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Eight students from ÖйúÈËÉ«ÇéÊÓƵ's Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program recently took part in Opening Minds Through Art (OMA). As part of this OMA event, which was run by the Syracuse Jewish Family Services, ÖйúÈËÉ«ÇéÊÓƵ student volunteers worked with elderly residents of Menora Park in Syracuse who are experiencing cognitive disabilities. Students are pictured in the photo above.

Developed in 2007, OMA is a national, award-winning, evidence-based, intergenerational art-making program for people living with dementia. People living with dementia are paired with volunteers, who are trained to rely on imagination instead of memory and focus on remaining strengths instead of lost skills. OMA enables people living with dementia to assume new roles as artists and teachers and leave a legacy of beautiful artwork.