Program History
Since its inception, Interages has linked school children with isolated and frail older adults. In 1994, Interages developed a program dedicated to arranging regular visits by youngsters to selected adult day care centers. This was the beginning of Project SHARE (Students Help and Reach Elders). In its first year, three adult day care centers were chosen as the settings for weekly activities with children from nearby schools.
Today Project SHARE serves a growing number of senior facilities including assisted-living apartment complexes, nursing homes, and adult day care centers.
Project Focus
Project SHARE (Students Help and Reach Elders) enriches the lives of health-impaired seniors in adult day care centers and assisted-living facilities by linking them with children from pre-school through high school in a number of interactive ways.
SHARE focuses on what people can do rather than on their limitations. The program works towards dispelling negative age-related myths and stereotypes and raising the self-esteem of both young and old participants. The unique aspect of SHARE is that all activities require active involvement by senior participants. Most programs take place at the senior facilities, but the less frail seniors have opportunities to visit schools.
Goals and Objectives
- To promote positive changes in health- impaired seniors in nursing homes, adult day care and assisted-living facilities.
- To provide opportunities for health- impaired seniors to continue to be of service to their communities.
- To increase young people’s understanding of the aging process and the worth of health-impaired seniors through regular contact with them.
- To dispel negative stereotypes and myths that each group has of the other.
Popular Program Activities
- Group games, movement activities and music experiences
- Various art and craft projects
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Participating Schools
St. Mary’s School
Darnestown Elementary School
Gaithersburg Youth Center
Participating Senior Facilites
Sunrise Senior Living - Rockville
Collingswood Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Sunrise Assisted Living – Montgomery Village
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