Four students from Medina Elementary School bridged a generational divide and made life a little cozier for some furry feline friends at the Seattle Humane Society.

On the Martin Luther King, Jr. school holiday, fifth grade students Mei Lan Uyeno, Oviya Krishnan, Shreya Vommi and Serena Cai visited Covenant Shores on Mercer Island with nearly 200 fleece templates in tow to create blankets for kittens living at the Seattle Humane Society. Working with a handful of residents, they organized, tied and double knotted 120 blankets, which were made using donated fleece material and repurposed fleece blankets.

The students call the service project “Share Some Happiness.” It’s part of the Destination Imagination after-school club, a nationwide program that fosters students’ creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and service learning. The group chose service learning and combined their love for animals with their love for seniors.

“Intergenerational activities benefit both residents and students,” said Roxanne Helleren, director of resident services at Covenant Shores. “Our residents have a natural affinity for community outreach, so they were delighted to help the students with their project and they enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level.”

The club is looking for donations of old blanket material (flannel, fleece or micro-fiber) as well as students who would like to visit the seniors at any adult family home, or who would like to donate to any animal shelter.

“The kids really enjoyed the experience,” said parent Karin Uyeno, especially her daughter, Mei Lan, who developed a tender heart for seniors while visiting her grandmother at a rehabilitation center in another state. “She was really attached to this project being part of a senior community.”

Participating in the service project was serendipity for Covenant Shores resident Kathy Pearson, who said there was a reason she felt a nudge that morning to volunteer for the students’ project.

While talking with a parent, she learned the students were from Medina Elementary School, the same school her late husband, Jay, had worked at as a fifth grade teacher and substitute principal.

The next step for the Destination Imagination challenge requires the group to present the project to their peers and advisor. They plan to return to Covenant Shores on their next school holiday to complete their goal of 530 blankets.

“Working together, we’re sure they can meet their goal,” Helleren said.