Bringing retirees into the classroom

Good article in The Washington Post today on the value of retirees volunteering in the schools (click here to see "Wisdom, Knowledge of Elders Stream Into Area Classrooms"). From the article:

Similar scenes are playing out across the region and the country. A recent study in Maryland showed that in schools where older adults were a regular fixture -- with volunteers working 15 hours a week -- reading scores went up, and kids had fewer behavioral problems than their peers at other schools. The adults, meanwhile, had fewer falls, expanded their social circles and performed better than their peers on a memory test.

"It seemed to have a big impact on the atmosphere of the schools," said George W. Rebok, a professor at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, who helped conduct the study. "I think what we're tapping into is a sincere desire to help the next generation."

This a great example of the community entering the classroom and outlines some of the benefits. Let's hope that as the boomers start to retire we see a lot more of this.