Locations
Community News, Nerang
Mr Don lived six houses up the road. Some weeks he didn't speak to anyone. Then he walked down to our street library.
Mr Don lived on his own, six houses up from Little Scholars Nerang. Some weeks, he told us, went by without him speaking to a single person.
Every Little Scholars campus has a street library out the front, free for anyone in the neighbourhood. One day he walked down for something to read. One of our educators said hello, and they got talking.
“No one even knew who he was.”
Jae Fraser, founder of Little Scholars, on the SHFT POD podcast
That didn't last. Through Grandfriends, our intergenerational program, and our partners at Feros Care, Mr Don became the Grandfriend for the whole Nerang campus.
Drawing, painting, whatever was on the art table that morning. Mr Don pulled up a chair and joined in.
He cooked with the children too. More hands, more mess, more talking.
Children ask the questions adults are too polite to. Mr Don answered them straight.
“The conversations that older people will have with children are conversations that you will never have with your child. No teacher could ever do that. No parent could ever do that.”
Jae Fraser, founder of Little Scholars, on SHFT POD
The children decided Mr Don's 90th birthday needed a party, and that he wasn't to know. So there was a sign, there were party hats, and someone was trusted with the cake.
He walked down the street for his usual visit and found the whole campus waiting for him. He was moved to tears.
A man who used to go a week without a conversation now had a campus full of small people who couldn't wait to see him.
Mr Don has retired from the program. The Nerang campus farewelled him at the kindergarten graduation.
“What a legacy to leave behind!”Feros Care
Thank you for the painting, the cooking, and all those answers to all those questions. A lot of Nerang children know what a good neighbour looks like because of you.
Grandfriends runs at every Little Scholars campus. Children visit local aged care homes, or their Grandfriends visit them, for crafts, games, songs and morning tea.
Children find out they can make someone's day, just by turning up and saying hello.
Walking frames, hearing aids and wrinkles stop being strange. They're just part of a friend.
Time with older people helps children understand ageing rather than worry about it.
Children practise listening, asking questions and telling stories to someone new.
See the campus, meet the educators, and ask about Grandfriends on your tour.
Mr Don is a Nerang local who lived six houses from Little Scholars Nerang. After borrowing a book from the campus street library, he became the campus Grandfriend through the Grandfriends program and Feros Care, painting, cooking and chatting with the children. The children threw him a surprise party for his 90th birthday in August 2025, and he retired from the program in early 2026.
Grandfriends is Little Scholars' intergenerational program. Children visit local aged care homes, or older Grandfriends visit the campus, for crafts, games, songs, morning tea and conversation. It is delivered with aged care partners including Feros Care and runs at every Little Scholars campus.
Every Little Scholars campus runs Grandfriends, across the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Redland Bay and Ipswich.
Grandfriends are older people from aged care providers that partner with Little Scholars, including Odyssey, Feros Care and Infin8 Care, along with elders from local communities. Some, like Mr Don at Nerang, are neighbours of the campus.
Children and their Grandfriends do crafts, play games, sing, share morning tea and talk. At Nerang, Mr Don also drew, painted and cooked with the children.
Some Little Scholars campuses began informal visits to local aged care homes in 2015. The program grew into Grandfriends and was developed through involvement in Griffith University's intergenerational research.
Every Little Scholars campus has a street library out the front. Anyone in the neighbourhood can borrow a book, bring it back or donate one. It is how Mr Don first met the Nerang educators.
Book a tour of Little Scholars Nerang at 67 Crusader Way, Nerang, and ask about Grandfriends while you are there. You can also visit any other Little Scholars campus and ask about its Grandfriends.
Regular time with older people helps young children become more accepting of differences, including disability, understand ageing rather than fear it, build confidence talking with new people, and learn that small acts of kindness matter.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
"*" indicates required fields
