Image courtesy of UDHS
Pairing high school students with the community's longest-term residents created an education process for all.
When first tasked with introducing more choice into the Upper Dublin High School English curriculum in 2019, faculty members Jessie Ippolito and Jennifer Kaplan envisioned a concept fusing elements of psychology and literature. The vision was a class that could build critical soft skills while also heightening an understanding of effective storytelling. Little did they know at the time, but their initial inspiration would not only grow from an initial enrollment of about 10 students to now 125, but it would also help address critical needs for their students returning to in-person learning after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Art of Their Story” course at Upper Dublin High School was modeled by Ippolito and Kaplan after Yale University psychologist Dr. Laurie Santos’ “The Science of Well-Being,” one of the university’s most popular courses focused on human happiness.
Image courtesy of UDHS“What we observed, and there is national data to support this, coming out of the pandemic was that kids were hurting. They felt lonely and isolated. We wanted to give them experiences that would build human connections and help them find purpose and happiness in serving others,” said Ippolito.
Kaplan agreed.
“For our seniors especially, we thought about the impact of their next steps and their connections to the Upper Dublin community,” said Kaplan. “We thought, how can we provide a chance for them to give something back to the community that raised them before they embark on their next adventures.”
As classrooms and opportunities opened with the mitigation of the pandemic, Kaplan and Ippolito looked around at the local community and realized there was a resource on their back doorstep. Fort Washington Estates, a continuing care retirement community, is located adjacent to the high school campus. They boldly pitched their concept, a class experience that would have students interview residents of Fort Washington Estates about how they have found resiliency and purpose in life, to Fort Washington Estates’ Director of Community Relations, Madeline Hlywiak. Hlywiak, a former educator, was immediately a champion for the idea and ready to make it happen.
When you visit Fort Washington Estates and see the student interviews underway, you will find students knitting and chatting with a senior named Barbara, who knits for children in hospitals and gets the students to do it with her. You will see high school seniors interested in science talking with Mr. Dobbs, a former scientist ready to lend his career expertise and guidance.
You’ll also see a senior resident the students have named “Baker Bob” because he always sends them home with his homemade zucchini bread. Off hours, you will see high school seniors delivering a birthday card to one of the residents, making sure they did not miss celebrating a 90th milestone. One day, upon arrival, you might even see all of the residents wearing cowboy hats, because it was a high school spirit day themed around cowboys, and they wanted to partake. These are just some of the many ways that relationships take shape, a fitting tribute to the school project’s title, “Senior to Senior.”
After conducting two hours’ worth of interviews, the Upper Dublin High School seniors begin to craft a published biography of their Fort Washington Estates resident. The biography includes reflections on how the resident was resilient when met with challenges in their life, and also, letters of gratitude expressing how the resident has impacted the life of their young student.
“This project taught me the importance of listening and connecting with others, especially those of different generations. My biggest takeaway was to ask questions and remain curious about everyone's journey,” said senior Emily Amerstein. “By asking questions, I discovered more about the kind of person they are, and in turn, the kind of person I want to be.”
“For my students, they learn to craft a biography with an actual audience that really cares about it. They navigate the struggles of working collaboratively and undertake an editing process to bring their story to a polished form,” said Ippolito. “They also learn from people who have experienced some of life’s greatest challenges, from losing a loved one to losing their ability to walk. It builds their capacity for empathy and changes their perspective on aging, learning to view it as a chance to build strength and wisdom.”
Image courtesy of UDHSOn Wednesday, Nov. 20. The Upper Dublin High School seniors delivered the finished stories to the residents in a special ceremony.
“It is really exciting to see the culmination of the project and to see our seniors develop their interpersonal, analytical, and writing skills so organically through this project. Our teachers Jennifer Kaplan and Jessie Ippolito really took it to heart when we asked them to create an authentic learning experience,” said Upper Dublin Curriculum Supervisor for Humanities Bryna Vandergrift.
Upper Dublin senior Madden Reilly shared her thoughts on the project.
“I wrote about Bernadette, a wonderful lady who has been through many challenges throughout her life,” said Reilly. “She continues to put herself and her family first, while also going out and finding hobbies that she enjoys.” Reilly continued, “This was truly a once in a lifetime experience. This project not only led me closer to another human being, but it helped me have a different outlook on my life.”
She wasn’t alone in her feelings.
“I can wholeheartedly say that after talking to my senior Madeline,” said student Isabella Loza. “I will work to incorporate the lessons I have learned from her into my life, including ‘Do what you love and love what you do, because you won’t find success any other way in life,’ and ‘If you’re not there, and don't know how to get there, it’s ok to take the path that you didn't think you were going to take.’”
