Power of Women Group Connect with Duncaster Residents

At first glance, the community room in the library looked like a gathering separated by decades. KO’s Middle School female students sat across from residents of Duncaster, the Bloomfield residential community, ready with questions. But as the conversations unfolded during KO’s Power of Women/Duncaster World Café on Thursday, May 7, the distance between generations quickly narrowed.

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The Middle School students led the conversations, asking residents a series of questions centered around identity, resilience, and the theme of “The Power of Women.” Some prompts invited reflection on how perspectives change over time: What is something you once “knew” for sure, but later realized true wisdom showed you differently? Others explored moments of self-discovery and strength: When did you understand what your power was? Where did it come from?

The responses opened the door to meaningful conversations between students and residents, many of whom discovered unexpected common ground despite growing up in vastly different eras. There were also moments when the differences themselves became fascinating — discussions about how the world has changed, what has endured, and the universal challenges of growing up and finding one’s voice.

The World Café format encouraged students not only to ask questions, but to truly listen — an increasingly rare skill in a fast-moving world. For the Duncaster residents, the visit offered a chance to share memories and perspectives with a younger generation eager to hear them.

What began as an intergenerational activity became something more lasting: a reminder that wisdom does not belong to one age group alone, and that meaningful connection often begins with a simple question.