Aging through a camera lens Teens and retirees partner in photography project

Kathy Antoniotti

Mar. 5, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Teenagers don't normally think about growing old. They see only the infinite possibilities ahead, never the harsh inevitabilities that come with aging.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Summit County is asking area students to look through the lens of a camera to better understand the issues seniors face.

"The camera is the common ground giving them connections and bringing the generations together," said Inese Alvarez, director of RSVP, a division of the nonprofit Mature Services Inc.

The Akron agency is one of 10 senior service organizations across the country that was awarded a $2,000 grant to participate in the Generations

United 2008 Intergenerational Photography Project.

The program has been held at Belcher Apartments on Locust Street in downtown Akron, where a majority of the seniors participating in the project live. Seniors and teens will move to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School for the final two sessions and focus on editing the photos they have taken.

The photos will be entered in a nationwide contest in April.

"The images produced will capture special connections that develop when young and old work together," said Donna M. Butts, executive director of Generations United.

The Washington D.C.-based agency focuses on improving the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational strategies, programs and public policies.

Funded by the MetLife (NYSE:MET PRA) (NYSE:MET PRB) (NYSE:MEU) (NYSE:MLG) (NYSE:MET) Foundation's Healthy Aging Initiative, the program is a conduit connecting local teens and Akron seniors. About 23 people are participating in the program, Alvarez said.

Last week, Cecil Fulgham, 82, a Belcher resident, showed St. Vincent-St. Mary junior Alexander "A.J." Poholski, 17, a commemorative class reunion booklet from Fulgham's school days in Williamson, W.Va.

As Fulgham spoke, Poholski recorded the interaction with a small digital camera, snapping photos of Fulgham as he listened to stories about life in the 1940s in a school that housed all 12 grades.

"I just admire this young fellow so much because he's taught me a few things," Fulgham said.

The two have been paired in the 8-week program.

"He's taught me that aging is really nothing to fear. It's going to happen to all of us eventually," Poholski said.

Each weekly session features a guest speaker who explores a different facet of the aging process. Beacon Journal photojournalist Ed Suba Jr. follows up each class with advice on how best to illustrate the lesson with photo-storytelling techniques.

Dr. Maria Spence, assistant professor of the School of Social Work at the University of Akron, told the class it is important for seniors to have a social support network, much as teens have with their high school friends.

Friendship is important at every age, Spence told them.

"Pay attention to your friendships. Long-standing friendships have a depth that grow with age. Surrounding yourself with a social support group has a strong effect on your journey," Spence advised.

Joe Levack, 18, a senior at Firestone High, and Carolyn King, 69, are partners in the program. King's life story has been an inspiration for him, Levack said.

"You can do a lot with your life. She went back to school in 1985 and took up accounting," Levack said.

King said working with the teens has been a positive experience for her, as well.

"I've learned the brain is still there, trying to keep up with all their energy," she said.

Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0006-32566650