Building Community Among the Generations

Do you remember the Spring Swing & Sock Hop event that was at Mullis Center in April? Well Debbi Fincher just sent over a note describing the book they created from that and other related events. Here’s Debbi with the story:

Rock Solid Youth Group & SSIS Middle School Students created a project to help build community among the generations. The culmination of events was the celebration we had at the “Dance of the Ages” AKA Community Dance we did in April, now we are seeing the fruits of our labor from the built in layer of the Smithsonian Oral History Interview Project we did in their History & Language Arts classes at SSIS. Eleven local elders with long ties to SJI were selected and our youth interviewed them for this book. We found new friendships, new respect and common interests among the generations!

The SJI Community Foundation grant made the project financially possible and the SJI Prevention Coalition has sponsored our Rock Solid Youth at various Prevention Summits where we gained new ideas, new skills and the confidence to go forward and make a difference in our community. If you want to see a copy of the book, we have donated copies to the SJ Historical Museum, The Village at The Harbour, The SJI Prevention Coalition Office and the San Juan Library.  We plan on a reading later this fall to invite the community to hear the rich and entertaining stories.

Our interviewees are:

• Fiona Norris
• Florence & Mel Harrison
• Gary Gero
• MaryJean Cahail
• Gordon Steele
• Tom Eschelman
• Noble Starr
• Bob Fritz
• Edith Dickenson
• Frank Buchanan
• Kitty Roberts

Ask them about it if you see them in town. We thank everyone involved to make this a wonderful experience and successful project.  Thank you, Debbi

Click here to see more photos…

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