To see pictures before the 2021-2022 program years, please click here
2022-2023
Heartland Housing Foundation Cloverbar Lodge and Ecole Our Lady of Perpetual Help Junior High Students
After numerous outbreaks/shutdowns and visit cancellations in the past two years, it is so rewarding to be back planning and hosting our Family Meet and Greet events at our partnership senior facilities.
Our Linking Generations Students and Seniors become extremely excited about this evening visit, as it gives both participants an opportunity to introduce their ”linked” student or senior to their family.
This visit also allows all of us at Linking Generations to recognize how much each senior and student is an integral part of Linking Generation’s success. Each student and senior can invite one parent or family member over the age of 18 years to attend this visit with them.
The Family Meet and Greet is similar to a regular Linking Generations visit, as we will have a structured activity to do together plus, we have some fun planned for everyone!
A great time for all !
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Heartland Housing Silver Birch Lodge and Haven and Ecole Our Lady of Perpetual Help Junior High Students
After numerous outbreaks/shutdowns and visit cancellations in the past two years, it is so rewarding to be back planning and hosting our Family Meet and Greet events at our partnership senior facilities.
Our Linking Generations Students and Seniors become extremely excited about this evening visit, as it gives both participants an opportunity to introduce their” linked” student or senior to their family. This visit also allows all of us at Linking Generations to recognize how much each senior and student is an integral part of Linking Generation’s success. Each student and senior can invite one parent or family member over the age of 18 years to attend this visit with them. In prior years, we have hosted this event over two evenings, so as not to exceed program participants.
The Family Meet and Greet is similar to a regular Linking Generations visit, as we will have a structured activity to do together plus, we have some fun planned for everyone!
A great time for all !
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Linking Generations Resumes Annual Family Meet and Greet Visits
Our Linking Generations Students from St. Theresa Middle School and their “linked” seniors from Bedford Village were extremely excited about this evening visit, as it gave both participants an opportunity to introduce their” linked” student or senior to their family.
Each program student and senior was encouraged to invite one parent or family member over the age of 18 years to attend this visit with them.
This visit also allowed all of us at Linking Generations to recognize how much each senior and student is an integral part of Linking Generation’s success.
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St. Theresa Catholic School & Christenson Developments Bedford Village
FORT SASKATCHEWAN – GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY
Linking Generations values our community partners and our residents. Our participating Linking Generations students from St. John Paul 11 Middle School were asked to bring one non-perishable food item to our February visits.
We then played a “The Price is Right” game with our seniors and youth. What did this food item cost 50 yrs ago? What does it cost now? Linking Generations then dropped off all food items to our local Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank.
Thank you to all who participated.
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SHERWOOD PARK – GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY
Linking Generations values our community partners and our residents. Our participating Linking Generations students were asked to bring one non-perishable food item to our February visits. We then played a “The Price is Right” game with our seniors and youth. What did this food item cost 50 yrs ago? What does it cost now?
We are very proud to share that at the end of our two week program schedule, Linking Generations dropped off more than 165 pounds of food to our local Strathcona Food Bank.
Thank you to all who participated.
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Students and Seniors have much to share about their youth, although generations apart
Both students and seniors had some fun reminiscing about their pasts. Students learnt what it was like when their senior was a child! “How many siblings did they have? Where did they live? What was it like before I born?”
Our students shared their personal baby pictures with their linked seniors, while our seniors shared their wedding pictures and family pictures of days past.
St. Theresa Catholic School & Christenson Developments Bedford Village
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Strathcona Christian Secondary Academy & Summerwood Village Retirement Residence
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Balloon Volleyball with Sherwood Care Seniors and Bev Facey High School students
Seniors from Sherwood Care had an afternoon of fun and silliness playing Balloon Volleyball with our Linking Generations Bev Facey High School students.
It is wonderful to witness our seniors enjoying themselves and becoming active again !
It is amazing to see that although they are seniors, they have the desire and will to W-I-N!
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Painting up a works of art with Students from St. Theresa Middle School & Bedford Village Senior Residences !!
The seniors may remember the show called “The Joy of Painting” with the artist Bob Ross.
Ross projected a loveable hippie persona, sporting a permed afro and denim shirts and jeans and a soothing and intimate speaking voice that made the viewer feel as if it were a personal, one-on-one painting lesson.
Over the years, his folksy approach and references to “happy little” trees and clouds endeared him further to his fans.
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Country Cottage Seniors enjoy the company of the ArchBishop Jordan High School Students
Our Strathcona County seniors are an asset to our intergenerational programming.
Our seniors from Country Cottage, Sherwood Park, enjoy the company of our high school students from ArchBishop Jordan High School.
From painting, board games, trivia, puzzles or just sitting and sharing stories – the realms of friendship are created.
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Our Linking Generations student participants took part in a “Giving Back To The Community” visit
Our Linking Generations student participants took part in a “Giving Back To The Community” visit , where each student brought a non perishable item to the visit. Students supplied the current price of the item brought in .
We then played a game with our “linked” seniors of “Then & Now” having the teams guess the price today and what the price would have been when their senior was a child.
All items will be delivered to Strathcona Food Bank.
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Strathcona Christian Secondary Academy & Summerwood Village Retirement Residence
Lakeland Ridge Junior High School and Chartwell Emerald Hills
Our Volunteer Grandparents are a Huge Benefit to our Community School Classrooms !
Linking Generations provides rich opportunities for seniors to connect. Our intergenerational programs open the doors for seniors to continue to contribute to their community by sharing their stories, wisdom, and experiences with our younger generations.
