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By Katrina Margolis
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The divide between generations can be hard to bridge, especially when it comes to the very young and the older. However, the brilliant minds at Mitchell Elementary School and the Needham Council on Aging have come up with a plan to help bridge this gap and facilitate the transfer of knowledge between the two. Colleen Soldato is a teacher of fifth grade at Mitchell and the mastermind behind the Intergenerational Pen-Pals program. Now in its third year, Jessica Moss, a Social Worker at the Center at the Heights described the program and its progress.
“We have several participants at the Council on Aging who have been involved from the beginning of the program as well as others who have joined in along the way!” she exclaimed. How did this program come into being? “The program was initiated by Colleen Soldato. The students start off the process by writing the first letter to the seniors. The letters contain fun facts about themselves including information about their families, what activities they enjoy doing, and what they are learning in school, among other topics,” Moss said.
While the children share details about their own lives, the seniors have a chance to respond and share their own experiences as well. “The students will typically ask the seniors questions about their childhoods, families, and interests,” Moss explained. Not only are the children learning from their elders, but they are also engaging in the lost art of letter writing, a process that helps them with their spelling, their writing, and their communication skills. However, since letter writing is not necessarily a day-to-day activity, it takes time to exchange the letters. “The time in between letters varies based on the scheduled of the seniors and students. There is no set length for the letters,” said Moss.
Writing is fantastic, but there is only so much one can learn from reading. Fortunately enough, Mitchell School and the Council on Aging are close enough to each other that the pen pals can meet. “There have been gatherings in the past so the seniors and students can meet in person,” Moss said. While this years’ crew hasn’t yet met, Moss said, “Hopefully this is in the cards for this cohort as well!”
Overall, the program brings together two groups of people that wouldn’t necessarily meet otherwise. Moss sums it all up perfectly: “It is a wonderful way to bring generations together in a way that is enjoyable for all!”
