What is the Pen Pals program?
Initially created as Old School Intergenerational Projects’ first program, the Pen Pal Program has been revamped with new and exciting activities to better align with the Arts and Aging Network’s priorities and address community needs and the social determinants of health.
Now proudly supported by funding from Rotary, this meaningful letter-writing initiative connects Grade 6 students with residents of long-term care and personal care homes.
The program runs over the course of a few months, during which students and seniors exchange four letters back and forth.
Each letter includes prompts and themes to help inspire conversation and storytelling.
While we do not yet have these programs in every school, we work toward engaging as many classrooms and care homes as possible.
Each student will be matched with a senior pen pal; depending on class size and participation numbers, 1–4 students may share a pen pal.
This program complements our GrandPals Program, which is offered nationally to Grade 5 classes, by offering a different perspective on aging.
Artist Facilitator Involvement
Each participating classroom is matched with a trained Artist Facilitator, who will:
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Deliver arts-based programming to encourage empathy, creativity, and a deeper understanding of aging and dementia.
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Help students prepare for their letter-writing exchanges and pen pal visits.
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Support communication and coordination between the classroom and the care home.
Teachers will be responsible for setting up times that work best for their class with the Artist Facilitator. We can offer up to four one-hour sessions depending on the availability of our facilitators and the classroom schedule.
If an Artist Facilitator cannot be available for in-person sessions, we will at minimum provide a virtual workshop for the classroom. Students and care homes can also participate in the Pen Pal Program without the in-class sessions if needed.
Connection Day
The program concludes with a Connection Day, where pen pals have the chance to finally meet in person, enjoy games, and spend time discussing the stories they’ve shared through their letters.
If travel or scheduling is a barrier, we work with schools and homes to host a similar virtual or hybrid experience.
What to Expect
