The City of St. Albert’s youth and senior advisory committees are collaborating on a new program focused on forging connections between generations.
The idea for the program — which will include one-on-one mentorship opportunities and group activities — initially surfaced in the spring of 2021, when both committees held a joint meeting. Facilitated with help from St. Albert’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program, the group’s first activity — a games night — will take place at 6 p.m. April 14 at the St. Albert Public Library.
The free event is geared towards anyone ages 12 and older. Those interested in attending can register on Eventbrite.
Jennifer Becker, community development co-ordinator with St. Albert, said the City is “really excited” to find opportunities for seniors and youth to connect and share their experiences.
“I was the staff liaison for the youth committee a few years back, so I was in those meetings, and listening to the conversation between seniors and youth,” Becker said. “It was just so neat to see … how many similarities there were.”
After the idea for the group originally surfaced, Becker said the city sent out a survey to gauge community interest.
“We were really happy with the responses,” Becker said, adding that many cited the difficulty of finding connection during the pandemic.
In the survey, some seniors communicated that they particularly liked the idea of connecting with university students, to provide guidance and share stories of when they were that age, Becker said.
“There was one lady who talked about being an orphan and not having a lot of connections and people to meet with,” Becker said. “We were kind of blown away at the potential for what the program could offer.”
On Feb. 24, the City held a focus group to gather more information about what participants would like to see in the program. The current plan is to hold one activity a month; May's event will be geared towards gardening, Becker said.
Becker said FCSS has been working with Big Brothers Big Sisters to gather more information about how best to pair up seniors and youth for one-on-one mentorship. She said she is hoping the one-on-one branch of the program will be set up in the coming months.
Solving problems that impact all generations
Isabella Yue, chair of the youth advisory committee, said she is excited about the program's potential to lead to solutions to inter-generational problems. Yue gave the example of mental health as something all generations face.
“For newer generations, talking about mental health is becoming more normalized,” Yue said. “Maybe having a mentor talk about what they’ve been through can lead to vocalizing something they weren’t comfortable talking about years ago.”
Becker noted that inter-generational connections have been “proven to enhance the lives of both youth and seniors in meaningful ways.”
“We really feel that the friendships that are developed can enrich the lives of everyone involved, and promote a greater sense of community connectedness,” Becker said.
