st nics’ christian preschool

Using the same concept as the popular ABC TV show
‘OLD PEOPLE’S HOME FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS’
we seek to make the concept reproducible, sustainable, evidence-based and
suitable for Not-For-Profit communities to implement.

Our second trial commences Term 2 2022 and working with researchers from NeuRA, UNSW and Sydney Uni, aims to collect scientific evidence on the effects of intergenerational practice on healthy ageing, child development and well-being amongst community dwelling older adults and children. The program called INTERACT is a community scientist and stakeholder partnership. The research will tell us exactly what positive benefits intergenerational programs bring older adults, children and communities. It will give us the tools to translate our research into practice in Sydney and beyond. To fund this research we are seeking an investment of $1 million.

The INTERACT pilot program will commence at St. Nicolas’ Church and St. Nics’ Christian Preschool, Coogee. It will bring together 10 older adults from the surrounding suburbs and 10 preschoolers for 2 hours per week for 10 weeks. The learnings from the pilot will feed into the major research needing six sites to conduct similar programs for a 10 week period.