In 2011, the Jefferson Area Board for Aging—a nonprofit serving older adults, disabled individuals, and caregivers in the Charlottesville area—was inspired to create its own preschool, after a Montessori school that had been using some of its space moved to a new location. Located just down the hall from its Adult Care Center, JABA’s Shining Star Preschool allows students to regularly engage with seniors through a variety of activities, forging intergenerational friendships.
“Sometimes our kids don’t have grandparents who are close by. And what we see when the kids and the seniors are together is that they may be sharing information or sharing stories,” says JABA Operations Director Donna Baker. “You can’t not talk about the joy when you see our kids and our seniors get together…it’s just magical sometimes.”
At JABA’s Adult Care Center and Mary Williams Community Senior Center, preschoolers and seniors eat lunch, make crafts, play music, and do other interactive activities together. When the pandemic started, the preschool switched to offering safer interactions, like outdoor concerts, but it is now working to return to normal activities.
Through a partnership with United Way of Greater Charlottesville, the full-day preschool has grown significantly over the past few years, serving families from a variety of backgrounds and income levels. It currently has 40 students, in addition to the 38 seniors enrolled in the program.
“We don’t force any interactions,” adds Baker. “Some of our older folks, they’ve done their time with kids and are fine not participating—but some don’t see their grandkids enough, and [the preschool] is the most wonderful thing in the world. It’s a lot of fun.”