Connecting Generations
through Storytelling
Students listen, reflect, and help capture life stories that honor older adults and build community.
What is the Youth + Senior Connections Program?
Youth + Senior Connections brings generations together by pairing students with local seniors to share life stories through mutual mentorship. As students assist seniors with basic technology—such as documenting conversations or uploading photos—they engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering empathy and building genuine connections with older adults.
This collaboration fosters empathy, challenges assumptions, and uncovers shared values. Students gain perspective and purpose; seniors feel heard, honored, and connected to their broader community.
How it Works
Student groups are matched with senior communities, typically in assisted living or senior centers. Throughout the school year, students conduct regular interviews exploring their senior partners’ lives—from childhood to retirement and beyond.
Using a secure digital platform, students document these conversations. Each story is then transformed into a professionally created biography and gifted to the senior during a special celebration.
Program Snapshot
Connect
We match students with local seniors to build meaningful, intergenerational relationships based on trust and empathy.
Share
Students meet regularly with their senior partners, conducting in-depth interviews about their life experiences.
Create
These stories are carefully compiled into a keepsake LifeBook, celebrating each senior’s unique journey and legacy.
Our Mission
Youth + Senior Connections empowers students to serve their communities by forming meaningful relationships with older adults—fostering empathy, communication skills, and a deeper sense of purpose through shared storytelling.
We Build Stronger Communities
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