Grow and Play is an eight-week program designed by Jennifer Tucker and Nicole Dawson that pairs seniors averaging 80 years old and children averaging 9 years old to play games together such as Duck Duck Goose, Egg on a Spoon, Sly Fox, Monkey in the Middle and more. The goal is for participants to become more active and to have positive social experiences, where the adults feel a greater sense of wellbeing and purpose by helping the children, and the kids learn more about aging.

麻豆精品 S淪o far what we 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing is really positive, 麻豆精品 S� said Dawson, an assistant professor of physical therapy. 麻豆精品 S淲e feel if you can enhance the intergenerational bond, you can enhance the community. 麻豆精品 S�

Grow and Play began June 5 and will conclude July 26. Tucker, Dawson and physical-therapy students will analyze data from a week before the program to a week after the program on activity levels, mood and each generation 麻豆精品 S檚 perception of the other. Accelerometers are measuring participants 麻豆精品 S� activity levels, and surveys are measuring changes in moods and perceptions.

麻豆精品 S淐hildren may have older adults in their lives with chronic diseases and that influences their [children 麻豆精品 S檚] thoughts on aging, 麻豆精品 S� said Tucker, a physical-therapy lecturer. 麻豆精品 S淭hey may grow up thinking that 麻豆精品 S檚 how aging is for everyone. We 麻豆精品 S檇 love to change that perception. 麻豆精品 S�

For Bella Seagraves, 8, Grow and Play has showed her that getting older doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily mean slowing down.

麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e had loads of fun with them [the older adult participants], 麻豆精品 S� Bella said. 麻豆精品 S淎t first I thought they were going to be slow, but then as soon as I played a game with them they were really fast and really fun. 麻豆精品 S�

Jean Walker, 83, joined the first cohort of Grow and Play because she liked the idea of seniors and children being the subjects of research. Plus, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a chance for her to better understand Generation Z.

麻豆精品 S淚 see things differently than the children do, so this is an opportunity for me to find out what the younger people are thinking, 麻豆精品 S� Walker said. 麻豆精品 S淧lus, it gives kids an opportunity to learn what our limitations are and what we did as youngsters. 麻豆精品 S�

Walker played Jacks and Pick-up Sticks as a kid 麻豆精品 S� games the young participants of Grow and Play didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know 麻豆精品 S� so she was able to teach them something new.

Fifteen participants up to 90 years old and as young as 6 years old make up the first cohort of Grow and Play that 麻豆精品 S檚 being held at Wekiva Presbyterian Church, which was donated for use of the program twice a week. Most of the adult participants are residents of Village on the Green retirement community, which UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 physical-therapy program has partnered with in the past for student clinical affiliations, balance and fall screenings for residents and more. The children participants were recruited by word of mouth, mostly through the church.

A nearly $5,000 grant from the Learning Institute for Elders at UCF gave Tucker and Dawson enough funds to get their idea for Grow and Play off the ground.

麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 definitely potential for this program to grow, and we 麻豆精品 S檇 love to see this be something that 麻豆精品 S檚 running year-round, 麻豆精品 S� Dawson said. 麻豆精品 S淲e hope to eventually be able to give this to other community organizations so they can run it on their own. 麻豆精品 S�

Tucker and Dawson are searching for other grants and community support to expand Grow and Play. They intend to publish results by the end of the year of the first cohort, which could fill a gap that exists in scientific literature on intergenerational connections and physical activity.

To the originators 麻豆精品 S� knowledge, Grow and Play is the first of its kind.

Several groups around the campus are collecting toys, blankets, gift cards and miscellaneous items to share with others in the community:

The Veterans Academic Resource Center is collecting at the resource center 麻豆精品 S檚 lobby (Suite 100 in the CFE Arena) or the first floor of the John C. Hitt Library by 10 a.m. Dec. 15.

The UCF Police Department and the UCF Staff Council are collecting toys at a box at the police department through Dec. 13. (The department also is storing items already collected by the Learning Institute for Elders.)

The Recreation and Wellness Center will have a collection box in the main lobby by the administration office through Dec. 12.

The College of Sciences will have a box in the dean 麻豆精品 S檚 office through Dec. 12.

From Spring 2012 to Spring 2015 (not including summers), 94.9% of students who participated in POMP improved their UCF Cumulative GPA with an overall retention rate of 96.8%. The program also attained a 42.5% overall success rate in helping students who were on academic probation obtain good standing by the end of the term in which they participated in the program.

Pairing undergraduate students with their peers聽who have faced difficulties and/or obstacles in the past has proven to be a winning formula, and bi-weekly meetings keep all participants engaged throughout the process. The regular interaction also builds relationships that help foster a support system between the mentors and mentees, which has been critical to the program 麻豆精品 S檚 success. POMP inspires confidence to believe that anything is possible, said a mentee, who encouraged others to join the program. The benefits go both ways as mentors gain personal satisfaction and growth from the experience of helping others. One mentor credited POMP for teaching how to listen and learn outside the classroom, in addition to honing skills like patience, understanding and time management.

Each semester, students hear presentations and participate in activities that aid in their personal, professional and academic growth. During the Spring 2015 semester, POMP members assisted with a new Rosen College transfer initiative to engage transfer students early on in the process of transitioning to UCF. They visited classrooms at Valencia College and gave testimonials about their journey and experience, in addition to helping plan and execute the first Rosen College Admitted Student Welcome Event. POMP participants also donated their time to worthy causes like Knight-Thon, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 largest, student-run philanthropy, organizing Rosen College 麻豆精品 S檚 first ever team.

POMP concluded another successful year with the 3rd Annual Mentorship Ceremony on April 9. Students chose the event 麻豆精品 S檚 theme, 麻豆精品 S淭aking Flight, 麻豆精品 S� and Katie Worthington, ’05, a Rosen College graduate and current President/CEO of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, was the keynote speaker. Later that evening, senior Brittani James received the Peer Mentor of the Year Award聽and a $1,000 scholarship, senior Aaron Rozenblat received the Mentee of the Year Award and Jeremy Wilcox, ’07, ’13 was named Alumni Mentor of the Year. Dr. Ian King, a board member for the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE), was presented a gift and certificate of appreciation for the $500 Competitive Grant that LIFE awarded POMP in Fall 2014. Mr. Don Ratliff, president of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), was also recognized for his organization 麻豆精品 S檚 $4,000 donation.

Visit Rosen College’s website for more information about the . To enroll in the program as a mentor or mentee, please contact Vanessa Cogswell.