That’s a snapshot from the Intergenerational Learning Center at Providence Mount St. Vincent in the Fairmount neighborhood of West Seattle – a one-of-a-kind early-learning program, which, according to an announcement just forwarded by Arlene Carter from The Mount, has just won a major award – read on for the details:

The Providence Mount St. Vincent Intergenerational Learning Center (ILC)
has been selected as a winner of the 2009 Generations United/MetLife
Foundation Best Practices Award. As an award recipient, the ILC has
received a cash award of $2,500 and will be recognized at the
Generations United (GU) Conference this July in Washington DC as well as
being featured in a report to be released during the conference.

The best practices observed at Providence Mount St. Vincent include the
forward thinking care and treatment of the elderly combined with unique
and well-planned interactions with children attending the ILC. The
residents, volunteers and staff at The Mount benefit from the daily
encounters and activities with children, both in groups and
individually, both formally and informally. For instance, at Halloween
up to 125 children accompanied by some parents and all of the ILC
teachers parade throughout the entire building trick or treating. The
buzz and expectation for this event starts a month in advance. Everyone
dresses up including all of the children and many of the elderly
residents. The halls are lined with delighted observers. Both children
and residents thoroughly enjoy and mutually benefit from the experience.

The Intergenerational Learning Center child care program is considered a
critical component of the facility’s overall plan to provide quality
care and quality of life for The Mount’s residents. Residents and
children participate in singing, dance, exercise, reading, art,
volleyball and baking together. They also have annual tea parties,
Christmas cookie baking and weekly sing-a-longs. Informal interactions
occur when residents visit classrooms and read, cuddle kids and join in
play. An art therapist couples elders with 4 year-olds to create
incredible art work. Children who have attended the ILC since infancy
often visit the same residents for up to 5 years. One classroom is on a
skilled nursing floor which permits resident easy access to the room and
activities within. All doors or gates to the ILC and playground are
wheelchair accessible and the center is designed with windows cut out of
walls to allow wheelchair bound residents to watch at will.

You can read more about the Intergenerational Learning Center here.