Initial Design Concepts

1. Cultural Exchange Homestay Establish a program that pairs elderly Neapolitans with university students, including exchange students, especially those studying Italian culture or language. Elderly provide affordable housing, mentorship, and cultural immersion, sharing Neapolitan traditions, cuisine, and stories, while students offer companionship, light assistance, and their own cultural perspectives. The program combats loneliness among elderly, preserves cultural heritage, and provides students with an enriching, cost-effective living experience. Managed by local government, it includes careful participant matching, training, and support. 2. Garden of Generations Bring together elderly people and young people to maintain community gardens in local parks, fostering inter-generational connections while promoting environmental management. Elderly share their expertise in gardening, teaching traditional methods and sustainable practices, while young participants bring energy and fresh ideas. 3. Living History Exhibitions Reimagine storytelling by combining elderly narrators’ personal memories with interactive elements like photos, or multimedia presentations to create an immersive journey through Napoli's past. Participants, including younger generations, engage actively by asking questions, sharing their perspectives, or even co-creating content, such as recording interviews or curating mini-exhibitions. Held in libraries, schools, or cultural centers, this program transforms elderly into living archives of traditions, fostering a collaborative space where stories are not just told but experienced together.

Generations of Knowledge After school hours, there can be special courses or workshops. Option 1: Elderly individuals serve as tutors in various fields such as gardening, knitting, and cooking. These tutors are students who may not have parents at home. Option 2: Elderly individuals become students, while students serve as tutors in areas like technology and environmental awareness. Option 3: Elderly individuals and students collaborate in teams. Elderly in Kindergarten An elderly team, organised with the assistance of the local government, visits kindergartens in the city. They engage in recreational activities and socialise with the children. Grandpa at Road Through the collaboration of the local government, organized trips can be planned to historical sites and neighboring cities. Upon returning from these trips, students and elderly individuals can write a newspaper blog about their experiences, sharing what they learned and the differences they encountered. Meals of Care Elderly individuals prepare food at home, and a foundation collects these meals to distribute to those who require assistance, including those who are elderly and unable to prepare food themselves.

1. Local Workshop: From Grandparents to the Young Elderly Neapolitans lead workshops teaching traditional crafts—like lace-making, pottery, or cooking—to younger generations, preserving culture and creating bonds. Local authorities support these sessions with space and materials, allowing each workshop to focus on a unique skill. Younger participants take home “starter kits” with materials and a story card about the grandparent’s connection to the craft. The community exhibits the creations to celebrate the participants’ work, while a workshop zine of photos, instructions, and personal stories is shared locally, honoring Naples’ heritage. 2. Ghost Writers to Conserve Napoli Culture Elderly Neapolitans partner with ghostwriters to document their stories and cultural knowledge, creating a book series that preserves Napoli’s heritage. Each grandparent’s unique narrative is published in a collection called “Voices of Napoli,” with launch events that celebrate their contributions. Memory cards featuring quotes and stories offer a glimpse into each elder’s perspective, while a digital archive with audio clips and multimedia materials creates a lasting, accessible record of their legacy. 3. Cultural Recipe Kits Create a series of recipe kits featuring classic Neapolitan dishes that grandparents can assemble with their families. The kits would contain high-quality ingredients and recipe cards that detail the cultural significance of each dish. As a twist, the kit could include handwritten tips from grandparents on cooking techniques, storytelling prompts for mealtime, or even blank recipe cards for grandparents to add their own personal variations. 4. Intergenerational Scrapbook Station Install "Scrapbook Stations" in community centers where elderly people and young visitors can collaborate on building themed scrapbooks. Each station could include materials like vintage photos, postcards, and prompts encouraging grandparents to fill pages with memories or stories, while young people add contemporary elements. Over time, these scrapbooks could become collective memory books of neighborhoods or family histories, which families could borrow or view together.

hello Team 09, when are you planning to upload initial individual concepts on your project blog here? Erik