What started out as a shy and awkward introduction has led to some unlikely friendships, as teenagers and retirees share knowledge and a new bond.
For the past four weeks, students from Ashdale Secondary College, in Perth's northern suburbs, have been visiting Brightwater's Kingsway Court Retirement Village.
"I think they're an interesting bunch of kids, I'll call them kids because I think that's a term of endearment," long-time Kingsway Court resident Linley Wakefield said.
"Having been a teacher for so many millions of years, for me, it's like a home away from home to be talking to the kids and listen to the way they speak about the things they're doing and the things they're interested in."
The teenagers have been teaching the retirees the latest in technology, helping them feel more confident with their mobile phones, while the seniors share their own knowledge, as well as relics from past technologies.
Letters, selfies and telegrams
Ms Wakefield said one week, they taught the students how to write a letter.
"We had a very interesting time. The lass I was with wrote a letter to her brother so that was really good," she said.
"Today they're going to teach us how to do a selfie, because I can't do a selfie. Not that I want to do a selfie. But I'm looking forward to it.
"I hope that there's more interaction between us and the school. It's been really really good."
After the teens taught the nuances of a good selfie, they learned in turn about odd, now-forgotten items like telegrams and fountain pens.
Learning about the changing world
Student Amy Kohlschein said she enjoyed forming new friendships.
"It's nice to have a connection with people besides our age group and outside our family tree," she said.
"It's been enjoyable. Great to learn how the world has changed and also be able to teach the residents about everything from this generation."
Another student, Jacob Yates, agreed.
"Learning what life was like back in the 1900s. It's really interesting and exciting to see how we grew up in this world full of technology and immediate communications," he said.
Inspired by Old People's Home for Teenagers
The program is inspired by the ABC television show Old People's Home for Teenagers, but unlike the seniors featured on the telly, the residents told the ABC that at Brightwater, they were active, with full schedules and enviable social lives.
Organiser of the program and digital technologies teacher at Ashdale Secondary College, Rachel Farnay, said the program was mutually beneficial and, in a time when loneliness was on the rise for young and old alike, it could give both groups something to look forward to.
"Some of these kids are quite shy and to see them laughing and smiling and talking is really fantastic and their confidence growing," she said.
"And you can see some of them are sitting with the same residents each week and developing really nice friendships."
Ms Farnay said it has been a worthwhile program that she hoped could be expanded to other classes and schools.
"You do see a lot of kids in class who are very quiet, maybe don't have a lot of friends. And the statistics are that there is a lot of loneliness out there," she said.
"It's just a bit of community service and a great way to get involved with some residents who are also probably feeling a little bit alone and isolated, and just bringing them together and trying to create some friendships and something fun to do."
