10/08/07 — CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — It was a carnival full of games at Golden Living Center in Cambridge Springs. From beanbag tosses to ping-pong and dominoes, the senior citizens who live at the center weren’t the only ones with smiles on their faces.
Sixth-graders at Cambridge Springs Elementary School are participating in a service project known as Operation Lovebug, to interact with residents and assist them in several activities.
“It’s really fun because you get to meet a lot of people and spend time to get to know the people,” said Haley Flick, a sixth-grader at Cambridge Springs. “I’m really glad we get to do this project.”
Operation Lovebug is an intergenerational program where four groups of Cambridge Springs sixth-graders participate in a nine-week session of activities and companionship with the seniors at Golden Living Center.
“It’s great,” said Sarah Connell, a 96-year-old resident of the center. “When you get older, you don’t get to see a lot of people. It’s very nice and I like seeing the kids.”
Volunteering two times per month, the students engage in many activities with the seniors, including games, reading, drawing, sculpting, dancing and other projects.
“I think it’s fun,” said Karissa Welker, a Cambridge Springs sixth-grader. “It’s an eye-opener because we get to see how they live and we get to hear stories about when they were my age. I think it’s good that we get to see how it’s different when we get older and we need to learn how to do things with disabilities too.”
It’s also an opportunity for story-telling and learning more about each other’s history and interests, according to Ian Landers, a sixth-grader at Cambridge Springs.
“It’s giving the people in the home a chance to talk with younger kids and tell them stories about their past,” Landers said. “It’s pretty fun.”
The program also encourages students to establish lifelong friendships, according to Sandy Baker, activities assistant at Golden Living Center.
“I’ve been wanting to get it into the school system,” said Baker. “They just automatically bond. It’s a natural thing and it can become a permanent relationship.”
“I’d like to see them (students) be able to follow directions and follow through with it,” Baker added. “It’s good discipline. They have it in school and now we’re incorporating it with the elderly.”
After weeks of sharing stories and spending time with the residents, the students will then attend a luncheon and program in May provided by the Golden Living Center. But it’ll be a bittersweet time for Josh Dennis, a sixth-grader at Cambridge Springs, who is already enjoying his experience.
“It makes me feel real good that we’re doing it for the community,” Dennis said. “I’m looking forward to the last day activities because it’ll be fun, but I’ll also be dreading the last day” because he enjoys the program so much.
Mary Ann Birch-ard, a sixth-grade Cambridge Springs teacher, sees this first-year program as a way to extend learning beyond the classroom.
“I just want the kids to experience what we have in the community,” Birch-ard said. “Their self-esteem is wonderful. They have so much to offer through their interactions.”
Jamie Musick can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at jmusick@meadvilletribune.com.
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