'Generation Connection' Bonds Senior Citizens with Pine Brook Students

Manalapan’s is looking to close the gap between senior citizens and their sixth grade students with their Generation Connection program. The program brings Manalapan senior residents into the school during lunch periods to speak with small groups of students about their hobbies and interests.

This year two senior citizen residents are scheduled to speak with the students, but all senior citizens from the area are welcome to participate in the program, according to Pine Brook School Assistant Principal Julie Saccente.

The senior citizens volunteer to come in once a week and meet with the children because it is something they truly enjoy, Saccente said. During the half-hour lunch period, the volunteers sit with a group of about five students and talk about their interests including: stamp collecting, chess, reading, or other educational hobbies.

No topics are off-limits and students have been known to make personal connections with the seniors over something they have in common, according to the assistant principal.

“We call it Generation Connection because there is so much our students can learn from our senior population” Saccente explained. “Students have such a range of interests and our senior volunteers help us make sure that the students at Pine Brook can bond with other students and adults over common passions.”

Both the students and the seniors gain insight from this program, which proves that age has nothing to do with commonality.

Right now, the two senior citizen volunteers have been participating in Generation Connection for a number of years. “They are both retired teachers and lifetime educators who have a true passion for educating our youth,” Saccente said.

Additional senior citizen volunteers are needed to participate in the Generation Connection program. If you are interested in being a part of the program, please contact Julie Saccente at ‪JSaccente@mers.k12.nj.us‬.