program, serves children age 15 months to five-years-old. • Photo by Coco Aramaki, courtesy of
ICHS
Little boots trod along the pavement. It’s one of those soggy Seattle spring days. The preschool-aged children walk in two formations resembling lines. They step through the sliding glass doors and look around.
“We’re going on an adventure, and we are here!” exclaims a little voice.
The boy, about three, has just walked into the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center. It’s exactly one short flight of stairs and two doorways down from El Centro de la Raza’s dual-language José Martí Child Development Center at Beacon Pacific Village, where the boy at tends preschool.
Over the next 15 minutes, adventure ensues.
Community elders sit in a circle in the center of a great room. They greet the children with a few of their favorite things. The first of which are colorful balloons. Each elder has a pool noodle to bat the balloons as the young children chase them and giggle with glee. As they do the children and elders interact to keep the game fun. For the grand finale each elder gives each child a gift of festively wrapped candy.
Standing outside the circle, it’s clear to see that every participant is having a great time. It’s the joy that bonds them. As the event winds down, the elders’ eyes are filled with mirth and care.
“One of the gentlemen in our program was not responding much before the children came to visit; we were worried he was depressed,” says Heidi Wesley, a recreational therapist at Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center. “The moment the children entered, his face lit up. He became active and engaged. He was moving around with a smile, even laughing. Just a few minutes of happiness can have a big impact.”
Wesley can see real improvement in the elders when the children from José Martí visit. Older adults, who often live with chronic conditions, can detach or feel less valuable. When they help children, their outlooks improve.
The intergenerational exchange is a weekly program, recently formalized between the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center, and José Martí Child Development Center. Both are inside Beacon Pacific Village in Seattle’s North Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Intergenerational learning programs offer powerful benefits. Participants on both end of the age spectrum show higher levels of well-being, they are more likely to engage in lifelong learning, and they have a greater tendency to help others.
For children, benefits of intergenerational programs include strong intellectual development and academic achievement. Little ones gain social-emotional skills through collaborative knowledge building. This improves their confidence, strengthens communication, and it fosters empathy at an early age.
For older adults, intergenerational connections deliver cognitive benefits and improved psychological well-being by in stilling a sense of purpose. Elders are empowered to pass along the wisdom they have earned, leaving a valuable legacy for the next generation.
As their 15-minute visit wraps up, the children, now winded, move into the two formations. They look up to their teachers. Then back to the elders, their friends. A few jump and they wave their goodbyes. Next week, children return for more learning and fun.
at ICHS’ Legacy House. • Photo by Coco Aramaki, courtesy of ICHS
Mutual delight between children and elders in the CID
The relationship between the elders at Legacy House and the children who attend CISC Bilingual Preschool began before the children came for a visit. At Legacy House, there is a rooftop deck overlooking the CISC Bilingual Preschool’s playground. Elders can often be seen
smiling and waving to the children as they play.
On an April morning, 27 children from the CISC Bilingual Preschool headed to Legacy House for an intergenerational activity. There was a strong turnout. The children greeted the elders with the Mandarin songs called “Where is the Spring?” and “A leaf grows out”. They danced too. The elders beamed with delight as they clapped along.
The elders had a treat for their little guests, too. They had an egg hunt with stickers hidden throughout the dining area. A treasure hunt was underway. The elders paired up with the children to find the goodies with hints, nods, and gentle guidance.
About the organizations
Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center is part of International Community Health Services (ICHS), a nonprofit, federally qualified community health center. Elders at the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center are participants in Medicare’s innovative Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). PACE at Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center is designed for AANHPI community members. The program in cludes care in the participant’s preferred language, and culturally aligned activities and meals.
José Martí Child Development Center, an El Centro de la Raza (The Center for People of All Races) program, serves children age 15 months to five-years-old. The bilingual, multicultural curriculum prepares children for Kindergarten with emphasis on comprehension and cognitive growth, social-emotional learning, and physical engagement. The José Martí Child Development Center in Beacon Pacific Village offers Seattle Preschool Program and ECEAP. It is accepting new students through open enrollment.
Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) Bilingual Preschool is located next door to Legacy House in the Chinatown-International District (CID). The preschool is part of the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP) and is a Certified Dual-Language Program, Mandarin and English. The mission of CISC Bilingual Preschool is to prepare children for a future of learning in a bilingual and bicultural environment.
