Thanks to the overwhelming success of last year’s Intergenerational Pen Pal pilot program, plans are now underway to continue the program for the 2026-2027 school year!
The program is a collaboration between Sawtooth Mountain Elementary School’s fourth grade classes and Care Partners, and is designed to help bridge the gap between generations through handwritten letters – a traditional form of communication. Pen pals exchange monthly letters October through April, with the opportunity to meet in person at the close of the school year at a special Popsicle Social. Elder volunteers enjoy getting to know a student and connecting with a younger generation. Students benefit from an elder’s perspective as they learn the basics of letter-writing and experience the joy of anticipating a “letter in the mail.”
Teachers provide students with prompts or themes for each letter, and the students use the prompts to encourage their pen pals to reflect and share about the same topic. Examples include naming a favorite book or school subject, or describing family holiday traditions. For the safety and privacy of all participants, pen pals use only their first names. Volunteers do not share information that could identify them to their pen pals, and all volunteer letters are mailed to or dropped off at Care Partners for pre-screening and delivery to the school.
To participate in the program, volunteers must:
- Be 60 years of age or older
- Live in Cook County
- Complete a program application
- Submit and pass a Care Partners background check
- Commit to composing a hand-written letter each month from October to April
- Deliver or mail their response to Care Partners within one week after receiving their pen pal’s letter
If you’d like more information, or to receive an application for the 2026-2027 program year when it’s ready for release, call Minda at Care Partners at 218-387-3788 or click here.