Many members of Generation Z cannot recall the release of the first iPhone; however, they cannot imagine a time without them either. With frenzies of text messages and Snapchat alerts constantly on their minds, members of Gen Z forget that their grandparents chatted with friends on corded phones in their kitchens. The division between modern-day teenagers and senior citizens is indisputable, yet this divide is not unbreakable.

7th-grade students at Johnson proved that the experiences of senior citizens are not only engaging but are also relevant to their own lives through a project titled The Senior Citizen Human Interest Project, which is better known as “Bridging the Gap.”

“I found that working with someone who isn’t from the same generation was very interesting,” 7th grader Kathryn Murphy said. “When they were our age, things were a lot different. No one had cell phones or electronics. In a way, things were simpler.”

Students conversed with local senior citizens via email to gather information about an important event or life experience in their assigned senior’s life. With this information, they wrote articles, which became part of a newspaper for Alison O’Hara’s Informational Reading and Writing class. Bridging the Gap was headed by O’Hara, who partnered with Richard McCarthy—director of Walpole’s Council Border on Aging—as well as Johnson staff members Kerri McManama and Susan Stewart-Racicot. From there, O’Hara and others either paired students with their grandparents or had them “adopt” another senior citizen to work with. Stewart-Racicot sought an educational element in this project beyond the human interest aspect, so she taught the students’ research skills that were useful in piecing together their stories.

“The students were impressed with the seniors’ ability to send and receive emails! They love the funny stories about how different life was back in the day without computers and cell phones,” O’Hara said. “It definitely fosters a new level of respect.”

Interestingly, this project was sparked by O’Hara’s simple exchange of an anecdote with a student. When a student expressed his interest in NASCAR, O’Hara shared that her father was a racecar driver during the 1950s at the Norwood Arena.

“From this brief exchange, I knew that my students could benefit in so many ways by hearing the life stories of senior citizens,” O’Hara said.

The topics of stories spanned from lunches with a First Lady to the making of a two-man show. Also in the mix were heartfelt stories that strengthened grandparent-grandchild relationships by celebrating the simpler—yet meaningful—aspects of life.

“This project serves as a means of bridging a generation gap, brings history to life for the seventh graders,” O’Hara said. “Students learn about those who have served in the military, started their own business, worked at an interesting job, overcome a hardship, moved to America from another country, participated in a sport, performing art...the topics are endless!”

On the sentimental side of the spectrum was Murphy, who titled her article “A Happy Place” because that is exactly what her grandmother’s shop, All About Quilts, is to her. Murphy tactfully applied the research aspect to her project as, consequently, she discovered that her grandmother’s business of three decades defied the odds of the small business world.

“My favorite part about this experience was getting to share it with my grandma,” Murphy said. “Not only emailing but going on the field trip together. I got to hear one of her many stories and learned a bit more about her. Overall, I really enjoyed this experience.”

“My favorite part about this experience was getting to share it with my grandma.” -Kathryn Murphy

ther students reflected on a few momentous occasions that highlighted their senior’s character. 7th grader Meghan McNeil noted that her grandmother, Patricia Conley, has been working various jobs—since she was only 14—for 67 years of her life. Of these jobs, her role as Governor Edward Joseph King’s full-time schedule secretary led her to her greatest adventures. Conley joined other members of King’s staff on a trip for Friendship Force International—a nonprofit organization that is aimed to improve intercultural relations through homestays—to Germany. Overall, McNeil’s appreciation for her grandmother’s ambition clearly shined through in her article.

“She gave me an understanding that you have to be willing to work really hard in life,” McNeil said. “My grandmother took a chance volunteering for the Governor and that turned into a job where she moved up higher until she got to be his personal secretary. Also, she gave me the perspective of not to take things for granted because I saw how much more effort she had to put in to do things that we can easily do today using computers.”

McNeil reflected on how technology makes her life very different from her grandmother’s and how she succeeded even with fewer advantages.

“This experience made me realize that I shouldn’t always count on technology to help me because in my grandmother’s generation they didn’t have the technology and they succeeded with perseverance, willingness and really hard work.”

Although dreams may at times seem far-fetched or idealistic, several Walpole senior citizens proved their dreams to be attainable. For instance, 7th grader Logan Loconto wrote about a senior citizen, named Norman Conrad, who courageously carried on with the two-man show that he did with his father even after his father’s passing. Conrad lip-synched as well as played rhythmic bones and the tambourine. He ascended up the ladder of the entertainment industry over the years and proved his star-quality by appearing on the Ed Sullivan’s Toast of the Town Show. Likewise, Walpole police officer Roy Lee shared his experiences with Nate O’Connell and emphasized that his goal was always to place the “right bad guy” in custody. Lee did just that through fingerprinting in order to keep the streets of Walpole safe.

“My favorite part of this project is that it builds community,” O’Hara said. “The students love to show the seniors that they are caring and productive citizens, and the seniors love to share their special life stories.”

By tying these stories together into one book, the Walpole community may further explore the scope of its senior citizens’ feats, struggles, and adventures. Johnson’s 7th graders can take pride in the fact they were a part of the project that bridged the gap between generations. With Baby Boomers and Generation X upgrading their corded telephones to emails, Gen Z has proved that technology is no longer a reason for division between them and their community’s senior citizens.

“Creating the spiral bound book is awesome because now these stories are recorded,” O’Hara said. “We just started creating the digital copy thanks to BJ Burke, our digital learning coach, and I look forward to seeing where this worthwhile project goes from here.”