Credit: Maddie Zajac

Wisdom for Wisdom is a student run non-profit organization that offers technological support to elders. Started by Wayland High School juniors Ryan Chase and Kalena Imura, the organization relies on local high school volunteers to make an impact in senior citizen communities. “Service is enjoyable to me when I know that I’m making a difference, and I truly believe Wisdom for Wisdom does,” Imura said.

Many of us have seen or had a grandparent struggling to figure out how to take a picture or accidentally texting the whole family group chat about their arthritis. We typically make fun of them for not understanding technology, but what if we chose to help them and received our own benefits from it as well? Wayland High School (WHS) juniors Ryan Chase and Kalena Imura took this idea and created the non-profit organization Wisdom for Wisdom.

Tracking back to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Chase began participating in another organization founded by his cousin, Socializing for Senior Citizens, that set up weekly calls between high school students and seniors. Chase often talked to an elderly woman who looked forward to their call every week. He recognized a common loneliness that lurked in senior centers and nursing homes during the lockdown and knew that he could make an impact by continuing to make connections with senior citizens. Chase knew he couldn’t take on his ideas alone, so in 2023, he reached out to his classmate and co-executive board member Imura, who was thrilled to join the cause.

That summer, the two created Wisdom for Wisdom, a student-run organization that gathers groups of WHS peers and other high school students to go to senior residencies and assist them technologically and mentally. The group has historically worked very closely with Sunrise Senior Living in Wayland, but is reaching out constantly to expand as much as possible.

Volunteers for Wisdom for Wisdom are sent to local senior centers where they work either one-on-one or in small groups with elderly citizens. Senior citizens are able to ask questions and present technological issues to volunteers who then work with them to help them fix any issues or help them get a better understanding of their technology. If or when the volunteers answer the seniors’ questions, the conversations may transition to sports, history or anything that the two choose to discuss. Whether this be a serious and educational conversation or a lighthearted chat, senior citizens are able to talk to high schoolers about anything.

“High schoolers, who grew up in a technological era, give the older individuals help with their phones, computers or any type of technology in addition to talking with the senior citizens about their past experiences and getting life tips and tricks, or ‘wisdom’ from them,” Imura said.

While the main goal of the organization is to assist local senior citizens navigate their technology, the more prominent effect seems to be the social benefits that both the senior citizens and volunteers receive in the process. Many of the seniors find themselves coming in just for the socialization, which they tend to lack in their everyday lives.

“I think this demographic of people is very often forgotten about by people in general and their families,” Chase said. “You know, when you can’t drive yourself, you really get shut off from the world and I think it’s important to not forget about these people and really show them that we care.”

Especially during and since the pandemic, there has been a lack of care and responsibility for our elders. In fact,the United States tends to fall on the short side of appreciation for senior citizens. The youth are more valued, leading to a loss of consideration for the wisdom and guidance elders can offer. In 2023, data shows that over 1.3 million elderly adults live in nursing homes in America.

“Having Asian parents, I was always taught to respect my elders, and really cherish them,” Imura said. “I see that less here in the States, and I think that Wisdom for Wisdom is a good way to make our senior citizens feel more appreciated while giving them the tools to utilize technology, which can additionally tie them into modern society.”

Utilizing the technological knowledge of the current high school generation not only benefits the seniors but the volunteers as well. According to Chase, some of Wisdom for Wisdom’s volunteers have even formed some relationships with senior citizens, especially at Sunrise. When being ignored by teenagers for years, seniors often find it very exciting when interacting with a high schooler who shows genuine interest and care for their well-being.

“Senior citizens are often neglected by society, and when they realize that there are younger individuals who are interested in listening to them and assisting them, their faces light up,” Imura said. “It feels nice to know that what our volunteers and I are doing is making a difference in the seniors’ lives, and it gives me a sense that I’m giving back to the community.”

Not only is Wisdom for Wisdom helping senior citizens understand how to use their technology individually, but they also help them learn how to connect and communicate with family members who may have a hard time reaching them. In one case, Chase and another WHS volunteer junior Ben Hammond assisted an elderly man in logging into his iCloud account on his iPad. While it proved a very difficult case due to the man not being able to remember his password and struggling with the volunteers for hours, they were able to call Apple Support and over the course of a few days, log him back in. When Chase discovered that the man wanted to use his iPad in order to FaceTime his four-year-old grandson, all the time and effort seemed worth it.

“By doing this, we hope that the senior citizens are able to keep in touch with their family through this new technological era, while also feeling more cared about and seen by younger individuals, who often neglect our senior citizens,” Imura said.

While many volunteer opportunities may seem like a bore to high school students, Chase and Imura have only received good input on the organization. Both from volunteers who enjoy helping senior citizens and senior citizens who enjoy the assistance of the volunteers, there has been an overwhelming amount of positive feedback on Wisdom for Wisdom.

“I definitely enjoy doing Wisdom,” volunteer junior Griffin Wood said. “What makes it unique is that it gives me the opportunity to help these people in areas that people might not think to help them with. I definitely see it impacting our community by helping elderly residents improve their everyday lives.”

Wisdom for Wisdom being student-run plays a crucial role in the organization’s identity. While they don’t have an overflowing amount of volunteers, Imura and Chase know that the contribution of the high schoolers is what makes the process much more an exchange of Wisdom, rather than just a one sided effect.

“That’s why we call it wisdom for wisdom, we offer a little bit of wisdom for them, they offer a little wisdom for us,” Chase said.

If you are looking to volunteer for Wisdom for Wisdom, you can learn more on their website and or reach out to Ryan or Kalena at [email protected].