ECHOES MONTESSORI: PROVIDING INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION
SA Montessori is incredibly proud to announce an innovative and inspiring new partnership with ECH, one of the largest integrated providers of retirement village accommodation and ageing care services in South Australia.
Connect, learn and grow
Together we are building a pioneering project that will place early learning and retirement residences side-by-side. The two services will not only be co-located on the same plot of land, but will be deeply integrated through a range of opportunities that will facilitate consistent, authentic and ongoing intergenerational interaction. Children and elders will not only share land, but will share their lives with one another as they connect, learn and grow.
Intergenerational village
This intergenerational village will be located at 85 Smart Road, Modbury and will be opening in January 2021. The main road provides convenient access for families from surrounding areas, but this street frontage will be the only man made piece of the site’s perimeter. The rest of the development is embedded into Linear Park, meaning that the children and elder residents will be embraced by nature. They will also be reciprocating that care through the thoughtful touches of the village design, such as the urban farm that will be tended by little hands and big ones alike.
The children attending Echoes Montessori Early Learning Centre will engage in their regular Montessori learning and care programs within their safe and secure centre. They will be further enriched by the inclusion of contact with their older friends as they come together for shared activities on a regular basis both within their centre and amongst the many shared spaces of the community such as the gardens, library, art room and multi-purpose hall.
The children will be given opportunities to safely interact and learn alongside older residents who choose to share their wisdom and life skills with their younger ‘apprentices’. Gardening, art, dance, yoga, woodworking, music, pottery, sewing, cooking, reading and simple companionship, are some of the planned activities to be included in the daily programs.
Intergenerational engagement is the most natural, healthy and holistic way for a community to thrive. Research from around the world highlights the positive outcomes for children and adults alike when generations come together.
SA Montessori and ECH share an emphasis on the values of empowerment, dignity, independence and respect. SA Montessori provides more than just traditional ‘child care’, and ECH does not simply offer stereotypical ‘aged care’. Both SA Montessori and ECH care for their clients, enrich their environments and prepare their professionals in a way that promotes meaningful growth and positive outcomes for every unique individual. For the past three decades, SA Montessori has been bringing exceptional early learning experiences to the children of Adelaide and supporting families with the process of parenting. We continue to embrace the privilege of our role in the lives of children, but we are also evolving to create a connection to our elders as well.
The importance of community: restoration and reconnection
The events of 2020 have reinforced how absolutely vital that sense of community truly is. Many people around the world have been asked to live without access to their loved ones or their communities, and we have seen the pain this has caused. Our focus on holistic wellbeing has become more pertinent than ever in these times, with this project acting as a symbol of restoration and reconnection. We are thinking creatively to ensure that we have a model where intergenerational engagement can occur in a variety of ways and environments so that meaningful connection is always possible in a safe and healthy setting. We have always believed, and this year has shown, that as a society we truly are ‘better together’ and we feel so proud to be unveiling an environment that lives these values.
Connection and communication are human tendencies important to us all, and there is no better way to achieve this than for generations to spend time together.
To register your interest and for further updates:
