At the invitation of the National Youth Leadership Council, the students presented Graland’s seventh-grade Alzheimer’s unit through hands-on activities, thought-provoking discussions, and student-created projects.
The group’s goal was to show other students how they can have an impact on Alzheimer’s in their community and to give teachers a framework for implementing this program at their schools. Since 2011, Graland’s seventh-grade service learning program has focused on issues facing an older population. After visiting seniors at Sunrise Senior Living Center, students became interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s disease, and a new cross-department curriculum was developed.
The conference presentation, “Minds Matter—Engaging the Next Generation with Alzheimer’s Awareness and Research,” described all aspects of the seventh-graders’ service learning, including the relationships they form with older citizens and the classroom components of their Alzheimer’s unit. Participants developed an understanding of a project-based service curriculum, basic neuroscience underlying Alzheimer’s disease, and how to use an interdisciplinary approach to address this real-world problem.
This isn’t the first recognition for this program. In March 2016, Colorado Public Radio covered the multisubject curriculum in a national story through NPREd.