ELLSWORTH – Alternative education students at Ellsworth have taken to the community to make an impact in many ways, including playing pool at the Ellsworth Senior Center and building a play area for the goats at Elsie’s Barnyard.

Ryan Christenson, an alternative education teacher at Ellsworth High School, said a group of students has made monthly trips to the Ellsworth Senior Center to play pool during the school year. Christenson said playing pool at the Senior Center is something that both sides are looking to continue during the next school year.

Ellsworth Senior Center Director Janelle Braund emphasized the importance of interaction between different generations in providing different perspectives to each other through conversation.

“Anything you can do intergenerational with people is always good for both the elderly people and for the youth,” Braund said. “They influence each other in positive ways.”

Braund said the collaboration has been ongoing for two years, and there are plans to continue during the next school year. In addition, Braund mentioned there is potential for intergenerational collaboration in more ways.

Braund said it is not just one generation helping the other, but instead both generations can take something from the conversations.

“The people they play pool with are in like a mentor type role,” Braund said. “Vice versa, as we get older, we like to talk with youth and see what’s going on and what their thinking is.”

Students also made a trip to Elsie’s Barnyard to build a play area for the goats. Elsie’s Barnyard’s website says it exists “to restore and strengthen the hearts, minds, and souls of children and families facing adverse medical conditions through interacting with animals and nature.”

Christenson said this project helped the students build a connection with the community by doing something that benefits it.

“We just wanted our kids to connect with the community, and obviously being around other organizations and members of the community is just a way for us to kind of have those social settings,” Christenson said.

Christenson said getting out into the community not only benefits the community, but the students as well, as they can feel a sense of accomplishment after their work is done.

“As many times as we can get out in the community and help support the community, it’s better for everyone, not just those that we are out there to serve,” Christenson said.