Chinese Intergenerational Impact Group Bridges the Cultural Divide

L-R: Felix Mao, Lili Zu, Stacey Cook, Liping Han, Maida Silver, (Scarsdale Recreation Department) and Brian Zhao(Submitted by Scarsdale Family Counseling Service)
One of the many unique qualities about Scarsdale is its celebration of diversity. Numerous international families call Scarsdale home and many of those families make significant contributions to the well-being of the community. Ensuring that all residents feel included is a shared responsibility and over the past year, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service and the Scarsdale Recreation Department have increased their efforts to make their programming more inclusive to the Chinese Seniors of Scarsdale.

While Chinese seniors have always been invited to participate in senior programming, the language barrier typically presented an obstacle that resulted in separate programming. That is until the SFCS Aging in Place Coordinator, Stacey Cook met with a group of enthusiastic Chinese Scarsdale High School Students through the Chinese Intergenerational Impact Group (CIIG). The CIIG is a new student organization whose purpose is to explore ways to engage all senior residents, overcoming language barriers to support mental agility and social connections.

The CIIG students have become regular attendees at senior programming events, providing interpretation services, facilitating communication, and actively encouraging participation in the various activities. Through their attendance, the CIIG students serve as a vital bridge between Chinese speaking and non-Chinese speaking residents. Additionally, they have fostered a cultural exchange by inviting the non-Chinese speaking residents to take part in Chinese events and celebrations such as the Chinese New Year festivities.

While technology and translation apps may one day take the place of human interpreters, the CIIG students have been instrumental in helping shape SFCS’s Aging in Place programming to a more inclusive space, a true reflection of Scarsdale’s commitment to celebrating diversity and inclusion.

For more information about Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service and its Aging in Place services, please contact Stacey Cook at Scook@sfcsinc.org or visit https://www.sfcsinc.org/.