Project description: The cornerstone of our oral history project is our monthly Elder Luncheon, an ongoing project, begun in 2000 that has been very successful.

The project involves making connections between the older generation and the youth of our community, allowing students to develop relationships with elders in an environment that promotes positive interaction.

Workability students and their teacher have the sole responsibility for the preparation (soup, homemade bread, dessert, beverage), serving and cleanup of the luncheon to the elders of our community. The project invites student planning and choice through decisions about menu, room set-up, and presentation. The project is tied to the curriculum as issues of health and nutrition are discussed, and the preparation involves math and language arts components. This is a chance for students who may not do well academically to have a positive school experience and explore a possible career in pastry arts/cooking. All elders in the community are invited to come and share in this free, delicious lunch, and the pride of the middle school students in their work is evident on their faces and polite manner in which they serve their elders.

Elementary students make the table decorations and provide entertainment, often in the form of a song or skit. Students from the High School walk over to help role model for the middle school students. In return, the elders bring artifacts and stories to share with the students. These stories are often shared with the larger community through our local paper, 'The Mendocino County Observer'.

The middle school students are also planning a collaborative cookbook with the elders; the elders will share their old time recipes, and the students will share their luncheon recipes. Photos of the students and the elders together will be included to commemorate the new friendships.