High school discipline students cooking and dining with elderly nursing home residents

Outreach

A community outreach initiative should be implemented in which high school students who have struggled with discipline will go to nursing homes to cook for and eat with elderly residents on a weekly basis. Students with discipline issues are targeted for this program because the program will aim to take them out of their troubled environments and give them both structure in their lives and positive interactions with the community. This solution will not only benefit the troubled students, but also the elderly residents of the nursing home, who often lack for companionship.

Outline of the Idea

The idea of bringing students and the elderly together to improve the lives of both groups has been tested in other areas, and has been generally found to be successful. Clemente (2009) notes that "intergenerational programs are on the rise across the country." The author describes a program that was instituted by MetLife that helps students and the elderly connect with each other. Among the benefits cited are that stereotypes are dispelled, teens find emotional support and welcome advice, and that seniors feel useful (Clemente, 2009).

Another such program has been instituted by Generations United. The group represents "more than 100 national, state and local organizations representing more than 70 million Americans" (Generations United, 2012). The organization also serves "as a resource for policymakers and the public on the economic, social and personal imperatives of intergenerational programs (Generations United, 2012). That such programs exist serves as evidence that many in the field have recognized the merits of bringing together people from different generations for mutual benefit. Henner (2009) also outlines a program where students are used to teach seniors about the Internet. This example shows that in some programs the seniors are the beneficiary, while in others it is the students who are the beneficiary. Arguably, however, such programs work best when both are beneficiaries.

The use of students with discipline issues is a crucial element of my idea. Many of these projects appear to focus on using students in general, but there is a specific need to use students with disciplinary issues in order to deliver the greatest benefit to the students. The disciplinary issues of these students often derive from challenges in their environment, particularly the educational environment in high school, the home environment or both. By removing the students from the troublesome environment, the students receive an opportunity to find new patterns of behavior. Many students are simply not amenable to the classroom setting, so removing these students from that setting and placing them in the nursing home may distance them from their everyday environment and promote virtuous conduct from them.

The most difficult step in the project will most likely be to convince the students to participate. Students with discipline issues are disassociated from society, but part of the challenge with this project is to bring them back to society in a positive way. It is conceivable, however, that a carrot-or-stick approach may be required. This would entail offering positive incentives for volunteers, such as academic credit. Many students with discipline issues are short academic credit because of missed classes, switching schools or other issues. Thus, academic credit is a good way to motivate many such students to enter the program. Alternately, some students may be required to enter the program as a form of discipline, perhaps as an alternative to traditional disciplinary action. Once they have started, it is believed that they will find it sufficiently rewarding to the point that they will be fully committed.

Interview Questions

In order to design the most effective program possible, interviews with people who are involved in social work, education, troubled youths and nursing homes will all be interviewed for their input into the project. The specific questions may change from person to person, but they will follow along certain themes. These themes include questions such as "What is the best way to implement such a program?," "Do you feel that this program can be effective?" And "What problems or issues do you foresee arising from the implementation of this project?" The responses to these questions will help to guide the project's specific details. The concerns of educators and the concerns of the nursing home will need to be given priority, since the cooperation of both stakeholders is essential to the success of this project.

Conclusion

The big idea that I have is to develop a community outreach program that pairs students with discipline issues with seniors in nursing homes. The students will cook for the seniors, and provide companionship. The idea for this program is rooted not only in academic research but also in the experiences that various agencies have had with these types of programs in the past. There is significant evidence that shows such programs are mutually beneficial for troubled students and for the seniors as well. In order to execute on the plan, research will be conducted, as will interviews with practitioners in education, social work and the nursing homes. By piecing together information from these different sources, the best possible program will be developed. The results of the program will be exceptional -- better student discipline rates in schools, happier students, fulfilled seniors and a stronger sense of community all round. An idea like this that addresses multiple problems in the community simultaneously is of tremendous benefit to all, and should be given ample support.

Works Cited:

Clemente, J. (2009). Bridging the years…teens and seniors mix it up! In The Mix. Retrieved October 30, 2012 from http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/bridgingtheyears_guide.pdf

Generations United. (2012). Our impact. GU.org. Retrieved October 30, 2012 from http://www.gu.org/ABOUTUS/OurImpact.aspx

Henner, T. (2009). An intergenerational approach to Internet training: Student-led outreach to promote seniors' use Internet health resources. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet. Vol. 13 (4) 334-346.