BRING THE GRANDPARENT CONNECTION SCHOOL PROGRAM TO YOUR COMMUNITY
When grandparents enter the world of their grandchildren at school, there are positive, measurable outcomes for families and schools!
- Intergenerational connections are good for everyone’s mental health, including improved academic performance and social skills for students
- Grandparents can provide a support network for students and parents
- Grandparents volunteer and often support their grandchild’s education
The Grandparent-Grandchild Connection Workshops
Module 1: Intergenerational Sharing Fun
Music! Headlines! Technology! Grandparents and grandchildren can pull out their smart phones (or use school provided Chromebooks) to give each other a taste of the music, headlines and technology that define their generation.
Module 2: The Secret to Entering your Grandchild’s World
At the end of this session, grandparents will know what their grandchildren are studying in school, how to use the school website, all about extracurricular activities, clubs, typical social and emotional developmental stages and more.
Module 3: The Power of Stories to Connect
This interactive workshop uses storytelling to connect grandparents and grandchildren. Stories can inspire bonding around “shared” first experiences—a first day of school, a first crush–and shed light on each other’s day to day lives.
Module 4: How to Create a Culture of Sharing
Learn how to create a culture of respect and sharing in the family and how to translate values into activities that families can enjoy together.
"Your advice and leadership has allowed us to build strong connections with our students' grandparents - a relationship that will prove immensely valuable to grandchildren, grandparents, and our entire community."
- Michael Lebelfeld, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Deerfield Public Schools
"Grandparents are game-changers in the lives of their grandchildren and must seize every opportunity to shape memories, provide experiences, and heap love. It is with this understanding that a grandparent should never walk away from the chance to engage their grandchild socially and academically. Who is your grandchild's best friend and why? What story is your grandchild reading in class, and what is the plot? Never shy away from asking and being more! Grandparents bring love to every facet of their lives. Connect that love with education, and your grandchild is going to be a lifelong learner with a capacity for patience, empathy, and excellence."
- Nicholas Stoyas
Associate Principal
Edgewood Middle School
About the instructor
Author and Grandparent, Past General Director, JCC's of Chicago
Jerry Witkovsky
So what are you waiting for?
So what are you waiting for?