Intergenerational Program Database

Intergenerational Mentoring Program for African American Males is a project that aims to provide male role models, mentoring, and cultural experience to young African American men in the Uniontown area with a focus on the East End community. The project pairs young men, 12-15 years of age with older African American men who are participating in the East End Senior Citizens Group and East End Concerned Citizen.

The Legacy Project addresses multiple emerging issues that are impacting the Cambodian refugee community. These issues include major health and language disparities among the elders and the education disparities among the youth. The core goal of the program is to bridge the generation gap between refugee Elders and Cambodian-American high school aged youth. Elders share personal photos before, during, and after the war. Youth will hear first-hand accounts of the genocide, life in refugee camps, and the resettlement into inner-city Philadelphia. Youth share their own family photos to continue the story and share struggles youth face today with the elders. Both groups share their war stories and learn about each other’s needs. Past events have included an advocacy trip to Washington DC, the creation of a photo-story exhibition and creation of a cookbook.

Village at Penn State residents are partnered with students to learn and practice using Skype. Large group workshops and one-on-one sessions are held as desired by the residents. Students prepare handouts and assist Village residents in placing and receiving calls. Students are also available for follow-up and support assistance.

The organization upgraded the entire building with WI Fi, resident computers and IPads. The IPAD -ICAN program was initiated by a contribution from a family member to enhance the technology within the organization for residents, family members, visitors, volunteers and activities. The kids from the Day Care Center and other younger volunteers have been teaching residents the use of the IPads -and the use of communication applications - connecting with Family.

Generations on Line is dedicated to enhancing communication among generations by promoting Internet access and literacy to elders. Generation to generation is an intergenerational oral history on the PC training program. After school classes of 9 and 10-year old students, under a teacher's supervision ask questions about the past, in four categories: Origins and History; Inventions and Transportation; Sports and Entertainment; and "When you were my age." The responses by seniors are manually filtered each day; the teacher guidelines and categories are based on Fourth grade studies. The children involved with the program to date have been enormously interested. They are guided by a well developed curriculum to first think about older people, discuss their impressions, perceptions, and biases.

Volunteer teens of SeniorLink work to bridge the generational divide by teaching computer and internet skills at senior homes in their community, or simply by interacting with seniors through games, puzzles, or old fashioned conversation. SeniorLink seeks to ensure that any resident feels motivated, active, and mentally stimulated. In addition to this exchange, SeniorLink benefits people and communities in which they interact in many ways. The nonprofit organization has boosted the community spirit, recycled old computers, connected generations, and motivated more people to get involved in their communities.

College students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds tutor older immigrants in English, U.S. history and civics at community centers, religious institutions, adult education classes, and senior residences to help them acquire citizenship and become more actively engaged in their communities. Students participate in SHINE through service learning courses, as volunteers and as interns, and can often receive credits.

Newtown Friends School has shared a rich and diverse intergenerational program with Pennswood Village, an adjacent continuing care retirement community that is home to people ages 65–105. The program fosters relationships between students and residents, actively enriching the life of both communities. Weekly programs include Friday Friends, Wednesday Lunch Brunch, and Classroom Volunteers. Other activities include pool volleyball, Halloween parades, movie discussions and more.

Imagine walking into a room filled with the aroma of freshly baked cookies that the children and seniors have baked together. Or, step into the Adult Day Center and find the children and seniors making crafts, singing, or playing games together in a large, brightly lit room. Watch a senior encourage a pre-school child as they work to fit pieces into a puzzle. Tiptoe into the infant room and observe a senior rocking a baby to sleep or another playing with the babies on the floor. Fill in the picture with nature walks, bowling, group sing-a-longs and much more to begin to understand the precious and rewarding Intergenerational Activities that take place each day at CFC.

Chandler Hall embraces its on-site Child Development Program as an integral part of its community. Daily experiences occur on both a planned and informal basis. These experiences provide residents, clients, staff and children a safe place to develop healthy bonds, to get to know similarities and differences, and to begin to dispel ageist myths. Some experiences include trips to nature centers and various museums; cooking, music and art programs. Along with the high school students performing LINC hours, Chandler Hall has a summer camp with a volunteerism component for the campers ages 12-14; campers perform tasks daily with residents, developing relationships as they go. Our Child Development Program also interfaces with residents on a daily basis with the focus of those interactions being to highlight the interdependence we have for each other. Both the children and the older adults open themselves up to enriching each other's lives.