NILES — Wednesday nigh,t kindergarteners in Eastside Connections dressed for their dream job. There were police officers, doctors, game programmers and scientists filling out a makeshift stage at Woodland Terrace, where students shared their career plans and capped off a school program to build generational gaps.

Kindergarten teacher Bonnie Prenkert organized the effort Wednesday called Community Connections. Throughout the evening, students gave presentations of their career boards to the roughly 100 audience members in attendance. They also sang songs and performed dances, including to the song “Baby Shark Dance.” For this number, students, Prenkert and student teacher Calvin Parinussa dressed in shark costumes.

Five years ago, Prenkert initiated a partnership with Woodland Terrace, an assisted living facility in Niles. The idea was to connect children and local seniors by having students spend one day a week learning at Woodland Terrace. 

During their days at Woodland Terrace, students participate in some activities with the seniors, like exercise classes and lunch – hailed by both seniors and students as a favorite part of the day. After activities, students have standard classroom time at the facility.

This year, Prenkert wanted to emphasize lessons about community into the curriculum.

“This whole thing came about because one of our kids asked what a community was,” Prenkert said.

As part of that lesson, she invited business owners and career professionals to visit Woodland Terrace and talk to students and seniors about what their jobs involved and how they help the community.

Through the effort, students got the chance to learn about being a chef from Daysha Amster, who helped students whip up a recipe. They also met with Berrien County Judge Charles LaSata, State Rep. Brad Paquette and got a visit from Berrien County Sheriff Department K-9 Maxx and many others who helped to spark students interest in their future careers.

Students also dispersed through the downtown for a special project and collected puzzle pieces from a number of businesses. At each stop, they asked business owners questions like, “how do you connect to the community?” For their part, seniors shared with youth the careers that they had.

Wednesday, students got to share what they wanted to be when they grow up, their goals for getting there and how it will help their community. To further tie in the effort to bridge the generational gap, seniors from Woodland Terrace were invited to watch Wednesday’s performance.

Muriel Anderson, a resident at Woodland Terrace, was among the many seniors in the audience that night. Reflecting on the Eastside program, she said she enjoyed the opportunity to connect with local youth.

“Two of the little girls would come and eat lunch with us, and we enjoyed that at our table,” Anderson said. “They come for a few months during the winter. They’re cute.”

The program also brought together youth and community leaders.

Kindergartener Sophie Tucker hopes to become a police officer when she grows up. She visited the Niles Police Department and invited them to attend the event. Capt. Kevin Kosten, from the Niles Police Department, accepted the invitation and participated. He also gifted Tucker with a bag of goodies and talked to her about becoming an officer.

Nikki Metz, a police dispatcher and a parent who attended the event, said she saw how much it meant to Tucker.

“When Sophie saw him coming down the hallway, she grew about 2 inches taller, and her entire face lit up because she knew that officer was here for her,” Metz said. “Thank you, captain, for taking the time to make this little girl’s day. It is a memory she will have for a lifetime, and your kindness has not gone unnoticed.”

As the program came to a close for another year, Prenkert said she hoped that students take away skills they can apply for a lifetime.

“I’m hoping that they learn that it takes everybody working together to make a community,” Prenkert said. “I’m hoping that they see how important bridging [the generational] gap is and that learning outside of the classroom is unforgettable.”