École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® Project: Shaping the future, acting together
What if, starting in elementary school, children learned to recognize the value of aging instead of growing up with a head full of prejudices? That’s exactly what the École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® project offers, led by UMANO-stratégies conseils and supported by the Luc Maurice Foundation. As the school year begins, we invite you to discover an initiative that turns education into a driver of intergenerational inclusion.
An immersive and interactive project
While each individual experiences aging differently, one universal constant remains: the desire to feel valued in society and recognized for one’s unique identity. Yet even today, age-related stereotypes persist, often fueled by deeply ingrained ageist reflexes.
In response, many stakeholders are working to dismantle the prejudices that reduce older adults to clichés. UMANO is one of them, believing it’s never too early to take action. That’s why it developed an intergenerational project aimed at raising young people’s awareness of the realities of aging.
The École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® toolkit
Initiated in 2023 for Quebec’s primary schools, the École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® program seeks to become part of the educational framework through a comprehensive teaching package.
It features immersive capsules on the issues of aging, techniques for improving interactions with older adults, youth literature, suggestions for intergenerational activities and a rich resource toolkit.
Naturally, participating schools may adapt its use to their circumstances: as discussion groups, writing assignments or even community projects.
A partnership for lasting results
Many schools across the province want to raise their students’ awareness of the realities experienced by older people. To respond to this momentum and broaden access to the École RÉFLEXE AÎNÉ® program, the Luc Maurice Foundation partnered with UMANO from the very beginning.
With the support of its current and future partners, the Foundation is working in particular to remove the financial barriers associated with the initiative. Each year, a contest allows schools to receive the educational kit free of charge. In 2023, three schools had the chance to try the experience, followed by four in 2024. In 2025, eight schools took part, and everything suggests that this number will only continue to grow over the years!
What this approach achieves
What makes this project unique is its reach: rather than a single, short-term activity, it fosters a lasting experience of shared living. In schools that have embraced it, responses have been overwhelmingly positive, and the teachers engaged in the 2025 edition are already commending this inclusive, intergenerational effort.
Such is the case at Équinoxe School, where Sophie Provost, a 3rd grade teacher, will be receiving the kit for the first time this year:
“It is with great pride that we will have the opportunity to work with the École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® kit for the upcoming school year. This innovative project fits perfectly into our research module on the family, allowing our students to recognize the importance of the bonds between older people in our surroundings and our community,” she explained in an interview with NéoMédia.
The will to foster connections truly lies at the core of this project. As emphasized by Patsy Clapperton, executive director of UMANO Stratégies Conseils and organizational psychologist, offering children opportunities to meet with seniors and learn from them is, in itself, a step toward building a stronger, more equitable society.
“Delivering the École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® kit is always a true privilege. I am continually touched by teachers’ creativity: instead of enforcing a strict structure, the kit serves as a trigger. It fuels their motivation to forge intergenerational bonds, to shed light on aging and to dismantle long-standing stereotypes.
We’re embarking on a third year full of promise. Thanks to the initiatives of teachers and professionals who work with the children, amazing moments with older individuals are being created. This project truly showcases the power of community. It’s incredibly valuable!” – says Patsy Clapperton.
A view wholeheartedly shared by Valérie Paquette, Managing Director of the Luc Maurice Foundation:
“The École RÉFLEXE AINÉ® project goes beyond simply raising awareness in youth – it empowers them, involves them and prompts them to challenge their own perceptions. Most importantly, it fosters a true dialogue between generations.
It is by engaging both young and older people that we will be able to change mindsets and build a society where aging is no longer seen as a decline but rather as a rich, valued and deeply human stage,” shares Valérie.
In the long run, UMANO and the Luc Maurice Foundation hope to establish a lasting role for this kind of learning – possibly even within the official school curriculum, such as the new Quebec Culture and Citizenship course.
After all, it’s in childhood that our guiding values take shape… and today’s children will be tomorrow’s elders, let’s not forget!