Azra had a wonderful visit today with her grade six class of students as she guided them through writing an unfictional report.
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Students from Lakeland Ridge Junior High School & Seniors from Chartwell Emerald Hills are are having fun playing games
Winning isn’t all that important when you are playing for fun and are with people you love and enjoy being with.
Check out the following pictures to see our Seniors and our Students just having fun !!
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Students from École Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School (OLPH) & Silver Birch Lodge/Haven Seniors Residences are Painting up a work of art !!
The seniors may remember the show called “The Joy of Painting” with the artist Bob Ross.
Ross projected a loveable hippie persona, sporting a permed afro and denim shirts and jeans and a soothing and intimate speaking voice that made the viewer feel as if it were a personal, one-on-one painting lesson.
Over the years, his folksy approach and references to “happy little” trees and clouds endeared him further to his fans.
Check out the following paintings to see if there is a new Bob Ross !!
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Students from St. Theresa Catholic School & Seniors from Bedford Village are Releasing “Happy hormones” !!
Playing board games triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals.
“Happy hormones” have the power to improve conscious and unconscious mind functions, leaving a person feeling cheerful, compassionate, and ultimately content.
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Our students from École Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School (OLPH) and seniors from Heartland Housing Clover Bar Lodge had a Paint Day !
Linking Generations reintroduced the event and brought the event to our Heartland Housing Clover Bar Lodge seniors.
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Balloon Volleyball with Strathcona Christian Secondary Academy & Summerwood Village Retirement Residence
Seniors from Summerwood Village Retirement Residence had a fun and silliness this afternoon of Balloon Volleyball with our Linking Generations Strathcona Christian Secondary Academy students!
It is wonderful to witness our seniors enjoying themselves and becoming active again ! It is amazing to see that although they are seniors, they have the desire and will to W-I-N!
Watch the video and view the pictures below!
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Linking Generations Executive Director, Debbie Sinclair, awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal
Linking Generations Executive Director, Debbie Sinclair, has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in recognition of her commitment and dedication to her province, community and family.
Debbie serves and strengthens our community by fostering connections between seniors and youth. She does this with focused intention and passion. By involving and encouraging community partnerships, she has impacted the community with positive relationships that strengthen all the generations.
Thank you to MLA Nate Glubish, Strathcona-Sherwood Park for this wonderful nomination!
Congratulations Debbie !
Reminiscing About Our Heritage
We’ve all heard members of older generations start a story with an eye-roll-prompting, “Back in my day,” which is then followed by a seemingly endless list of ways things have changed in the intervening years .
However, while those tales of walking 10 miles in the snow may be a little stale, there’s no denying that life has changed in some seriously significant ways over the last half-century.
Linking Generations seniors and students shared and discussed various “Back to our Heritage ” items supplied by Strathcona Museum. Many students had never seen some of the items, and our seniors had stories to tell .
St. John Paul II Junior High School & Heartland Housing Dr. Turner Lodge
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Bev Facey Community High School & Sherwood Care
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École Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School (OLPH) & Heartland Housing Clover Bar Lodge
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St. Theresa Catholic School & Christenson Developments Bedford Village
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Lakeland Ridge Junior High School and Chartwell Emerald Hills Special Christmas Visit
Our in school intergenerational programs would not be a success without the great support our schools give us.
This December, one of our school partnerships, Lakeland Ridge Junior High School, surprised us with a very special treat for our ‘linked’ seniors residing at Chartwell Emerald Hills.
All the teachers from Lakeland Ridge Junior High School got together and donated money to purchase each participating Linking Generations senior with a bag of Christmas gifts. From puzzle books, to games, to candy, to woolen socks and Christmas ornaments. Our seniors were just as thrilled as we ourselves were.
Thank you to the teachers at Lakeland Ridge Junior High School – your hearts have made many seniors feel welcome and connected to our community.
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Linking Generations Christmas Crafts
It’s holiday craft time.
Did you know that crafting promotes natural conversation and curiosity.
Strathcona Christian Secondary Academy & Summerwood Village Retirement Residence
Conversations begin easily and continue as our Summerwood Village seniors and Strathcona Christian Academy Junior High Students create Holiday Spoons to hand out to families.
Just to keep it festive, Christmas Carols were playing in the background.
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Linking Generations Volunteer Grandparent Program
The Volunteer Grandparent Program offers seniors in Strathcona County more opportunities to help bridge the multi-generational gap. The Volunteer Grandparent Program was created in response to a lack of opportunities for young and older generations to relate in an increasingly age-segregated society.
Seniors go into the classrooms of the partnership school and enjoy many activities with the students. Some of the activities are:
- reading stories to the whole classroom
- having a student read a story to the senior
- help students who are having difficulty with an assignment
- showing students how to knit
- teaching the students how to dance
- helping students plant tomatoes or flowers
The list goes on. The activities are only limited by the imagination of the seniors, teachers and the students.
What an amazing opportunity for everyone !!
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Linking Generations Seniors and Students doing Puzzles, Crosswords and Christmas Trivia
Alberta winter is here !
Linking Generations students and seniors worked on a “Winter Snowflakes” puzzle … and on a “Snow, Snow, Snow” crossword … and on “Christmas Trivia” questions.
Did everyone get all the question or clues correct?
It really didn’t matter, having fun talking and trying to figure out the questions was more important.
Bev Facey Community High School & Sherwood Care
Even Santa came out to sing with the seniors and students !!
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