In an era where social media connections replace face-to-face interactions and political divisions seem insurmountable, one Kent State University professor has found an antidote: bringing college students and older adults together through simple, meaningful human connection.
For over 6 years Manacy (Mansi) Pai, Ph.D., a professor in Kent State's Department of Sociology and Criminology, has run Generations Connect—a volunteer initiative that pairs undergraduate and graduate students with residents in local long-term care communities across Northeast Ohio. Through arts and crafts, storytelling, cultural presentations, music, and one-on-one conversations, students and older adults discover something profound: Despite visible differences in age, they're all hoping for the same things.