My neighbour’s story matters

If you were to step into a Grade 7 language arts class at Ottawa Christian School a year ago, you might hear students asking questions not found in textbooks: What was your childhood like? What challenges shaped your life? What wisdom would you pass on to us?

These questions are at the heart of My Neighbour’s Story Matters, an intergenerational learning initiative that brought together fifteen Grade 7 students with residents from the retirement community next door. From January to May 2025, students prepared thoughtful interview questions, learned the art of listening, and ultimately crafted written narratives that honoured the lives and stories of the residents they met. The program quietly impacted both students and residents.

The origins of this initiative are deeply collaborative. The initial spark came from educator Carla Alblas during a professional learning session on deeper learning in early 2025 – an Institute for Christian Studies (ICS) course taught by Dr. Edith van der Boom. I’m a Grade 7/8 Teacher at Ottawa Christian School and took courses through ICS to obtain a Christian Instructional Leadership Certificate and to grow in my practice.

Alblas’ idea planted the seed for what would eventually grow into a rich and meaningful classroom experience. That vision was further nurtured within the framework of ICS, whose work in Christian deeper learning continues to shape how educators design experiences that are both academically rigorous and spiritually meaningful.

The true heart of the project came from the students themselves.

New connections

For many students, this was their first meaningful, face-to-face interaction with residents at the retirement community since before the pandemic. For residents, ranging in age from 88 to 100, it was an opportunity to share memories, laughter and hard-earned wisdom with a younger generation eager to listen. The initiative culminated in a Celebration of Learning in the common social area at the residents’ home, attended by the students, residents and family members. The students presented surprise gifts to the residents: they had gathered their memories into spiral-bound books. Some of the students wrote something similar to a biography. There was a student who compiled a collection of stories about one resident’s fishing trips. Some added pictures of residents from when they were younger.

Some students added extra gifts to their written stories, such as bookmarks or a hand-knitted scarf. One of the students wrote a song for his resident and sang it, accompanying himself on his guitar. We all enjoyed cookies, juice and fellowship together after.

Ongoing learning

Of course, like any meaningful project, there were challenges. Coordinating schedules between a school and a retirement community required flexibility and patience. Some students initially felt nervous about what to say or how to connect across generations. And as a teacher, releasing some control and allowing the project to be shaped collaboratively with students required trust. Some residents weren’t able to attend the big reveal, our Celebration of Learning, due to sickness.

Yet these challenges became part of the learning itself.

Students grew in confidence as conversations unfolded. Awkward first moments gave way to genuine curiosity and connection. What might have seemed like barriers became bridges. Students began to write with a different kind of care, knowing that they were telling someone’s real story. They paid attention to details. They asked themselves if they were representing that person well. Their words carried weight because the stories did.

The response from both students and residents exceeded all my expectations.

Students spoke about the experience with a sense of pride and emotional depth rarely seen in traditional assignments. They expressed newfound respect for older generations and a deeper understanding of lives lived in very different times. This past Valentine’s Day, the students (now in Grade 8) wrote letters to their residents, adding little details from the residents’ lives.

“I am fine, how are you? Hope you’re playing Euchre too,” wrote one student in rhyming verse.

“I want to thank you again for being such an amazing person to learn and write about last year,” wrote another student, “Not only did I have a lot of fun, but I learned amazing life lessons.”

Residents, too, were profoundly impacted. Many shared how much they valued being heard – that their stories, memories and experiences were not only remembered, but carefully preserved by young people who truly cared. They were very surprised when they received the stories as gifts.

Looking ahead

For me, as a teacher, it was a powerful reminder of what education can be at its best: not just the transfer of knowledge, but the cultivation of empathy, purpose and connection.

Looking ahead, there are certainly things to refine. I would like to build in more time for reflection, prepare students even more intentionally for the emotional depth of these conversations and create additional opportunities for ongoing interaction. It is important that this project continues to happen naturally and is crafted by the students themselves.

But the heart of the project will remain unchanged, and it will continue at Ottawa Christian School. I’m deeply thankful to our Principal and Vice Principal for allowing this and giving the thumbs-up on this project – it’s always a risk when you do something new.

My Neighbour’s Story Matters is more than a unit – it is a living example of what happens when students engage in work that is real. Stories have the power to connect us, and sometimes the most important learning happens when we take chances as educators.

Glory to God for this wonderful opportunity for the students and for their gifts. My deep hope is that it will always remain with them as they walk into God’s Story.