Council was delighted to receive the Creating Collaborative Community Partnerships category award for our GenConnect Program in the Victorian Early Years Awards in November.
The Department of Education and Training Victorian Early Years Awards celebrate leadership, outstanding achievement, exceptional dedication and innovation in improving outcomes for children aged birth to eight years and their families.
GenConnect is Council’s intergenerational program run in partnership with Maroondah Occasional Care and Kerrabee. The program brings together children and senior residents of Maroondah to build family-like connections through interactive activities that develop their social, language and relationship skills through conversation, play and intentional teaching.
Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Rob Steane, said the award was a testament to the strong bonds formed between participants in the GenConnect program.
“GenConnect is a fantastic demonstration of how powerful it can be to create new community connections and foster greater community inclusion across generations,” Cr Steane said.
By regularly connecting children and senior residents, GenConnect has boosted social and emotional wellbeing and has created a sense of friendship, purpose and connection across the generations – so much so that participants even exchanged artwork, photos and letters to stay in touch when connecting in person was not possible due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
GenConnect is among a variety of programs on offer through Council’s Kerrabee social inclusion and wellbeing team, who offer programs to help residents receive support to remain independent and participate fully in the community.
