A Unique Intergenerational
Opportunity for Livingston Children and Residents Enters it’s Seventh Year!
Listen
to Children, is an innovative intergenerational prevention and enrichment program
for school age children in Livingston’s Elementary and Middle Schools. The
program pairs a warm and accepting senior citizen volunteer from the community
with students referred to the program. This year marks the seventh anniversary
of the successful delivery of Listen to Children in Livingston.
In the spring of 1995 the Listen
to Children program was launched in Hillside School, serving 12 students.
Through the support of the Livingston Municipal Alliance Committee, the United
Way of North Essex, the Mental Health Association of Essex County, and the
Livingston Board of Education the program now serves over 50 students and
operates in all six of Livingston’s elementary schools, as well as, both
middle schools.
What makes this program so
successful is the unique connectivity of the generations. The program plants
seeds of hope for our future through our children, while incorporating the
wisdom of Listeners through reflecting on their past. Listen to Children
connects Livingston’s most valuable community assets.
Community volunteers, over
the age of 50, undergo a criminal background check and introductory Active
Listening training before being assigned to their students. Any school age
child can be referred by parents, teachers, or school staff for a number of
reasons that may range from being victims of bullying or teasing, shyness,
family transitions, or a new student, to simply benefiting from the one-on-one
intergenerational relationship built with their special Listener.
If you would like more
information for your child to participate in their school, or if you would be
interested in volunteering to become a Listener please contact Heather Mills
Pevonis, Listen to Children Coordinator, at 973-509-9777 ext. 124. We are
always looking for members of the community who care about the future of our
children.