Shorewood Seniors participate in a project with students from University of St. Francis in Joliet
Freshman and sophomore students from the University of St. Francis (USF) prepared and executed an intergenerational painting and drawing project with seniors from The Timbers of Shorewood Senior Living on Wednesday, April 19, at the Timbers, 1100 N River Rd, Shorewood.
The project with the Timbers is part of the Recreation and Sports Management department at St. Francis, and the course is specifically titled “Program Design and Leadership.”
“Students design the entire activity,” said Associate Professor Jessica Monu, Ph.D. “Initially, I reached out to various local agencies including the Timbers, then the students took over discovering the needs of the agency and the participants. They create goals, design the project, create marketing, plan risk management, execute, and evaluate. Taking an experiential approach, we teach it, then we do it.”
From the university’s website: “Recreation and leisure are essential for strong communities and satisfying lifestyles. USF’s Recreation and Sport Management program prepares students for rewarding careers in a field that provides meaningful leisure in a variety of settings. USF’s dedicated faculty prepares students for professional leadership roles through innovative instruction, experiential learning, and a personalized advising process.”
“Combining recreation and geriatrics is a fast-growing field with lots of job opportunities,” Monu said. “We have always enjoyed coming to the Timbers for this event, but this is our first time back since the COVID shutdown.”
“The USF students ran a wonderful interactive project, and the residents truly enjoyed the assistance and encouragement they received,” said Amy Odell, director of activities at the Timbers of Shorewood. “There are so many positive aspects to having college students connect with seniors, and vice versa. We have very engaged residents that love to participate in many activities, and having the younger generation involved gives the seniors added energy.”
Located in Joliet, University of St. Francis is a Catholic liberal arts college that strives to prepare women and men to contribute to the world through service and leadership.
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About The Timbers of Shorewood Senior Living
The Timbers of Shorewood Senior Living is a rental retirement community that provides senior independent living and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Residents whose needs may change are able to stay in the same place and receive appropriate and compassionate care. Furnished apartments are also available for short-term stays.
For more information about the Timbers of Shorewood call 815-609-0669.
Joliet Herald-News Story – Joliet university students create paint night for Timbers of Shorewood residents
