Feature: Grandparents University Makes a Winning Debut

            An innovative new summer program, Grandparents University invites generations of Spartans to have fun and learn together on the MSU campus. 

            Take some grandparents, and grandkids.  Bring them together on the MSU campus and expose them to the sciences, from astronomy and bug science to the art of milking a cow.  Provide lots of opportunities for fun, bonding, and learning.

            The result is one of the biggest hits in alumni programming in recent years—MSU’s intergenerational summer camp the participants affectionately call Grandparents U.

            The inaugural Grandparents University at MSU brought grandparents and grandchildren to campus from June 29 to July1, for a program packed with learning and fun.  Developed by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) and the College of Natural Science (CNS), Grandparents U offered more than two full days of activities and hands-on sessions for grandparents (or other favorite relatives) and kids ages 7 to 12.

            “Grandparents University was conceived to present our alumni and other friends with a fun opportunity to reconnect with MSU and see how the campus has grown,” explains Kathryn Reed, associate director of alumni relations and special events for CANR.  “At the same time, it provides their grandchildren—some of whom we hope will become future Spartans—a hands-on look at our programs that can spark an excitement for learning and an interest in something they’d like to study as they get older.”

            Reed got the idea for Grandparents U from a similar program offered at Oklahoma State University.  She spearheaded the event together with Mike Steger, communications and alumni manager for CNS.  All of the faculty members and instructors who led sessions volunteered their time, and a host of volunteers from the two colleges and MSU Extension helped to plan, organize and present the program. The colleges, together with the alumni associations of CNS, CANR and the School of Packaging, sponsored Grandparents University, underwriting a portion of the cost of the program, which is self-supporting and relies on registrations to cover expenses.

            The inaugural class comprised 222 participants—108 adults and 114 children.  They hailed from 16 states. They ate and slept in McDonel Residence Hall, attended class sessions across campus and enjoyed many of the highlights of university life—including a visit from Sparty, a trip for ice cream at the MSU Dairy Store, and a special astronomy program at Abrams Planetarium. The grandparents and grandkids attended sessions together, customizing their experience by selecting classes that fit their family interests. 

            More than 30 hands-on sessions were offered in subjects ranging from astronomy to soil science. Over the course of two days, the kids and their adult companions shared activities, learned from MSU faculty and staff members, experienced new and exciting areas of natural science, agriculture and natural resources, made new friends and created memories in a fun, educational environment.   

             “I can’t begin to describe the look on the faces of the participants as they returned to the dorm at the end of the first day,” says Steger. “You could see the excitement in the children as their minds were racing and they excitedly talked about what they had learned. At the same time, you could see the exhaustion and you knew they would be asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.”

            Grandparents and children came from as far away as California and Connecticut to spend time together and strengthen family bonds. One family came from three other states to meet on the MSU campus. In addition to spending quality time with their grandkids, some of the adults had a not-too-hidden agenda of nudging their grandchildren toward a green and white future.

             “It’s not a question of if they’ll go to college, only where,” notes James Carr, who attended Grandparents U with his wife, Judith, and grandchildren Timothy and Andrew Dalrymple.  “Expectations in a family are important for kids. We want them to go to college, so this year we brought them to college so that they can see what is ahead.”

            Lynda and John Possett of Kentwood are among a long line of Spartan alumni in their family spanning several generations.  Bringing their grandchildren, Nick and Lilly Stellin, to Grandparents University was part of a plan to ensure that Spartan line is extended.

             “We’re counting on them attending MSU,” says Lynda Possett.  “Grandparents University has given them a taste of what college is going to be like. It has been an experience to remember.  We’ll end up reminiscing about this and talking about it so much from now on that when the time comes to go to college there will be no question.”

            Among the kids, the consensus was that college is awesome. With classes featuring fossils, bacterial cultures, horses, algebra, maggot art, fire rainbows, target practice, explosions, self-heating packages, medical mysteries, and bug detectives, and watching galaxies whirling through a giant telescope, growing plants, making ice cream, exploring careers, managing money, making slime, playing with soil, building birdhouses, sharing family traditions, and sticking your arm in a cow’s stomach—there was something for everyone. Not to mention spending time with your favorite people.

             “The most fun part is spending time with my grandma and meeting new friends,” says Carrie Swift, 10, who attended with her grandmother Marilyn Dimitroff, of Bloomfield Township.

            One of Carrie’s favorite campus destinations was the Horse Teaching and Research Center, where the families had close encounters with Arabian horses while learning about their care. Her grandmother was delighted to show Carrie around the campus that she herself visited often with her husband, Bo, who was All Big Ten offensive center on MSU’s Big Ten and National Championship football team in 1965. 

            At least one special grandparent was there in spirit, it seems, as 10-year-old Ian Ellis remembered his outings with his now-deceased grandfather as he worked with bows and air rifles just as he did with his grandpa last summer.

             “We explored the wonders of the universe, and yet the bond of love that connects us as a family helped us to understand our place/importance in that universe and in each other’s hearts and lives,” observes his mother, Katherine Ellis, of Brighton. “The love of learning and the love of family were one this weekend.”

            Grandparents University was a family affair, not just for the participants, but for some of the instructors, as well.  When Barbara Makela, of Leslie, agreed to help 4-H Youth Development program leader Cyndi Mark present the “Fun with Community Service Activities” session, her 11-year-old daughters, Anna and Stephanie Makela, came along to hone their presentation skills and help participants build birdhouses.

             “Grandparents U truly offered something for everyone,” says Reed.  “Virtually every class was noted as a favorite by at least one of the families in our survey.  Of course, everyone loved the planetarium show conducted by Abrams Planetarium manager David Batch, and the visit to the MSU Dairy Store.”

            Post-event surveys for Grandparents University indicate the program was a major hit with both adults and children. The children’s comments focused on the fun. Many of the adults commented on how the faculty members inspired their grandchildren with an obvious love for teaching and research.

            The professors were equally impressed with the children.

            “This is much better than working with undergraduates!” laughs John Urbance, assistant professor of biology in the Lyman Briggs College, as he conducted the microbiology session.  “These kids are truly excited and eager to learn.”

            The obvious thrill expressed by the youngsters as they watched microbes cultured earlier in the session wiggle under microscopes corroborated his observation.

             “The MSU faculty, staff members and graduate students conducting the classes did an excellent job in bringing these families together with a focus on learning and enjoying the experience,” Steger says, expressing high aspirations for the program’s future. “We hope to build this program into a yearly university-wide tradition that will bring alumni and future Spartans the campus to experience the many strengths and opportunities that are a fundamental part of MSU today.”

            Francie Todd, '80, is communications manager for MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.  She lives in East Lansing with her husband, Jay, and two children, ages 8 and 11.  She looks forward to attending Grandparents U herself, some day in the distant future.

REGISTER NOW FOR GRANDPARENTS U 2007

            To receive information on registration for the 2007 program when it becomes available, send an e-mail with your name, mailing address and phone number to natsci4u@msu.edu.  The first Grandparents U was extremely popular and sold out in less than three weeks.  Registration for Grandparents University 2007 will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.  For more information, visit www.grandparents.msu.edu.