Senior Citizens and Students Will Forge Meaningful Connections Through New UVM Program

UVM undergrad Liam Boyle, who will serve as a student coordinator of the new program, with a Williston Place senior living resident Credit: Courtesy of UVM Larner College of Medicine

The University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine’s Center on Aging is launching a new program this fall aimed at fostering meaningful relationships between Vermont teens and seniors.

From September to May, a cadre of 30 to 50 high school students will visit local senior living communities, including the Converse Home in Burlington and Homestead Senior Living in St. Albans, every other week. They’ll engage with residents in activities centered on art, music and cooking. A group of UVM medical, graduate and undergraduate student facilitators will train the high schoolers in how to work with older adults. Participants will also meet monthly to learn about aging-related careers and research in the field of gerontology.

Marissa Birne Credit: Courtesy of UVM Larner College of Medicine

The program, Vermont Youth Leaders in Aging, was conceived by Marissa Birne, the Center on Aging’s associate director of education. To fund it, Birne applied for a fellowship from the Eisner Foundation, started by former Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner; her project was one of just five across the country to receive the $50,000 award.

Birne said she’s excited about both the immediate impact of students and seniors building friendships and the long-term possibility of students pursuing studies and careers related to serving older adults in a rapidly aging state. Vermont ranks as the third-oldest state in the country, behind just Maine and New Hampshire. By 2030, the number of Vermonters 65 and older is expected to make up close to a quarter of the state’s population.

Vermont Youth Leaders in Aging will build on work that Birne has done throughout her career. Since taking on her role at the Center of Aging a year ago, she has already overseen a number of initiatives aimed at creating connections between young and old, including a “Grand Friends” service-learning program that matches UVM students with Vermont seniors and intergenerational film screenings. Before that, Birne worked for an eldercare agency in the Boston area. Research shows that interacting across generations benefits young and old alike. Birne has observed those benefits firsthand.

“For younger people, what we’ve really seen is an increase in empathy and appreciation for older adults,” Birne said. “There are so many negative stereotypes about what it means to grow older, but when you have positive relationships, that’s what sticks.”

Older adults, meanwhile, find purpose in knowing their stories and presence matter to a younger person, she said. Regularly interacting with young people can also be a balm for the feelings of loneliness and isolation that many seniors experience.

Interested students in grades 9 through 12 can learn more about the free program and apply to participate here. Applications are due September 2.