(Vancouver, B.C.) Eighteen students 55 and over who never thought they’d see a part of their lives on the big screen enjoyed watching each other’s short videos Monday at the final session of Simon Fraser University’s Continuing Studies’ ten-week course, “Sharing Your Legacy with Digital Story-telling.”

Held at the Vancouver campus, the course was created by Robb Lucy and adapted from his book, Legacies Aren’t Just for Dead People.

Lucy’s course helped students identify the story they wanted to tell, structure and write it, then produce a short video available in the cloud that could be shared by family, friends, and eventually descendants hundreds of years from now.

 

“We know from research that the most important element of successful aging is social engagement,” said David Kaufman, a professor of education at Simon Fraser University and co-leader of Age-Well National Centre of Excellence, Canada’s aging and technology network. “This really accomplishes that. As Lucy teaches legacy story creation, there’s also a boost in the students’ self-esteem and pride as they watch their own stories.”

Students who completed the course have given it rave reviews. One student wrote: “I now have a digital legacy story that captures the elements of who I am. I hope it will be enjoyed by future viewers.” Added another student, “I love Robb Lucy’s approach to legacies and thank him for sharing his expertise in creating stories.”

Course creator Lucy was also moved by the students’ efforts. He said, “I was moved by seniors who, at the start, had minimal computer skills. Then after ten weeks, one of their life stories is up there for all to see. It was pretty emotional.”

Simon Fraser University and Lucy are hoping to offer “Sharing Your Legacy with Digital Story-telling” again in the spring. More details can be obtained by contacting https://www.sfu.ca/continuing-studies.html

For more information, contact:

Robb Lucy                                     David Kaufman

[email protected]         [email protected]