THE MEMORY PROJECT
"In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive right? But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well." - Morrie Schwarz
The relationship Morrie develops with Mitch Albom reveals the importance of human interactions for social and emotional well-being. Unfortunately, many Americans lack these types of relationships. According to former U.S. Surgeon General Vivic Murthy, loneliness is a growing health epidemic in our country. AARP reports that 35% of people 45 and older are chronically lonely. The Lake County Council on Aging found that 27.4% of local seniors live alone. The U.K., is taking measures to combat social isolation by creating government positions to ensure that the elderly no longer go weeks without social interactions.
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The culminating project for our unit on The Power or Relationships is designed to promote wellness for the young and young at heart by sharing and preserving life experiences. Specifically, students will meet with residents from local senior centers, assisted living facilities, and memory care units. On three occasions over three weeks, students will meet with elders in order to create a memory book highlighting each individual's life experiences. Research suggests that senior citizens who participate in interviews to recall life experiences often report improved mood, higher self-esteem, and a better sense of personal identity.
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Preparation
During the preparation phase of the memory project, students will establish relationships with the elders whose lives they will be chronicling during meet and greets held at local nursing homes and senior centers. These informal meetings, facilitated by staff from these facilities, will provide multiple opportunities for students and elders to interact over coffee & donuts as well as games of B-I-N-G-O, Left-Center-Right (LCR), and cards. At the conclusion of the meet and greet, participants will be instructed to bring 3-5 photographs of themselves that are most important to them to the next meeting. Based on their interactions at the meet and greet, students will conduct research and prepare questions for the elder they plan to interview.
Action
Working collaboratively in groups, students will interview an elder and ask them questions about the photographs that they brought. With permission from the interviewee, students may record the responses to their questions. Students will then transcribe the interviews and transpose them with the photographs to create a memory book of pictures highlighting and preserving the life stories and experiences that the elders shared with them. Students may each choose to focus on a different photograph. However, if the elder was unable to bring enough photos students may also choose to focus on different topics (i.e. childhood, education, family, career, retirement).
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"Imagine what a harmonious world it could be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing." |
Reflection
During the third visit, the students will present the keepsake chronicles and audio recordings of the interviews to the elders who they interviewed. The elders may also share their thoughts about the memory project with the students.