A digital story-telling project between school children and older adults is "transferring hope" and staving off loneliness for residents of Yackandandah. or signup to continue reading Now the successful project is set to expand its reach by bringing together students from Osbornes Flat primary school and older adults living in that community. The Arts Yackandandah Positive Aging Digital Storytelling Intergenerational Project (PADSIP) received a $5000 grant Project manager Mark Silver says the initiative is one that "turns strangers into friends" and builds powerful - and poignant - connections between young and old.
Since 2023, Year 6 students from Yackandandah Primary School have been coming together with residents of Yack Health each week to share experiences and develop relationships that allow "each generation to give to and learn from each other". As part of the project, students have digitally recorded the stories of residents - through photos, interviews and narrative - documenting what they have learnt about their lives and experiences. Mr Silver says story-telling is a tool that "really binds people together".
And while there are many projects that address the intergenerational gap, he says this one is particularly powerful. At its heart, the initiative aims to foster understanding and build relationships but it's also a vital means of breaking down isolation and loneliness. "It's about increasing the visibility of our older people," Mr Silver says.
"And it's a reall.
