Intergenerational Program Database

The Hebrew Home at Riverdale, through the generous support of The Everett Foundation, runs its highly successful Generation 2 Generation (L’Dor V’Dor) Summer Internship Program. The four week program provides students with a life changing opportunity to work directly with our older adult residents, learn about Jewish attitudes on aging, attend educational seminars on Jewish culture and history, and develop deep relationships with people of a different generation. The program allows teenagers to both give and receive in a warm and embracing environment. Participants assist various departments with their programs, and they are assigned an individual caseload of older adult residents to visit. They have the chance to make an important difference in the lives of our residents who in turn share their life experiences with the students. In addition, the participants formally study Jewish culture, aging in American and Jewish society, the structure of nursing homes, and Jewish attitudes towards aging and dying.

The Red Hook Community Farm is an intergenerational farm for youth, adults and seniors.

The Early Discoveries child care center and Day Haven adult day services are located at this site. Each day another classroom of preschoolers is invited to visit the “grandma’s and grandpa’s" for some special time together. Teachers and elder care staff work together to design activities that are both meaningful and purposeful for both children and elders.

The Early Discoveries child care center and Day Haven adult day services are located at this site. Each day another classroom of preschoolers is invited to visit the “grandma’s and grandpa’s" for some special time together. Teachers and elder care staff work together to design activities that are both meaningful and purposeful for both children and elders.

The Magic Moments program uniquely blends two groups of people who are often marginalized in American society: developmentally challenged teenagers and nursing home residents who have dementia. Through the program, which runs daily from 9:30 am to 11:45 am, the students assist Nursing and Therapeutic Recreation staff by setting up a resident lounge with games such as beanbag and/or ball toss and various art projects. The students model their interactions on those of the professional staff, working as a team, co-leading activities, encouraging residents to participate, and serving them refreshments. The Magic Moments program has pioneered a way for these young people with developmental challenges to provide direct support and encouragement to residents who have dementia, taking them from behind the scenes into the spotlight.

Our Folks is a program of Groundwork Hudson Valley in Yonkers, NY, where teens survey older homeowners, identify needed yard and household repairs, and carry out improvements. Around 20 youth and 25 older adults each year participate in this program. One goal is to bridge the generation gap by bringing people together over shared projects and shared lunches, which the students and homeowners prepare and eat together. Another part of the program is the "food team," which trains older adults to conduct cooking demonstrations of healthy foods in afterschool programs and at community events. Through ComNET, Groundwork organizes teams consisting of teens and senior citizens — and a few in-betweeners — to identify problems that need fixing. The problems are logged, along with the exact GPS location, into hand-held computers. Then, back at the office, Groundwork staff collate the problems into detailed reports that are then forwarded to the appropriate Yonkers government official and monitored to ensure that the problems are remedied.

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 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.