Park High school participated in Micro-Tyco Innovate, a 30-day entrepreneurial training programme that teaches students about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The students were encouraged to create Responsible Business ideas that champion the SDGs in their school or local community. One team from Park High School created an inter-generational initiative to improve elderly wellbeing in their community.
SDGs Addressed:
Inspiration: In response to statistics on depression and anxiety within the UK’s elderly population, their solution was specifically designed to increase social interaction between young people and the elderly in their community.
Innovation: Students created an inter-generational initiative in their school, a ‘Senior Citizens’ Party’ where the elderly could interact with the younger generation, share skills and learn from each other’s life experiences. Key goals the students wanted to achieve were to pass on tech skills they had learned in school and foster empathy developing relationships with the elderly members of their community.
Execution: The team used the data from the ‘Senior Citizens’ Party’, which is a highlight in the school calendar. Following internal discussions with the Head of Sixth form, the team invited several residents to their school. They made use of the school minibus, which was idle during the day, as a vehicle for transporting guests. They set up activities in their school hall and invited other students to socialise with their guests. Pupils taught them how to use tablets, computers and apps like facetime so they could video call their families. Overall the initiative was a huge success.