At Öregrunds school, senior volunteers support students and teachers once a week with nature lessons, playground duty, and classroom help. The year-long collaboration creates a safe environment where children and seniors benefit mutually, says principal Margareta Rahm Jansson.
At Öregrunds school in Öregrund, a collaboration between school staff and a seniors' association has been running for one year. Elderly volunteers are present one day a week to support students and teachers. They conduct nature lessons, supervise playground breaks, and assist in classrooms. This has become an appreciated part of the school routine, as reported by P4 Uppland and SVT Nyheter Uppsala. Research indicates that interactions between children and seniors can positively affect brain function and social well-being. Principal Margareta Rahm Jansson states: “We want to create a safe and warm environment where both children and seniors benefit from each other.” Volunteers Lars-Gunnar Bråvander and Anita Karlsson participate and learn much from the children. Anita Karlsson says: “I don’t have grandchildren nearby, so it’s warming and meaningful to help the children here at school.” The roughly 70-year age difference highlights the mutual exchange in the project.
