Galloway, N.J. — Stockton University junior Kenny Robinson didn’t grow up with grandparents or many older adults in her life.

That’s why the Psychology major signed up for an intergenerational project with the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA) this spring. She joined several area senior citizens to read and discuss the book “Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals.”

“We shared so much wisdom, and I feel like everyone discussed how we all felt and how we learned from each other, which was really life changing,” said the Galloway native. “These are people you’re meeting and building a connection with and sharing sensitive things with. That was really important for me to get that perspective because I didn’t have that growing up.”

Robinson participated in a panel discussion with other Stockton students and seniors to talk about what they learned from a series of intergenerational projects during SCOSA’s annual Successful Aging Festival on May 8 in the Campus Center.

Several hundred people attended the festival, which featured a keynote by 70-year-old powerlifter James Maguire and about 60 exhibitors and vendors, including Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties and the Atlantic County Office on Aging.

In addition to the book club, SCOSA facilitated service-learning projects to grow crops at the university’s Sustainability Farm and create a free nutrition guide with easy recipes, nutritional advice and information on local meal sites and food pantries.

“Our mission at SCOSA is to create opportunities for students and older adults to interact in all kinds of ways, especially when they’re working together to help someone else. That’s the pinnacle of the intergenerational work that we’re doing,” said Christine Ferri, SCOSA’s director and an associate professor of Psychology.

Ferri added that the United States is a very age-segregated society where most of the interaction with people outside your age group is within your family or workplace.

“So, we’re trying to create an additional space where older adults feel welcome on campus, feel included in the campus and can get a chance to talk to students who are not their same age,” she said.

Trisha Barkley, 74, took part in the project at the farm where she met some “wonderful students.” She believes that through programs like this the country is changing its view on senior citizens “because older people have so much to contribute to society.”

“I like being around the academic atmosphere, and I love being around young people,” said the Galloway resident. “I can learn from them, and hopefully they can learn from me. Isolation is the hardest part of growing old, and so connecting with other people, I just think it’s great for your mental health.”

Virginia Opteka turned 79 last week and has participated in SCOSA’s projects for the past three years. This year, she was part of the book club.

“I can’t wait until next year. I had a lot of laughs, a lot of good times,” said the Port Republic resident. “These kids, they don’t realize that you can have a life after 50. We tell them all we’ve done and a lot of them are shocked. They have something to look forward to and so they aren’t thinking that at the age of 50, I’m done.”

Stockton senior Elisabeth Jacoby, of Jackson, said she has participated in two service-learning projects that helped her realize what she wants to do in the future — work with older adults.

“I’ve never seen the age gap. To me it’s just speaking to another person,” said the Psychology major who minors in Gerontology. “I used to work in a nursing home serving food. So, I’ve always been around older adults, and the wisdom they have is just insane. We’re all just human, and I think it’s important to realize that there’s no difference between us at all.”

Stockton alum Ingrid Hickman, from Ocean City, attended the Successful Aging Festival for the first time with a friend and was impressed by the intergenerational projects.

“I just have so much admiration for the courage and curiosity behind this program,” said the 1977 Social Work graduate. “It’s so forward thinking that is so absolutely necessary with the kinds of divides that we’re dealing with in our culture and society on every level. And programs with this kind of intelligence behind them to help connect better and understand each other better are so worth it.”

Learn more about SCOSA’s programming on its website.

-- Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen

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