In a sunny room in Fullerton, California, something magical is happening this summer: a group of high school girls is spending four weeks learning some new skills—not from YouTube, but from real grandmas.
Every Tuesday and Thursday in July, the Golden Connections Club, a student-led group from nearby Garden Grove, gathers at Olive Community Services for a one-of-a-kind intergenerational summer camp.
The concept is simple: seniors teach kids practical skills that once filled every household; sewing, ironing, cooking, embroidery, and more.
For Leena Albinali, a rising high school sophomore and the club’s founder, this isn’t just a summer activity. It’s a mission to bridge the gap between generations, while giving her peers a chance to connect with elders in a meaningful, hands-on way.
“There’s so much wisdom that lives in our older generation,” she says. “We want to learn from them—not just about skills, but about life.”
The program was sparked by the community center’s mission to help seniors stay active and by Leena’s own experience growing up close to her grandmother.
When she realized many teens had never learned how to sew on a button or iron a shirt, she saw an opportunity: what if seniors could teach them? And so she recruited some peers to join the new group.
Every week involves both a craft and cooking session. One week, kids learn how to fold spring rolls. Another day, they practice stitching.
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There’s laughter and the occasional crooked seam, but it’s not about perfection. It’s about connection—where generations meet in the simple joy of creating something with their hands.
The camp is part of Olive Community Services’ ongoing effort to reduce senior loneliness—with a strong focus on those from underserved and immigrant populations. And now they’re also empowering youth.
By bringing the two groups together, they’re not just passing down traditions—they’re creating new ones.
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As one camper said, “I thought it was just going to be cooking. But I didn’t expect to make a new friend who’s 80.”
Some lessons aren’t found in textbooks or tutorials. They’re passed down hand to hand, story by story, from one generation to the next.
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