an opportunity to learn from residents’ life experiences.
“This program is great,” said Rachel Hucko, a teacher at Allendale Columbia School. “When Marie reached out, I knew that Allendale would be a great fit, but also the seventh graders.”
Hucko said seventh grade is a critical time in a student’s development as they begin to form their identities. Connecting with older adults who have navigated many of life’s challenges and milestones offers students a valuable perspective.
Students say the conversations have broadened their understanding of different generations. Kate Hucko, a seventh-grade student participating in the program, said she enjoys learning about similarities and differences between life today and in previous generations. “I wondered what the similarities are and what some of the differences are from when they were our age,” she said.
Real life work experience
Another partnership with Edison Career and Technology High School provides students with hands-on experience in dining and environmental services operations at St. John’s Meadows. The program introduces students to workplace expectations while helping them build practical skills in a professional setting. Experiences are tailored to students’ interests and strengths. “This is more of a unique setting, that these kids are getting some form of actual training and job flow that maybe, they would not be getting in another situation,” said David Watkins, St. John’s Executive Director of Dining Services .
According to Daniel Santiago, job coach at Edison Tech, students value the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in a working environment and appreciate feeling like part of the St. John’s Meadows team. “They really enjoy the idea of getting the feel of real employment,” Santiago said.
Both of these partnerships demonstrate the value of connecting education with real-world experiences. Whether through conversations that bridge generations or workplace learning that prepares students for future careers, the programs continue to create lasting benefits for residents and students alike.