Past Meets Present Initiative Connects Armbrook Village Seniors, Local Teens

WESTFIELD — Residents from Armbrook Village Assisted Living recently visited Westfield High School for their third annual Past Meets Present initiative. This intergenerational program allows today’s seniors and students to connect and learn from one another’s experiences.

The Past Meets Present Initiative took off in 2024, when Armbrook Village partnered with Westfield High’s AP history class, taught by Nicole Hamel, to bring its dementia-friendly training to younger generations. In an effort to promote understanding and compassion toward those living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Armbrook Village worked to make Westfield the first dementia-friendly city on the East Coast in 2014 and since then has hosted numerous trainings for students, healthcare workers, and the general public.

With a focus on historical artifacts that are important to seniors’ lives, this year’s take on Past Meets Present encouraged residents to share important objects that hold meaning to their life experiences. Between World War I books and keepsakes from the 1994 Paris Olympic Games, Westfield students were deeply drawn to not only which items each senior brought in, but also the personal stories they held.

After learning from Armbrook residents about the meaning behind their items, students got their chance to present to seniors, faculty, and family. In a museum-style exhibit, each student shared what they learned from their conversations with the seniors. Not only were students given the opportunity to enhance their history knowledge, but seniors also were able to learn about their neighbors’ past experiences, contributing to Armbrook Village’s goal of building connection and community.

“The Past Meets Present project cultivates a sense of purpose within our residents,” Armbrook Village Director of Community Relations Jayda Handzel said. “Not only does it positively affect our residents, but it also has a lasting impact on the students, teaching them empathy, patience, and a deeper understanding of how the things that they learn about in textbooks actually were real-life experiences.”

This entire project allows young students to apply their conversations with each senior to their history lessons and teaches them the value of connecting with older generations.