Intergenerational Program Database

The Brain Emporium is the Cleveland area’s first computerized brain fitness center and is specifically designed to engage and mentally stimulate older adults. Classes are free to older community members and are taught by Professor T.J. McCallum of Case Western Reserve University and his students. Classes on brain health are also held at The Brain Emporium, and there are also (computerized) programs for those who have suffered strokes.

Six Winners, an intergenerational mentoring program focused on Black and Latino males ages 13 to 24. Trained mentors teach young men specific skills to help them develop personal goals and enhance their self-sufficiency by working with them on strategies to achieve those goals. The program includes counseling, social skills development, preparation for the workplace, and understanding of fatherhood responsibilities.

Mind the Gap is a free workshop in which half of the participants are elders ages 60 and up and half are teenagers ages 14-19. Over the course of 10 sessions, participants work in pairs to interview each other and write plays inspired by their partner’s personal stories. Each workshop culminates with an invited presentation in which participants’ work is read aloud by professional actors.

The "Mount Kisco Child Day Care Center" and "My Second Home," a senior daycare center bring together the generations for planting and maintaining a fresh vegetable garden on site which promotes proper elderly and childhood nutrition

Seniors volunteer to read to preschool children at “Book Worms” Program

A non-profit dedicated to focus on building an intergenerational movement bringing kids and elders living with dementia together around music.

The Intergenerational Work Study Program (IWSP) is a collaborative initiative of the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) and the NYC Department of Education. DFTA coordinates the IWSP, working with appropriate personnel at City high schools and with community organizations to provide high school youth with work experience delivering needed services to elders in senior centers, nursing homes and home care settings. The program increases intergenerational understanding and interaction, enriching the lives of participants in both generations. Designed in l987 as a high school drop-out prevention program, IWSP now engages academically-achieving college-bound and developmentally challenged students as well as academically at-risk youth.

Kendal at Oberlin’s intergenerational program is multifacetedly reaching the larger community of Oberlin and Lorain County featuring an onsite Early Learning Center. Kendal residents and staff play a significant role in mentoring students from more than nine educational institutions. Our community believes in the commitment to mentor the next generation. The Early Learning Center opened at the same time as the Kendal at Oberlin retirement community and focuses on children 18 months – 5 years old. The Center creates opportunities for residents to continue their passion for teaching young children, as well as being with surrogate grandchildren. Keyword: Shared Site

Opening Minds through Art (OMA) is an intergenerational art program for people with dementia. It is grounded in person-centered ethics and founded on the fact that people with dementia are capable of expressing themselves creatively. There is a growing body of empirical evidence that creative expression improves their physical and psychological well-being. The mission of OMA is to build bridges across age and cognitive barriers through art. The program is implemented in group sessions: Up to 12 people with dementia with the assistance of 12 trained volunteers working on a one-to-one basis. The art-making sessions culminate in a gallery exhibition celebrating the artists’ accomplishments while educating the public about the creative capacities of people with dementia.

The Champion Intergenerational Center is such a place, serving older adults, young children, and university students. Operated as a university/community collaboration, the Center offers many benefits to the Center participants, the Near East Side and wider community, and The Ohio State University faculty and students. Within OSU, the initiative is led by the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. Columbus Early Learning Centers is the early childhood care and education provider and National Church Residences provides adult day services. Center partners are committed to creating a center of excellence where multiple generations are engaged, finding purpose and new experiences in their day. Keyword: Shared Site