Unique Internship Program Brings Teens and Seniors Together

It is often easy to lose sight of the 1.5 million seniors in New York City. DOROT's Summer Teen Internship program at the Riverdale Y exposes students to the issues surrounding aging and connects them with seniors as they develop professional skills and leadership experience.

Each year 40 high school students are selected to intern at DOROT, a nonprofit that connects volunteers with programs that help the elderly. This year, DOROT is expanding its Summer Teen Internship Program to the Riverdale Y, where interns will lead intergenerational discussion groups, among other activities, keeping older adults engaged, present, and valued in our changing society.

This internship enriches the lives of seniors while giving interns informative perspectives on issues in the field of elder care. "In terms of advocating against ageism, it's a lot more personal than I thought," says Lily B., a summer 2016 Intern. "I was actually with the people who were affected by ageism, which created this personal connection to the cause. I felt like I was doing more than just giving back to the community."

Interns are exposed to a variety of professional skills as part of the internship, including filmmaking. The short documentaries that interns produce teach interns valuable skills and foster personal connections as a means of combatting social isolation among older adults, bringing the generations together to learn from one another.

There are two internship sessions available at DOROT's Manhattan office, and one at the Riverdale Y Senior Center. Applications are currently being accepted on a rolling basis until May 1st, but interested students are encouraged to apply early. To apply click here or reach out to Evita Sokol at ESokol@dorotusa.org.

This story is sponsored content from Dorot USA.