north east regional extra | August 21 - 27, 2024
nemedia.com.au
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August 21 - 27, 2024 ◆ COMBINED SKILLS: Yackandandah’s Brendan Hogan (left), Becky Hyde and Mark Silver have together driven an i intergenerational project to successful fruition. PHOTOS: P Coral Cooksley
Bridging an age gap BRINGING different generations together through digital storytelling and promoting positive ageing has been a passionate project for Yackandandah’s Mark Silver, Brendan Hogan and Becky Hyde. Mark a social worker, Brendan a Yackandandah Primary School teacher and playwright, and Yackandandah Health’s leisure coordinator Becky have combined their professional expertise for the project designed to strengthen relationships
By CORAL COOKSLEY and understanding between younger and older generations as well as fostering a sense of community. The volunteer program known as the Positive Ageing Digital Storytelling Intergenerational Project (PADSIP) started as a partnership between the local year 6 primary school students and Yackandandah Health’s aged care residents last year.
Students over 10 weeks visited residents delving into their stories with interviews, taking photos and developing digital stories to share while enjoying some fun game activities too with the project coming to fruition this month. Mark is a social worker and co-coordinator for the Swinburne Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults and developed the program more than 15 years ago in Melbourne with mainly secondary school students and older adults living in residential aged care and
in the community taking part. “I could see the way our society was siloing services into age groups not understanding how the community could be strengthened by the mutual contribution of all its members,” Mark said. “There was so much resource, wisdom and knowledge not being tapped into and I saw the need to foster intergenerational understanding and communication. “The program is about creating opportunities to connect deeply and emotionally
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with KACEY AND JERRY
with MICHAEL
through the emphasis on sharing of stories and understanding of common humanity that makes this program so special. “It is also a way of valuing our elders, allowing them to shine and be visible, be front and centre and recognising what they bring to our society as well as a way of valuing our youth and allowing them to express themselves and enrich our lives.” When Mark moved to Yackandandah in 2022, the idea to develop the PADSIP program locally moved with him, kick-
ing off last year with grants from Indigo Shire as well as the Yackandandah Community Centre. “With recent Border Trust funding we have been able to continue the program this year and broaden it to other schools, starting with Osbornes Flat,” Mark said. Brendan said an important aspect of the program has been the development of cross-generational friendships, empathy, and understanding.
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