A small group of residents at Brookdale Senior Living in Urbana, IL, relax in chairs spaced at least six feet apart in the assisted living facility's lounge to play a round of Jeopardy! hosted by Maya Joshi, 15, over Zoom. "For 100 points," Joshi asks, "what body of water separates France from England?" The contestants are quick: "The English Channel!"

Thanks to Lifting Hearts with the Arts, a nonprofit organization in Chicago founded by Joshi, senior-living residents have been able to participate virtually in social activities—like playing Jeopardy!—during the pandemic. Concerned by news reports about lockdown policies in assisted living facilities and residences for the visually impaired that prohibit visitors, group dining, and congregating in common areas, Joshi pitched an idea to her sister and parents one morning in March: How about creating a program that helps seniors stay socially connected?

That question led to Lifting Hearts, whose high school volunteers hold events for seniors via video-calling platforms like Zoom. In many cases, the teens share their passion for art and music—performing piano and violin recitals, providing paint therapy, or leading "Name That Tune" quizzes. "We had so much free time," says June Stevens, 14, a close friend and classmate of Joshi's who is on the board of Lifting Hearts with another classmate, Ellie Van Houten, 15, and Joshi's twin sister, Riya. "Trying to turn a negative situation into a positive one seemed like the right thing to do."

At the start, Joshi and her board sent forms to the facilities to determine residents' interests, schedules, and the best way to communicate. The group advertised for student participants in school emails and newsletters. They have recruited 35 volunteers, partnered with at least 16 facilities, and arranged up to 80 sessions a week.

"Our goal is to help as many people as we can, so we're expanding and reaching out to every facility in our state," says Joshi. "We've even been offering virtual technology lessons to help seniors become more familiar with tablets and smartphones."

Stevens oversees social media and reaches out to volunteers to sign up through the website, while Van Houten matches them with residents and coordinates schedules. Riya handles the finances, raising money on GoFundMe, soliciting equipment and supplies through Amazon and Blick wish lists, and collecting donations of used devices.

Lifting Hearts' teens also communicate individually with seniors, most of whom they have yet to see in person. "I've been meeting with three people every single week for the last two months," says Riya. "I consider one resident I talk to my third grandmother."

Facilities have welcomed the opportunity to connect with teenagers, and residents appreciate the volunteers' enthusiasm even when technological obstacles get in the way. Many residents didn't have access to smart devices or know how to use them—one facility shared one tablet among 200 residents—but Lifting Hearts has distributed six tablets, two phones, and art supplies worth thousands of dollars.

Some of the teens have interacted with seniors who don't know how to use FaceTime or Zoom or don't show up, without warning, due to illness, forgetfulness, or a change in schedule. "At the end of the day, it's volunteer work and we're there to help," says Van Houten.

Hannah Xie, a 17-year-old Lifting Hearts volunteer, plays flute for residents. Her repertoire has included Concertino by Cecile Chaminade and "Greensleeves." Even though she's performing in front of a screen and sometimes has trouble with internet connections, "it doesn't feel different from performing live because I know the audience is there and that they are expecting to hear the music," she says.

The seniors enjoy their one-on-one conversations with the teenagers, discussing everything from their favorite cheeses and mud cake recipes to hairstyles or family memories. "Talking on the phone helps pass the time," says Marie Busch, 67, who has lived at Friedman Place, a community for visually impaired people, since 2006. "It breaks up the day." Busch even taught Van Houten the scales she learned in high school, when she won state fair competitions for playing accordion.

"We're definitely considering how we're going to continue once the pandemic is over," Van Houten says of Lifting Hearts. "We'd like to keep it going, because loneliness will always be a problem for some seniors in assisted living facilities, and it helps bridge the gap between generations."