S.B. Senior Center recognized for Living Legacies program

Students create theater performances based on the lives of veterans

The South Brunswick Senior Center has received an award from the National Council on Aging (NCOA) for its highly successful Living Legacies program.

The award was presented as part of NCOA’s National Institute of Senior Centers 2012 Programs of Excellence.

Living Legacies is an annual intergenerational event that serves as the culminating feature of several months of preparation between high-school students and local senior citizens. Every spring, an original theater performance, “Living Legacies,” created and performed by the students, showcases different themes for the seniors at the center. Each year a different theme is featured, such as “The Veterans’ Stories,” Immigration, Our Common Bond,” “People, Places & Events: South Brunswick’s History,” and for 2013, “Celebrating Our Cultural Diversity.”

The school and its volunteer partner organization, Aging in Place, identify seniors within the township to participate. Using the theme as the starting point for conversations, seniors and students begin to meet regularly. The students then translate what they learned from the interviews into monologues, and a theater performance piece is presented at the center for all seniors in town.

A reception follows, allowing seniors to mingle with the students and discuss the show.

Volunteers take photos and video, and photos of each participating senior are exhibited at the senior center. “We are grateful to receive this recognition award, but could not have completed this program each year without the support of Jacque Rubel from Aging in Place and the high-school students and teachers — they are the ones that make this program come to life,” said Christine Wildemuth, director of the South Brunswick Senior Center.

“Senior centers play a vital role in helping older adults stay healthy, independent and connected to their communities,” said James Firman, president and chief executive officer of NCOA. “We congratulate the South Brunswick Senior Center on its innovative program and hope it can serve as a nationwide model for other senior centers around the country.”

For more information about the South Brunswick Senior Center and its programs for South Brunswick adults over age 55, visit www.sbtnj.net and click the Senior Center tab at the top, or call 732-329- 4000, ext. 7682.