Intergenerational Programs & Spaces
Generations United is a strong voice supporting the development and expansion of intergenerational programs bringing children, youth and older adults together. We recognize high-quality intergenerational programs, serve as the clearinghouse for information on different types of intergenerational programs, and a champion making the case for local programs across the county and around the world.
Intergenerational programs increase cooperation, interaction, and exchange between people of different generations, allowing them to share their talents and resources and support each other in relationships that benefit both the individuals and their community.
Generations United annually recognizes outstanding intergenerational programs that are connecting younger and older people in the United States with our Intergenerational Program Certification.
We work to support and encourage the development of these types of programs. Two current areas of focus are intergenerational shared sites and intergenerational living.
- Intergenerational shared sites are settings where children, youth, and older adults participate in services and/or programs concurrently at the same site or on the same campus. Participants interact during regular, planned intergenerational activities, as well as through informal encounters. These settings can also be referred to as intergenerational spaces, centers, care/day care, etc. Learn more by checking out Sharing Our Space, our online toolkit, and join our Shared Site Learning Network.
- Intergenerational living takes many forms. It includes communities that house older adults and younger people with the intention of supporting and strengthening intergenerational relationships, as well as multigenerational households, which can include three or more generations of family living together. To learn more, check out Healthier Lives Across Generations: A Blueprint for Intergenerational Living and join our Intergenerational Housing Learning Network.
Generations United provides training, technical assistance, toolkits and guides, networking, and other activities to support the field. We host a Global Conference every other year – the largest gathering of intergenerational and kinship champions in the world.
To learn more about the wide range of intergenerational programs, check out our recent resources and trainings linked below and visit the Intergenerational Program Database.
