Sooke seniors and youth are invited to share their stories through poetry at an upcoming workshop at SEAPARC Leisure Centre.
The two-day event, sponsored by the New Horizons Grand, takes place March 21 and 22 from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and will be guided by Wendy Morton, creator of The Elder Project and recipient of the Order of B.C.
“We are hoping to make it an inter-generational event, that will include both seniors and youth,” said Agnes Kossakowska, coordinator for the Sooke Region Volunteer Centre. “I think it will be a very fun event where people can socialize, build memories and interact with one another.”
The first day of the event will focus on peer-to-peer storytelling through poetry, and Morton will train participants to interview and write poems for each other.
On the second day of the event, seniors are asked to share stories and insight from their life, and pass it down to youth.
“Seniors have so much wisdom, and including youth provides a unique opportunity for them to listen and learn from the seniors’ stories,” said Kossakowska.
Youth will be filming the stories of seniors who are willing to be videotaped, and the videos will be shared on the Sooke Region Lifelong Learning YouTube channel.
“We want to give our local community the opportunity to learn, share experiences, and try something new in a friendly and fun environment,” Kossakowska said.
Youth and seniors can both register by visiting seaparcrecreation.perfectmind.com/, or call SEAPARC at 250-642-8000. Admission is by donation.
Those interested are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible, as there are only 15 spots available.