SENIOR TO SENIOR: LIVING LESSONS

Abstract

Senior to Senior: Living Lessons is a program created to provide meaningful horticulture therapy activities for community minority elders (60 years of age and older) and senior college students (20 years of age and older) from an Historically Black University. The program's objectives were to promote positive intergenerational relationships and to build life-long learning skills with members of different generations. Senior gerontology students who enrolled in the required Seminar in Gerontology during Fall 2002 participated in the Senior to Senior program. Elders from Logan and surrounding counties and the Metropolitan Better Living Center met on the Langston University campus and at the Langston Elderly Nutrition Site for 10 Mondays from 11a.m.—1p.m. Each weekly session focused on horticulture principles and plant science followed by a lunch session for reflection. At the end of the semester participants sold the plants they had raised to generate revenue for the program activities to continue to benefit elders. The activities that carried out over the Spring semester 2003 included a recognition lunch for the Senior to Senior participants, development and establishment of a Senior to Senior website (http://seniortosenior.lunet.edu) and a faculty development mini-conference on intergenerational service learning.