Field trip days are always exciting ones for students of any age. This summer, the students at Ross Medical Education Center in Evansville, Indiana decided to take a field trip to The Village at Holiday Retirement Community where they spent some time with the wonderful residents there. This locally owned residential facility was thrilled to let the Ross students come lift the spirits of their residents.
Greeted with anticipation and smiling faces, students took their seats as a heated game of Pictionary quickly ensued. The students had taken some time to create the cards used for Pictionary, and they let their creative juices follow. The room was divided into two separate teams with a mixture of students and residents for both teams. That is when quieter students came out of their shells showing their slightly more competitive sides!
As each contestant went up to draw out a piece of paper with a noun on it, the residents already began to guess what it was without even waiting for the drawing to begin. That created a lot of fun and laughter. The friendly competition lightened the mood and allowed for great memories to be made among the residents and students alike. In fact, Activity Director Holly Schneider was very pleased with the outcome of this trip, saying, “the residents LOVED the game! It was a lot of fun and very cheerful! If you ever need a class to do a field trip, we welcome them again!”
It was a great experience for both the residents and students. The community outreach by the Ross students helped them to see some potential job options for them upon completion of their program. It also provided a nice break from the classroom for them to serve and enjoy members of their community.
At the end of their visit, the students handed out handmade inspirational cards to the residents as a constant reminder of the fun they all had together and the memories they created! Reception to this field trip was widely positive. Staff from both Ross Medical Education and The Village at Holiday had nothing but great things to say. Jamie Morrison, Ross Instructor in the Evansville Pharmacy Technician program really summed it up when she said, “we went to cheer up the residents of Holiday Home, but they ended up cheering us up!” The campus can’t wait to make another trip over!