Fostering Connections Between Young and Old
- 2018-06-25
- The New York Times
When Samantha Flores wasn’t taking classes at the University of Maryland for her master’s degree in cello performance this past academic year, she could often be found hanging out with a bunch of 80-somethings. Ms. Flores, 28, along with another music student, was participating in a new artists-in-residence program at Collington, a nonprofit retirement community in Mitchellville, Md.
In return for free room and board, Ms. Flores gave concerts to the residents, accompanied the choir on her cello and taught them about music — while getting to know them through happy hours and dining hall meals.
The program at Collington, an affiliate of the Kendal Corporation, is one of many new programs bringing together old and young people, from babies through graduate students, with the idea that each generation has something to offer the other.