“I have never met someone who was in the Navy,” wrote Watershed student, Brodie ‘26. “I would love it if you told me what places you went to and how long you were in the Navy? Did you go on any fighter jets?”
Gabi ‘26 wrote, “...One last question. You have so much more experience than me so if you could talk to your 12-year-old self, what advice would you give her?”
“Young at Heart: Communication and the Science of Aging,” a recent middle school expedition course, explored the science of aging and development, from birth to death and everything in between. Watershed educator Chelsea Zaniboni states, “Students in this course learned about developmental milestones in infants, hormonal changes during puberty, and neurological and physical changes later in life. They also built on their communication skills, learning how to ask questions or present information in such a way that gets people engaged.” In the spirit of pursuing Work that Matters, Watershed partnered with local retirement communities, and students corresponded with Senior Partners via letters and Zoom calls throughout the term.
“Because students would be interacting regularly throughout the quarter with their Senior Partners, we wanted to do as much as we could to set-up these pairings for success,” said Chelsea. “One of my goals as a teacher was for our kids to experience the mutual benefits of intergenerational sharing. And, perhaps through these relationships, to increase the level of respect for what both adolescents and seniors have to offer society. Luckily, I found leaders in our local retirement communities who shared these goals.”
Atria Senior Living in Westminster was one of Watershed’s community partners for this course. Residents at Atria Westminster participated in Zoom calls with Watershed students during which they shared life experiences and responded to students’ questions about family, travel, and memories. “Our Zoom partner’s name was Shirley. She was cool. She’d traveled all over, including a trip to the Amazon,” remembered Ayden ‘26. “When I told her how much I like cooking, she told me about all the dinner parties she used to host. We got to visit the senior living home and meet Shirley in person, though we were separated by the glass. I gave her my favorite spaghetti and meat sauce recipe. It was so nice to get to know her.”
The Engage Life Director at Atria Westminster, Jessica Romito shared these thoughts, “Our partnership with Watershed brought a new shining light to our residents. During a year where they have been socially isolated, to spend time with a younger generation finding commonalities was really heartwarming and gave our residents something to look forward to. Being able to share advice about their travels with students who are traveling to some of the same places was meaningful and helped our residents feel connected to the larger community. Chelsea was absolutely amazing to work with. Watershed seems to be doing a wonderful job of thinking outside the box with education and connection to others.”
Chelsea intends to continue the partnership. “Working with our elder partners was such a moving experience. Getting to hear memories of travels through the Amazon 50 years back, international magic shows, and 40-year teaching and nursing careers were really quite incredible,” she said. “It brought me so much joy to see students push past their conversational comfort zones and learn from the abundance of knowledge our elders have to offer. And our partners were just so great - they were joyful, and patient with the middle schoolers, and had such incredible stories to tell. I hope to continue to build on this partnership and engage our students with the elders in our community, especially as restrictions continue to lift and more opportunities for face-to-face interactions become available.”
**********************************************
Atria Senior Living is an Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in Westminster. Atria just celebrated its 1 year anniversary and currently has approximately 60 residents. We are a community that offers delicious chef-prepared dining, engaging activities, and the opportunity to create new friendships while learning and trying new things every day. This vibrant, modern community is tailored to active older people who want to spend more time doing what they love without the obligations of maintaining a home.
