The importance of relationships has been a well-known benefit to the development of young children , promoting social skills and a sense of belonging in community .

Over the last two years , when relationships and social interactions have been limited and restricted , community connections have experienced a decline . However , a partnership between Anglicare and Norwest Christian College sought to change that .

With a common interest in looking to further community connections and relationships , Anglicare and Norwest Christian College started a partnership in 2021 to develop an intergenerational program .

The purpose of the program was to provide opportunities for young children and senior residents to come together ,

to learn from each other and to build a unique relationship aimed at expanding their significance and contribution within community .

The word Jannawi , a Darug word , was chosen to describe the program - it means ‘ with you , with me ’. This was intentional as we saw the value and worth to be shared from both the young children and senior residents during the program .

Jannawi was launched in May 2022 with a group of eight children from the ELC at Norwest Christian College and eight residents from the Anglicare Ponds Village . A program of planned learning experiences was developed to promote the relationship between the children and the residents , to collaborate and to build on the strengths of each other .

During the course of the program , the children and residents created a story

together , made and shaped playdough , drew portraits of each other and went on a scavenger hunt . These experiences have further developed the collaborative nature of their relationships and built an understanding of the abilities and skills of each other .

One of the most incredible aspects of the program was seeing the easy nature with which the children and residents engaged , the endless conversation and laughter that was shared and the genuine interest shown towards each other .

The program ran for eight weeks and over this time strong connections were built to the point where children were asking when they get to see their partner again . If children or residents were absent due to illness or unavailability the program continued .

As children and residents returned

from their time away it was beautiful to see them reconnect and catch up on missed time .

As this pilot session comes to end we are starting to plan for future Jannawi groups and will be extending the program to include secondary students from Norwest Christian College to partner with residents from Anglicare . The dynamic could be very different when teenagers are partnering , but we are confident that it will have a positive impact on both parties .

It is evident that the impact for both young children and older people has formed strong connections and a newfound respect for both our younger and older citizens in our community .

If you would like more information about education at Norwest Christian College please visit www . norwest . nsw . edu . au .