COMMUNITY (Cont.)
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Evan Powers
Submitted By: Wesley Roy, Evan Powers, and Rebecca Rosario
gifted with moments of clarity and joy. Their reactions range from a simple smile, to engaging conversation, to memory sharing, to dancing and playing instruments. These moments bring incredible joy to the residents and leave a very importantt mark on the students. Goals of this project include changing studensts’ attitudes toward the elderly, connecting students and elders through shared music experiences, brightening the days of elders living with dementia, inspiring students to continue in community service, and Evan Powers serves as the Chorus Director at Avalon Middle School where he teaches his students the ins and giving the students greater confidence, allowing them to feel a sense of purpose, and helping them to better unouts of singing, music, mostly importantly, loves for derstand themselves. themselves, each other, and service to their community. One of his numerous community service Evan Power is a gifted and dedicated teacher who has endeavors is Songbird project, an incredible program where 7th and 8th grade students share music had a tremendous impact on his school, the surrounding community, and the field of music and establish relationships with elders living with deeducation at the state and national levels. He has mentia. Students begin with a 4-5 week presented on Songbird numerouse times and training period that includes dementia education, created step-by-step tutorials so others can hands-on dementia simulation and empathy implement this program in their own schools and comtraining, a “meet and greet” with the elders, and introduction to popular music of different areas and decades. munities. He often travels to conduct honor choirs and inspire students around the country with his innate joy Following this training, students are partnered with Memory Care Residents at Encore at Av- of music and service. we are very lucky to have him here in Avlon Park! lon Park, where they find out the residents’ favorite music and then work to share this music (through recordings or singing) with the residents, listen to stories, and build relationships. At the final session, the students bring the residents a personal card and gift. The results of Songbird are breathtaking- people who disease has taken away their ability to fully and authentically express themselves are
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