Sample Senior Youth Bridge Proposal for Administration

Purpose

Senior-Youth Bridge connects seniors with youth for pen-pal correspondence and virtual visits. Students gain the perspectives of their elders. Seniors enjoy sharing time with the youth. Communication can begin with letters from students which are brought to senior centers and hospitals. Reply letters are brought to school or emailed and seniors who wish to meet virtually can select virtual visit time slots from a calendar (see www.senioryouthbridge.com)

Outcomes:

Seniors are happy to engage with youth and build relationships. They will feel valued and appreciated and be less lonely and isolated. They will be mentally stimulated by interactions and writing.

Students gain perspective on life from those with wisdom gained from experience. They will learn first-hand the value of reaching out in building relationships and community. They will feel better about life/themselves by bringing happiness to others.

This initiative integrates with different club objectives. Students will:

practice kindness - Kindness clubs

gain perspective on history - history related club

possibly share artwork - art related club

make mini-documentaries (if requested and fully approved) - film-making club

practice Spanish writing and speaking skills in meaningful context - Spanish club, Spanish National Honor Society

practice and apply writing skills - English Honor Society

be of service to their community - National Honor Society

Plan

Advisor:

Logistics: Student introductory letters are brought to Senior Centers/Hospitals, either by paper or emailed to the Center Director (to distribute). Senior citizens who wish to respond can write a paper letter, or email, and/or select from student virtual visit availability on an online calendar. (Time slots of 20 minutes can be added for 20, 40, and 60 minute visits.) Seniors are asked to fill in their email address and other optional information when a time slot is selected. If a zoom session is selected, zoom links and reminders are automatically generated and sent.

Set-up: Senior Youth Bridge (SYB) student gmails (forwarding to used emails) are created for all participating students. Sabina Schrynemakers posts student names, linked to their SYB gmails, to individual calendars, and to zoom, on SYB website. Students are given instructions for setting their available times and maximum number of virtual visits.

Records: After each virtual visit, a request for feedback email is automatically sent to the senior citizen participant, which serves to record the completion of the virtual visit, possible feedback, and student notes. Email communications are archived.

Management: Sabina Schrynemakers develops and manages Senior Youth Bridge website and is responsible for all material on it and for giving the Advisor full access to all materials and all student communications, including emails and virtual visits. Sabina is responsible for correspondence with Senior Centers and sending initial student letters.

Supervision: Advisor has full access to all communications, including all student email correspondence. The advisor can attend all virtual visits. A gmail account is created for each participating student and for the advisor. Advisor has the password for all student SYB gmails. All student SYB emails, which include all virtual visit links, all student-senior emails, and all feedback on virtual visits, are automatically forwarded to Advisor SYB gmail. (So Advisor is able to attend any virtual visit.) The advisor does not need to arrange anything because zoom links and reminders are automatically generated when a virtual visit time slot is selected. The advisor can narrow the virtual visit time window, if desired.

Requirements: Participating students and guardians sign Code of Conduct / Permission Form