Senior Spotlight brings together two generations that typically don’t interact outside a traditional grandparent/grandchild relationship. The project serves youth and elders by giving them the opportunity to connect face-to-face for dialogue and sharing an experience.

Senior students at Lyons-Decatur School spent time with senior citizens from the Decatur and Lyons community. Students take portraits of the elders and write stories about their interactions. Through a collaboration with downtown building owners, portraits and narratives are professionally printed and hung in storefront windows around Lyons.

The exhibit is also shown at the Decatur Sears Center. At each site, an open air reception is hosted by students, who share stories about the elders they’ve come to learn about.

Senior Spotlight celebrates and gives a voice to youth and elders, both of whom often fall to the periphery of recognition in society. Through the public display of portraits and narratives of senior citizens and public presentations from students, multiple generations and people of different backgrounds are connected. The local communities have an opportunity to come together in the space where two generations converge, to learn and share.

This project is ongoing each year at Lyons-Decatur Northeast in collaboration with teacher Weston Swanson.
Jamie is currently creating curriculum to help artists, educators, and community organizers utilize Senior Spotlight in their communities. To learn more or sign up for a copy of the curriculum, contact Jamie at 402.765.8118 or jamie.horter@gmail.com