Learning together

I don't have my heart here. He's waiting for me to come back there. When I left Cuba, I left my life, I left my love. Cuando salí de Cuba, déjé enterrado mi corazón…” So begins the popular song by Luis Aguillé, which was played in the dining room of the Artesa de Segre nursing home last Tuesday during a musical bingo match with songs from all eras attended by dozens of residents and students. Other ESO students in the fourth year of Els Planells d'Artesa de Segre Secondary School. Only the godfathers and godmothers knew the words and even dared to sing. The young people tried to refute their stereotypical ideas about aging and have a more positive view of their grandparents. The initiative comes within the educational project Community Service, which is developing the center within the framework of the mandatory curriculum, which enhances the students’ experience and leadership of civic engagement actions, learning from this group and putting their knowledge and abilities to use in serving the community, and promoting the exchange of experiences and knowledge on the part of one and the other. In this way, young people visit the Artesa de Segre residence and, in addition to learning how to work on a daily basis, they also learn about the professional profiles that are created in a center with these characteristics and, above all, the lives of the users. They are divided into groups, and they talk with the residents about Their life experiences. “It was created as a space where we can understand each other regardless of the years that separate us,” the students explained.

Each student participates in three sessions: activities that foster mutual knowledge and foster empathy between youth and grandparents; Mental mobility and social integration. “We met playing board games and participated in this musical bingo game, which was the most fun.” Everyone had to guess the title of the songs that kept playing, from the Mallorca anthem Balangira Maria del Mar Bonet, A motorcycle mother, From Rosalia through libreby Nino Bravo or Red high heelsWritten by Sebastian Yatra, among others. “We have to exchange knowledge,” residents explained. “Young people don’t know our music and the music they listen to all sounds the same.” They are getting to know each other and would like to meet again. “We had a good time and that's the important thing. We love for them to come and learn together in some way. After Easter, the intergenerational project will continue, and new fourth-graders will arrive who will live with the residents, and will spend afternoons together sharing experiences and mutual experiences.