The Meaning of Volunteer Services in Schools--To the Educator and to the Older Adult

Under an Administration on Aging grant, 1967-1969, a team from Winnnetlca, Illinois assisted communities and schools of varying socioeconomic patterns to develop school volunteer programs using large numbers of older adults. The methods employed to share the Winnetka school volunteer pattern were basically demonstration, training, and visitations using visual aids and seminar techniques. Research possibilities include follow up of programs established under AOA funding to investigate: Viability of the programs; expanded use of older adults within the original demonstration projects, and in projects peripheral to the originals; and, changes in the patterns of disengagement symptoms of adults over age 50 in communities where demonstration projects were set up. A partnership between agencies concerned with aging and those concerned with education can provide the opportunity for education to become more humane and for older people to find a culturally significant outlet for their time and knowledge.