Kingston State College students are forging friendships with aged-care residents while building confidence and life skills beyond the classroom.
Now in its second year, the intergenerational program sends students to Trinder Park Aged Care each week as part of their Certificate I in Active Volunteering, where games, activities and conversation are driving remarkable personal change.
“One student’s journey has remained with me,” Kingston State College teacher Kathy Murdoch said.
The student was intelligent and personable but incredibly shy and lacking confidence in social situations when he first began visiting Trinder Park, Mrs Murdoch said.
Over time, he found the confidence to stand before a room full of people and speak.
“Watching this young man find the confidence to stand before a room full of people and speak with assurance was a powerful reminder of what this program was about,” Mrs Murdoch said.
She said many students began the program with limited social confidence and life experience, but brought kindness and a genuine desire to make a difference.
“It isn’t simply about volunteering hours; it is about building confidence, developing communication skills and creating meaningful relationships across generations,” she said.
“The Intergenerational Program has become far more than a volunteering opportunity.
“It has created a space where empathy, confidence, respect and connection blossom.”
Each Wednesday, Year 10 and 11 students spend time with residents.
The visits form part of a nationally recognised qualification requiring at least 20 hours of volunteer work, but Mrs Murdoch said the program had grown into something far more personal.
Some of the most important lessons students took away, she said, could never be contained in a textbook.
“Life’s lessons are not always learned in a classroom, but through conversations, shared laughter and the simple act of spending time with another person.”
Lutheran Services lifestyle facilitator Michael Russell said residents looked forward to the students arriving each week.
“The friendships that have developed are incredibly special,” he said.
“This program helps create meaningful interactions and genuine connections.
“Students come to realise that our residents have incredible life experiences, stories and wisdom to share, while residents enjoy learning about the world through a younger perspective.”
Mr Russell said the benefits worked both ways.
“Residents gain companionship and connection, while students develop new skills and confidence,” he said.
“It’s a wonderful example of what can happen when generations come together.”
The partnership is now expanding, with students from Woodridge State High School also beginning visits to Trinder Park.
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