Embedded Files
Year 2
Embracing Diversity: Engaging the Elderly
Objectives
Our Y2 JCAS journey focuses on the themes of leadership, service and community. Through design thinking, students identify real needs of the elderly and plan interactive activities to enrich their lives. We seek to help students develop empathy, bridge the generational gap and reduce senior isolation.
Visit to Active Aging Centres
We partner with Allkin Singapore's Active Ageing Centres (AACs). The AACs are drop-in social recreational touchpoints that promote the social-health wellbeing of seniors by engaging them meaningfully from within the community. Our students engage with the elderly through activities like Bingo, handicraft sessions, karaoke and physical games.
Leadership Workshops
Objectives:
To help students understand their own personality through the four DISC central traits of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance.
We seek to equip them in the areas of:
a) Organisational ability
b) Situational awareness
c) Management skills
Reflections from our 2025 Year 2 students:📑
Reflection 1 by Yuhan 2B:
I like the part where my classmates performed for the elderly as I think it’s really interesting and it made the elderly enjoy themselves. I learnt that for every event that happens, we need to work together for the best result and no matter what we do, we try not to argue and make issues. To me, The most challenging part was when we had to translate our speech from English to Chinese on the spot. I think this was challenging bc overall it not that good in translating and my classmates couldn’t do it as well but luckily my Chinese classmate decided to help us. Overall I think that for this programme we could have been better if we planned earlier. I really enjoyed my time with my classmates.
Reflection 2 by Wei Cheng 2B:
I liked the part when Yifeng and Samuel was singing some songs for the elderly cause it was very nice to see the elderly singing along with them with smiles and laughter. From this activity, I learnt that planning things can always be done but the most important part is to execute it properly and in an organised manner , the most challenging part I would say it the introduction because we had some trouble speaking chinese to the elderly but luckily we have classmates that is fluent in chinese that helped us through it . Lastly, I think that my classmates helped me in my learning by always giving me what i need and always answering my questions.
Reflection 3 by Jia Bao 2M:
I think that this experience is very wonderful. Those two visits allowed me to know more about elderlies. I loved this experience as I managed to bring happiness to the elderlies with my classmates. Although this experience is successful, I do think there is much more to be improved for me. An example is that I do think that during the first visit at the elderly centre demonstrating the writing of the ‘Chun Lian’ calligraphy, I do think that I could have written it much more beautiful and better. But overall, it was a very nice and meaningful trip.
Reflection 4 by Victor 2M:
Our class visited the elderly two times and it was a truly eye-opening experience. The visits were very successful. I was really grateful that the elderly were happy at the end. Seeing the elderly’s faces light up as we interacted with them made me realize the importance of connecting and showing kindness to people of all ages. It was heartwarming to hear their stories and learn from their wisdom. This visit reminded me of the value of empathy and the impact small gestures can have on others.
Reflection 5 by Sze Wey 2M:
I think that this experience was really amazing as I could interact with different elderly and watch them enjoy themselves when doing the crafts and all the other activities. Going to the elderly care center also allowed me to work more with my peers in the planning stages and get to know them better. Overall,this experience was enjoyable and enriching and something that we do not really do on a normal day to day basis.
Reflection 6 by Class 2C:
Our journey in planning and visiting the seniors aging center has been transformative, leading to deep reflections and profound insights that have touched each of us in unique ways. We have learned a lot through our communications with the seniors in different activities like painting, bowling and singing.
One of the most impactful lessons we learned is the importance of human connection and empathy. Through our interactions with the seniors, we realized the power of a simple conversation or a kind gesture in brightening someone's day. We learned that aging is not just about physical health but also about mental and emotional well-being, and that our presence and attention can make a significant difference in the lives of others.
Visiting the aging center also changed my stereotype about the seniors. Time is going on, and the seniors are also trying to catch up the fashion and be one of the contemporaries. What most surprised me is the reflection of the seniors when hearing pop songs, apart from my expectations, they felt excited and curious. They are not only the seniors who like classics or old songs in their time, but also the one’s who also love the latest pop songs. This experience taught us to always be aware that not all seniors are old fashioned. We need to approach aging with a more nuanced and empathetic perspective, and be recognizing that each individual's journey is unique and should be valued.
Overall, our journey to the seniors aging center has been a profound learning experience that has broadened our perspectives, deepened our empathy, and inspired us to make a positive impact in the lives of others. It has reinforced the value of human connection, and changed our impression of the seniors.
Report abuse