Building Age and Dementia Curriculum to Address Ageism and Support Development of Meaningful Intergenerational Connections
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Year 2024
- Principal investigator Shelley Canning
- Co-lead(s) Elise St-Martin, School District #34
- Host institution University of the Fraser Valley
- Research location University of the Fraser Valley
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Team members
- Elise St-Martin, School District #34
- Makaela Gelowitz, University of the Fraser Valley
- Candace Couse, University of the Fraser Valley
- Mindy Jones, School District #34
- Paige Riddell, School District #34
- Lisa Moore, Maplewood House Society
- Jim Mann, Community Member
- Coral McFadden, Community Member
- Mariko Sakamoto, University of Victoria
- Alison Phinney, University of British Columbia
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Partner(s)
Alzheimer Society of B.C.
We live in an ageing society where the number of older adults, including those living with dementia will increase forming a significant portion of the population in the next decades. As our population ages, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified ageism as a significant global health issue. Negative attitudes towards older adults and people living with dementia are associated with negative health outcomes, loneliness, and poor quality of life. Stigmas associated with age and dementia begin in childhood driven by familial, societal, and media influences. Subsequently, the WHO has recommended addressing ageism through education and intergenerational connections. Our project aims to address age and dementia related stigmas by bringing together a diverse team to work collaboratively on the design and development of age and dementia learning activities aimed at students in grades K-5. Typically, intergenerational education has been developed outside of mandated curriculums. Our project addresses this important gap by aligning intergenerational education activities with the BC curriculum objectives, making it easier for classroom teachers to find opportunities to incorporate these activities within their educational planning.