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Working with Older Volunteers in Manual Intergenerational Projects
Work Plan for Manual Work-Oriented Projects
Target Group
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In the run-up to the project the selection of participants should ensure at
least a partial compliance of interests and capabilities especially of elderly
participants, as the choice of subprojects also depends on these.
The smaller groups of elderly (2-4 seniors) are composed in such a way that
all nations are represented in a subproject, yet with a connective interest
in the work goal.
6-8 adolescents are added to each work group. It is useful to let them
decide freely according to their interests, but they should also be selected
according to existing language skills.
With regard to the elderly participants, physical limitations (e.g. in terms
of long standing periods and physical efforts) need to be taken into account.
This should be clarified prior to the project. Longer break periods
are usually helpful.
Verbal Communication
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English is not necessarily a common language, particularly with regard
to the elderly. The project concentration on craft-oriented activities also
allows an active cooperation of older participants without sufficient language
skills. However, it is always helpful to be able to revert to at least one
person with some existing language skills.
In case there is no mutual language among the elderly, these should be
provided with translation aids, at least at the beginning.
In any case, during the selection of adolescents, attention should be paid
to their proficient language skills so they can support the communication
processes. It sometimes makes sense to integrate two groups of adolescents,
one that cooperates in the subprojects and one that functions as interpreters.
This also makes exchanges accessible for pupils of primary and vocational
schools, thus not only for grammar school students.
It has proven helpful to integrate adolescents with a migrational background,
because they know different kinds of languages and are experienced
in the handling of difficult linguistic situations.
Joint plans and arrangements should definitely be visualised in the form of
text or pictures so as to be understood by all.
Set of Methods 119