Hermitage Richmond residents and Hanover County elementary schoolers meet in the spring after a year of letter writing. (Photo courtesy Hanover County Public Schools)
What do second graders at Pearson’s Corner Elementary School in Hanover County and residents of North Side’s Hermitage Richmond retirement community have in common? They’re finding out.
Throughout the 2025-26 academic year, students and older adults are embracing the art of letter writing as pen pals through a program meant to connect generations of regional residents. Lisa Brown, literacy specialist for Pearson’s Corner, launched the effort four years ago with her mother, a resident of Hermitage Richmond, in mind.
Students and Hermitage Richmond residents correspond once a month through handwritten letters, first exchanging pictures and getting-to-know-you info sheets that include everything from their favorite foods to their favorite subjects in school, and carrying conversations into the spring.
Brown and the students’ teachers use the letters as a tool to build writing skills, spending class time working on letter structure and learning how to form meaningful conversations. “We have noticed that after two to three letters, they take ownership of the correspondence,” Brown says. “When they receive letters, they are over the moon. It’s been really exciting for me to see, especially in my role as a literacy specialist.”
Some 65 students have participated since the program started, and enthusiasm remains high. Students jump at the opportunity to share monthly updates, says Jennifer Painter, a second grade teacher at Pearson’s Corner Elementary. “Students are using all the steps of the writing process without realizing it, because they enjoy it so much.”
As a culmination, students take a field trip to meet their new friends at Hermitage Richmond in the spring. “It’s the highlight of the whole year,” Brown says.
Hermitage resident Betty May has been participating in the program for two years. “The best part is meeting them,” she says.
During their time together, the pen pals get a chance to read, play games and exchange gifts that connect to their shared interests. “They made friendship bracelets and a small pot with a flowering plant,” Brown says, noting each event has a special theme, such as growing a garden.
Hermitage Richmond resident and pen pal Fran Zehmer finds the students to be “wonderfully curious,” she says. As a grandmother of three, she adds, learning from their generation has been a highlight.
Beyond the writing skills students learn, educators and participants see a valuable lesson in sharing experiences across generations. When May met her pen pal, Eli, last year, “he was very talkative,” she says. “It’s such a learning experience for them. It trains them how to communicate and socialize.”
