Two generations of Sylvan Lakers took advantage of a chance to enjoy the sunny weather while getting to know each other during a walk around Centennial Park Tuesday.
Walk the Talk, organized by Sylvan Lake’s Building Bridges committee, paired students of École Steffie Woima Elementary School with seniors from the community.
Together, each pair or group walked a set path through Centennial Park, where stops along the route posed questions designed to help participants get to know and understand each other better.
“It’s to bring the generations together so they can find out by answering the questions that they don’t have that many differences,” said Krista Carlson, a member of the Building Bridges committee. “They both have had experiences, and they can learn from each other.”
Along the route participants were asked to describe their favourite school subjects, and why they feel physical activity is important at their respective ages.
Other questions prompted explanations of how they define a good role model, and what their favourite hobbies and activities are.
“All of the questions that we see along the path were picked out to help build developmental assets in kids,” said Carlson. “It helps them just to have another positive adult role model in their life.”
The class of about 23 students was matched with about 30 seniors, and Carlson was happy to see strong participation from both sides.
“I’m amazed that we were able to get that many adults and students,” she said. “We can see this just getting bigger and bigger every year.”
Building Bridges hosts intergenerational events and activities aimed at building assets within the community.
Earlier this year, it hosted a sold-out presentation by Amanda Lindhout, marking the beginning of its Strengths Development Series.
The committee is a collaboration of various community groups and organization.