Milken Family Foundation - Connections

Photos courtesy of Theresa Licitra and Patty Mc Gee

If our life experiences are riches that we collect through the years, storing them as memories in the bank vault of our minds, then there are none in our society wealthier than the elderly. The sad truth is, however, that these valuable memories typically remain locked up, unused while their aged keepers sit alone in senior centers and residence halls, longing for the love and relationships that were once the true currency of their lives.

In New Jersey, students from four schools in four different parts of the state, under the guidance of four Milken Educators, engaged in a unique partnership to tap into this hidden wealth. Through visits, group activities and interviews, these students, ranging from grades 4-12, engaged the elderly members of their community, listening, learning and bonding.

The products of these encounters were four anthologies of poems, essays and other literary endeavors that recorded for the community — and posterity — the richness of life that still endures in the minds and hearts of the elderly.

Sponsored by the Milken Festival for Youth, the NJMUSST project (which stands for New Jersey and Milken Unite Seniors, Students and Teachers) was the collective brainchild of Milken Educators Jim Aquavia (NJ '02), John Bormann (NJ '02), Theresa Licitra (NJ '02), Stephen Liddawi (NJ '02) and Patty McGee (NJ '02).

After hearing about the Milken Festival for Youth at the 2003 Milken Family Foundation National Education Conference, they decided to try a novel approach: applying to the program as a group. Discussing what they all had in common, they discovered two things: senior citizens in their communities and a focus on literacy in their schools.

The five collaborated during and after the Conference, exchanging ideas and meeting several times at Kean University near Newark. They wrote the application together, and although Stephen unfortunately could not participate, the other four submitted the application to the Foundation as a group.

"It was the first time we'd ever received proposals from Milken Educators who had collectively developed a service project idea that worked for each of their schools and communities," said Paul Mindell, Milken Festival for Youth program director. "We found the end result to be impressive, substantive and moving."

Several times throughout the year, students at each school met with their respective senior partners, talking, sharing reflections and remembrances, and collaborating on writing. Some of the writing was based on activities the students and seniors shared. At H.W. Mountz School in Spring Lake, for example, they saw a movie and a play together. At Elms Elementary School in Jackson, they planted trees.

Each of the anthologies differs in style and format. The book produced at Montclair High School in Montclair is a book of poetry. The books from H.W. Mountz School and Norwood Public School in Norwood are a combination of poems and essays. The Elms Elementary anthology includes poems, essays, recipes, reflections, letters to the editor of a local newspaper, and letters to U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq.

More than the anthologies, however, it was the human dimension of the project that the collaborators consider to be NJMUSST's greatest success: the relationships and learning that took place between seniors and students, from their apprehensive first meetings to their emotional farewells at the end.

Several teachers noticed that the students were more interested in revising and editing the pieces they'd written.

"I was speechless watching my students work with the seniors and seeing how graceful and patient they were," said Jim, who teaches at Montclair.

"They really learned a great deal from each other," said John, a science teacher at H.W. Mountz School. "The seniors would show the kids something and the kids would say, 'I never thought of doing it that way,' or 'They didn't have this back then.' Each group got to see a different generation of life."

Jim feels that the true effectiveness of the project was seen in the intimate moments between the participants.

"I remember seeing their faces as I walked around," he said, "and hearing a lot of laughter and seeing people look out the window and pause as they tried to get the detail they were searching for. Those are some of the moments that make me think that this had an impact on the seniors and that it was meaningful for them to be involved in it."

Several teachers noticed that the students were more interested in revising and editing the pieces they’d written.

Patty also witnessed the profound impact the project had on the seniors.

"What strikes me the most," she said, "is that they kept saying they felt like they were heard. The young people were writing down their words. They were attentive and curious and wanted to know about the seniors' lives and the wisdom they could hand off to them."

Theresa agrees: "They said they felt like they were accepted unconditionally. That's how the seniors felt, and for the children, the feeling was mutual."

Indeed, the impact of the project on the students — academically and otherwise — was equally profound.

"Very often writing becomes a chore, a subject kids must do" said Patty. "When it becomes a passion like this, when it has meaning, it changes their idea of what writing is and reveals the power of writing to them."

John also saw a difference in his students' approach to writing. Being a science teacher, he had enlisted the aid of several language arts teachers on the project. These teachers noticed that the students were more interested in revising and editing the pieces they'd written.

"They were writing about something they helped to create, something that was really personal and meaningful for them," he said. "Their writing was much more interesting and they were more concerned about their pieces."

Theresa added, "To see them grow not only as writers but to grow as people — that was priceless."

When Patty McGee returned to school in September 2004, she was pleasantly surprised to find that three quarters of her previous year's students were wearing their Festival for Youth T-shirts on the first day back to school.

"This changed lives," said Patty. "It changed the students' lives and the seniors' lives. The impact is just immeasurable."

As Theresa explained, "A bond was established, a trust developed and a closeness evolved from the program. And it still lives on."

For more information, contact Jim Aquavia at jaquavia@comcast.net, John Bormann at Darwin1991@aol.com, Theresa Licitra at WHILLS4@aol.com and Patty McGee at jpmcgee1@msn.com.

School, Then and Now...

by Robert Cox (senior)
and Kelly Rose Gepp (student)
H.W. Mountz School/Spring
Lake Community

When I was young and went to school,
a shirt and tie was the rule.
Today in school it's a different scene,
what we wear are sweatshirts and jeans.

When I was in school all our subjects
were taught in one room.
Today in school it seems like every
five minutes we're in a different room.

In our school everything was done
by hand.
Today we use computers and it's
a whole different land.

When I was in school homework was
a chore.
Today with google homework's a bore.

Now that all's said and done, school
then and now, was still fun.

My Friend Harold

by Jake Rosen Norwood Public School/McGuire Senior Center

Sixty-eight years between us,
He's seventy-eight...and I'm ten.
But we're still best buddies,
We really talk like men.

I see him once a month,
Even speak to him on the phone.
He helps me with projects,
With Harold, I never feel alone.

Once a soldier in a far away place,
He fought for what was right.
Now a senior close by in Northvale,
I never want to be out of his sight.

Trees

by Brigitte Jean-Louis
Elms Elementary School/Mel Cottrell Senior Center

Today I planted a tree,
all my friends and me.
So today we say "hooray"
As we plant on this beautiful day.
Our seniors donated trees as a token of
their friendship.
Together we planted them
and we did this in perfect blendship.

Things I Remember

by Doris Mickens with Ariel Banks and Marcus Shepard Montclair High School/ Montclair Senior Care and Activities Center

On my wedding night everything was
wonderful
The dresses were pink with a touch
of white
The scrumptious little finger foods
The wine, the lovely decorations
Most of all
The white diamond my husband gave me.
Orchids and roses were the flowers at
my wedding
The music was playing
Everything was lively and vibrant that
night, that night,
That perfect night.