Intergenerational Program Database

1. "Living Legacies:" Students (differing age group depending upon topic) interview residents of differing housing communities, ethnic communities, and veterans; translate interviews into monologues and then into a theatre piece. The students present/perform the piece before audiences of seniors, students and parents at the Senior Center and the housing communities. 2. "In A Kaleidoscope:" Middle School students collaborate with senior citizens to create poems and stories generated in an arts based language arts workshop. 3. "Opera Encore:" Elementary School students (K-5) study age appropriate opera repertoire in preparation for the annual Spring Musical at the Senior Center. As part of an afternoon interlude of well loved Opera and Theatre presented by professional singers from Opera NJ, the young students join with the opera vocalists in singing the songs they have learned in a an exciting shared performance. 4. "Continuing Cultural Conversations:" Middle school students interview parents/families from our large diverse community (64 different languages and dialects are spoken) to learn about eating customs and foods. At the annual international night, families bring these foods for consumption and include a brief description of what the food represents (holiday, religious, etc.). The school produces a cook book of these recipes which is available to the entire community.

Storied Lives pairs service-minded high-potential students who love to write with the elderly living in residential care homes, who are often lonely and want to tell their stories. Over the course of a program, the students will spend quality time with their assigned elderly person, getting to know them, writing a story about their life, and finally, presenting the story to their resident at the program’s closing ceremony. The program was founded in 2012 in Morris County, NJ, pairing students from West Morris Mendham High School with elderly residents at Morris Hills Center in Morristown, NJ.

Grandparents Day Grand Prix- this was held on Grandparents Day to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Annual Walk for All Ages, designed to raise awareness of issues affecting older adults. The Prix included a variety of intergenerational activities to take part in.

This is an annual intergenerational event that is the culminating feature of several months’ of preparation between high school students and senior citizens. Every spring, an original theatre performance, “Living Legacies” created and performed by high school students, brings different themes to the seniors at the South Brunswick Senior Center. Each year, it features a different theme such as: The Veterans’ Stories; Immigration, Our Common Bond; People, Places & Events: South Brunswick’s History; and for 2013 - Celebrating Our Cultural Diversity. The school gathers students and the senior center and their volunteer partner organizations to identify seniors within the Township to participate. They use the theme as the starting point for conversations and begin to meet regularly. Wonderful conversations are held, new things are learned, perspectives are shared and a bond begins to form. Seniors are interviewed by the high school students during their English classes. The students then translate what they learned from all these interviews into monologues and then finally into the theatre performance piece presented at the senior center for all seniors in town. A reception follows, so seniors can then mingle with the students and discuss the show, which continues to foster the learning experience.

Older adults from Spring Hills Cherry Hill Assisted Living garden with students from Cherry Hill Alternative High School. Teenagers and seniors collaborate to keep the garden in good condition. The school garden provides multiple opportunities for high schoolers. Plants are examined for science classes, school pride grows along with the harvest, and students are taking an initiative in "going green."

In addition to the Child Development Center, other intergenerational programs include a pen-pal program with a local elementary school , friendly visits from senior students from local high schools. Their activities include letter writing, decorating, and helping with planned activities. Additionally, 6 high school students from Beijing volunteered in the Fall of 2013

Tech savvy teen siblings give seniors a hand with computers at Cresskill library. Two days each month Noa and Josh Rocco, ages 15 and 16, set up a table answering questions ranging from internet usage, email, and modern hardware.

The NSEA-Retired Intergenerational Mentoring Project brings together NSEA-Retired members and student NSEA members in their junior year in teacher education. NSEA-Retired members act as mentors to the student members from their junior year through their senior student teaching semester and their first year as professional teachers.

The Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha brings together performing artists of two eras, joined through the universal language of music. Musicians may audition if they are either age 50 and older or age 25 and younger. There are no minimum or maximum age restrictions in the ensemble. This year's Orchestra is comprised of 63 musicians ranging in age from 12 to 82 years. The Orchestra's concert season runs from September through April, with a schedule of 10 to 15 concerts. Performances are given for senior and retiree groups, at nursing homes, private events, conferences and schools

Intergenerational programming is a natural fit at Easterseals since the Child Developmental Center and the Adult Day Program share the same site. The program uses the power of art, music, dance, literature, and drama to achieve a variety of therapeutic objectives that are beneficial to both children and the elderly. The Intergenerational Program has become an important component of how Easter Seals works with its children and seniors. Keyword: Shared Site