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An intergenerational-project was certainly a success for Central seventh-graders, the community and their teachers.

Started in October, collages from the multi-faceted project which involved interviews, will be on display during the Central High School winter music concert on Dec. 12.

Earlier in the year, English teacher Jennifer Considine and Social Studies teacher Alexis Jones challenged Central seventh-graders to interview people from their grandparents generation, whether it was their grandparents or seniors at Peace Village. Combined with a 3-year grant from the Perpich Integration Center for Arts Education, students then put together collages showing what they discovered.  Later in November 10, students and seniors packed 50 boxes for Operation Christmas Child and later enjoyed trivia games.

Considine said the project certainly was beneficial for students. “They are learning a lot,” she said, adding that students in first quarter reflections also enjoyed the project. “A lot of them said that was their favorite activity being able to interview somebody. They really enjoyed that. A lot of them did.”

Jones added that students were able to explore how cultural trends impacted different generations. “The biggest benefit for students is just focusing on community and some of the similarities they share with people who are even two generations older than them,” she said. “They took the time and thought to put it into a collage and were able to reflect on some of the things they were learning.”

The project was certainly beneficial for students who shared that even in interviews with their grandparents, they still gained some insight into their lives.  Cadee Vinkemeier interviewed my grandma Colleen about her travels across the country and Liyah Lambrecht interviewed her grandma Sandra Sather.  “I learned how she grew up with eight other siblings on a farm and how scarce it was like working on the farm and how much they had to do,” said Liyah. “She told me how one time their barn burned down and how hard it was to rebuild and how they had to make up the money in produce.”

While they already were aware of technology changes, Jake Kalkes, who interviewed his grandma Joyce, and Alex Gort, who interviewed his grandma Janet Pederson, both explored the activities their grandmas enjoyed as kids as they were far different and certainly less dependent on technology. “There was no technology for her to use and she spent all of her time outside,” said Alex. “That’s pretty much how she spent all of her childhood.”

Jake agreed, saying his grandma rode horses on the family farm and played with her siblings. “I’m used to growing up with technology so it was kind of interesting listening how people entertained themselves during their age,” he said.
Jake added he certainly was able to gain some insight from the interview, even though he talks with his grandma often.
“I liked doing the interview because it’s just fun to learn about everything she did.”

Alex agreed, showing an appreciation for the project and his grandma, adding frequently it is the other way around as his grandma asks him about his life at school and the activities he enjoys. “It was interesting because you learn more about them,” he said.

Jones added that teachers will look at small changes to the yearly project, but seventh-graders will undertake a similar project for the next two years of the grant funding. “We’re planning on doing something similar or tweaking it a bit,” said Jones, adding teachers and students were receptive to the project. “Everything I heard from positive. It was very neat to hear what they learned.”  The collages from the multi-faceted project will be on display during the Central High School holiday music concert on Monday, Dec. 12.