Intergenerational Program Database

Youth Connect is a youth led community service initiative with several different programs. "Project Touch" is an intergenerational community service group that connects neighborhood youth to senior centers and elderly clients so that they can come together in a variety of activities, including meal sharing and shopping. Youth provide shopping escort services, light housekeeping, and companionship to frail, homebound elderly clients. In another program, blind/visually impaired youth join sighted youth to plan and lead recreational and social activities for blind/visually impaired seniors.

The North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center features a computer cafe and community rooms, North Domingo also boasts a fitness room, classrooms, and meals. It serves youth, seniors and the community.

OASIS Tutoring is an in-school, curriculum-based literacy program that pairs older adult volunteer tutors with children in grades K-3 who have been identified as academically at risk because they are reading below grade level. New tutors complete 12 hours of training in the OASIS approach to literacy. Children are selected by their teachers and are paired with OASIS tutors. The tutor training and OASIS session plans are designed to align with state learning standards. Tutors work one-on-one with students, making a commitment to work with a child at least once a week for a full school year. The tutor reads quality literature with the child, writes the child’s thoughts in an OASIS journal, the student reads his/her journal entries, and they practices skill building activities such as letter or word recognition and vocabulary exploration. OASIS tutors offer the one-on-one support that classroom teachers would like to provide to individual s tudents – but they don’t have time for during the school day. In this literacy-based mentoring program, one-on-one OASIS tutoring sessions with a caring older adult also build confidence and self-esteem, forming the foundation for a better attitude toward reading and language arts and improved academic performance.

The Continuum creates a positive and healing experience that recognizes each person for their special, unique abilities by utilizing an approach of community, combining the wisdom and experience of age with the energy and curiosity of youth. We celebrate diversity, applying it as a tool to foster healing while enhancing the quality of life for our clients and their families. Participants in the Continuum’s ReGeneration’s Adult Day Club interact with preschoolers in the Carousel Learning Center.

VISIONS Intergenerational Program recruits, trains and employs high school students to assist blind seniors in their homes, and at Selis Manor. The youth provide escort and assistance with reading, shopping, and technology. VISONS Caregiver project supports family, partners, and friends who help a senior with vision loss. Overnight respite at VCB and day respite at Selis Manor are provided.

The GCD Program is an intergenerational afterschool program that integrates at-risk youth into the long-term care setting. During the school year, students spend 8-10 hours each week at JHL participating in academic support, college preparation, healthcare career preparation, and life skills counseling. Students interact with the elders in a one-to-one mentoring relationship, on nursing communities in a clinical role and in elder social circles hosting group activities for each nursing unit.

QCH's Neighborhood Intergenerational Chore and Errand (N.I.C.E.) Program serves both youth and senior citizens in our community. In this program, youth perform shopping, laundry, and errands for homebound frail seniors. They also share relevant information and discuss pertinent current events with the senior clients as part of their visit. In addition youth work in local senior centers and nursing homes assisting these institutions in areas such as transportation, arts and recreation. Our program currently serves over sixty seniors with limited mobility and hundreds of other senior citizens as well. The seniors receive a needed service to enhance their quality of life while teens are provided with employment, job training and life skills development. The N.I.C.E. Intergenerational Program takes two seemingly separate populations and helps them realize their commonalities. The relationship building that occurs allows for enhanced self-esteem, and a better understanding of each generation for both age groups.

The Gates day care center is particularly unique because in addition to child care, we have our elder care at this facility as well. Children can walk down the hall to visit with the grandmas and grandpas.

Generations is a leading provider of licensed, nationally accredited child care in the Rochester New York (NY) area. They offer uniquely intergenerational programming teams with social adult daycare linking children and seniors. Our St. John’s day care center is located on the St. John’s nursing home campus. Child care and elder care are brought together each week as classrooms get to experience intergenerational programming with residents of the nursing home throughout.

We have a Head Start located on our Campus which has an enrollment of approximately 15 children. We have quite a few planned activities where the children and our residents interact. On a daily basis the children go for a walk through our building which provides a great way for our residents and the children to interact. A few of our residents are regular volunteers in the Head Start program. Our residents also read to the children a few times per week.