Intergenerational Program Database

Ready Generations is an intergenerational nursery site located in Liverpool, UK. Its vision is to make a difference to lifelong learning and care by becoming a leading provider of intergenerational practice and provision, and a leading edge active research and professional development organisation for intergenerational services. It operates direct childcare services to nursery children and their families, alongside shared, integrated and meaningful learning and enrichment activities for older adults and children, learning and living together. Their primary focus is Education (e.g., service learning, reading, tutoring), Arts (e.g., visual, theater, music, storytelling, oral history) Health and wellness (e.g., food access, physical activity, friendly visiting, health literacy), Transmission of cultural traditions/knowledge Grandfamilies/Kinship Families, and Shared site programming.

Partners in Rhyme (PIR) is a six-week intergenerational poetry program where older adults and teens gather in small groups to read, discuss, and write poetry. The program is held in high school English classes or community centers in the greater Boston area. Each session consults works from contemporary and classic poets on wellness and social-emotional learning themes such as gratitude, mindfulness, resilience, and personal refuges. After a guided discussion that focuses on personal responses to poems, everyone does some reflective and creative writing. There is a poetry reading at the end of the program open to the public. The goals include: PIR Goals: (1) Bring generations together using poetry to facilitate meaningful discussions and develop deep connections. In the process, reduce social isolation, shed stereotypes that each age group have for the other, and cultivate compassion in teens for older adults. (2) Expand social and emotional learning (SEL) by selecting poems to explore various SEL topics. Help participants develop empathy and communication skills as they engage with people outside their typical peer- and age-groups. (3) Provide a novel experience with poetry allowing poetry-phobic participants to develop an appreciation for the art. Keyword: Program of Merit

Legacy Letters is a five-week virtual intergenerational program designed to increase engagement and decrease isolation and loneliness with high school students and older adults through sharing life stories. Legacy Letters offers an opportunity for participants to connect with a different generation and share their life story. This experience boosts self-esteem by giving each and every participant a chance to be truly seen, heard and witnessed. The sharing of wisdom across generations is a unique and deeply meaningful experience for all involved. The mission of Legacy Letters is to significantly reduce older and younger adults’ levels of loneliness and improve social connectedness through writing and sharing autobiographical writing across generations. We aim to improve perceived levels of social support, positive sense of self, connectedness to community, and life satisfaction. Keyword: Program of Merit

AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program serve directly with nonprofit organizations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges. The Foster Grandparent Program engages Americans 55 years and older in volunteer service and to provide one-on-one support to children with special needs to improve their academic, social, or emotional development. The volunteers in this program help children learn to read and provide one-on-one tutoring; mentor trouble teenagers and young mothers; care for premature infants or children with disabilities; help children who have been abused or neglected. The Foster Grandparent Program of Southwestern PA’s goal is to have approximately 150 individuals 55+ to serve over 2,000 children in the region. The program is a stipend volunteer program that provides intergenerational relationships while improving educational outcomes for children in need. The volunteers serve as classroom grandparents who are mentors and positive role models at local non-profit organizations such as: public and private schools, Head Starts, daycare and child development centers, in addition to after- school programs. They help, guide, and assist children by developing skills in literacy, language, math, and cognitive development, as well as improving essential social and emotional intelligence. The volunteers are from all walks of life from a six county region in Southwestern PA (Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties). Our outcomes are documented and reported to the Federal government. Keyword: Program of Merit

DreamCatchers empowers students and their local communities to fulfill end-of-life Dreams of hospice patients and creates powerful connections for younger and older generations. High school and college student-run chapters partner with local hospices in their communities in order to grant dreams for their patients, in the form of a memorable experience or event. Past dreams include family reunions, birthday parties, car shows, boat rides, helicopter rides, and more! The DreamCatchers mission is centered around creating strong intergenerational connections, with the goal of de-stigmatizing hospice, death and dying. Keyword: Program of Merit

The Adopt-A-Senior Program (AASP) of San Antonio TX addresses loneliness, social isolation, and food insecurity among the senior population in Bexar County. Our mission is to help seniors age with dignity by increasing food security, reducing isolation via quality social interactions with volunteers, evaluating their home and life needs, providing transportation (e.g., medical appointments), and assisting them in accessing secondary resources to improve their quality of life. Keyword: Program of Merit

Social Call was launched in 2009 to decrease loneliness and increase social connection by pairing older people aged 60+ and volunteers 18+ in the Bay Area region of California for in person 1:1 conversations. In 2018, SC moved to a remote model available by phone or video and expanded availability throughout the United States, with matches spending at least 30 minutes per week in virtual visits to develop meaningful relationships and friendships. SC works with 1,100 older adults and volunteers and facilitates over 500 matches annually, 70% are intergenerational. Keyword: Program of Distinction

The mission of ReadtoME is to engage with every 3-5 year old with the ambition of them reading by age 6. The program wants to create an environment that breeds a love for reading that becomes contagious among the young minds as they engage the entire community in reading sessions and activities. The goal is to have every 3-5 year old registered with ReadtoME by multiple citizens ensuring there are a pool of people involved in their development. Ultimately, the program advocates that the children between 3-5 are read to 15 minutes a day with a goal of them gaining a life long love for reading and the importance of it. Keyword: Program of Merit

Health Buddies is an innovative, intergenerational model that helps older adults and adults with disabilities who struggle with chronic conditions by matching them with a Health Buddy. Health Buddies are college students preparing for health careers who offer “companionship as medicine” through supportive phone calls to improve social connection, health knowledge and ability to age-in- place. After 12-weeks, clients who still need support get ongoing telephone reassurance; in-home companionship; and/or referred for other community resources. Health Buddies is a scalable, equitable, cost-effective way to promote aging in place while developing our next generation of aging services and health professionals. Its missions is to foster interaction between different generations, sharing skills/life experiences and building relationships that benefit both individuals and community. Keyword: Program of Distinction

Grandpas United is a nationally recognized, intergenerational mentoring program in its fourth year of operation under the White Plains Youth Bureau. The program provides a range of services and opportunities to youth including mentoring, college, and career readiness, vocational and employment, recreation, workshops, leadership development, academic assistance, and youth diversion. The program has a diverse population of 100+ Grandpas in White Plains. The program has been featured on radio, television, newspapers and magazines. We have also received several national awards for our work. With the support of state and local government, the program has expanded to five locations in Westchester. The mission is to utilize the talents, skills and experiences of our grandpas to improve the community; provide boys and young men with mentoring and intergenerational activities that support their positive development in school and in the community through one-on- one and group relationships. Activities include: Activities include: Youth Court, Department of Social Services Residential Counseling, Grandpas Go to School, Half Time with Grandpas/High Five, Civic Engagement, Coffee With Grandpas, Grandpas Got, YPI (Youth Police Initiative), and Co-Sponsor of the Annual New York State Fatherhood Conference addressing the needs of fathers. Keyword: Program of Distinction