Grade 7: Growing Connections Beyond Campus
As part of Grade 7’s service-learning focus on intergenerational connections, students continue their partnership with A Little Help, an organization that connects volunteers with older adults to support aging well at home. The program gives students the opportunity to build genuine relationships while learning what it means to show up for others with care and consistency.
Throughout the year, Grade 7 advisories meet with their senior buddies about once a month. Visits have included seasonal tasks like yard work, along with time spent talking, doing puzzles, and keeping one another company. In December, students planned a seasonal gathering, bringing care baskets filled with useful items and small comforts to share with their senior buddies.
Several students from each advisory also meet regularly over lunch with Mr. Jake Dresden, former Graland educator and Metro Denver director for A Little Help. These conversations allow students to reflect on their experiences and think intentionally about ways to strengthen their connections. One idea that emerged from these meetings was inviting senior buddies to campus for lunch, a newer element of the program that began last spring and has become a highlight for both students and seniors.
Later in the year, seventh graders will take part in the Memory Box project, another component of Grade 7’s service-learning experience. Through interdisciplinary work in English, history, science, math, and innovation, students create a visual display that honors a senior in their life by highlighting meaningful memories, objects, and stories.
As the year continues, the A Little Help partnership will remain an important part of Grade 7’s service-learning program, supporting students as they build relationships that cross generations.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
