Intergenerational Program Database

Wired for Connections/Mentor Up is a club at Carmel High School that is designed to help senior citizens understand the basics of modern-day devices and bridge what they perceive as an intergenerational divide. It is a free program in which the students volunteer to teach computer and technology skills to Carmel Foundation members.

In this annual event students and their grandparents spend the day together. The event is held on the CBU campus and features “college” classes, a chapel service, a mini-concert, campus tours, lunch (featuring entertainment by the CBU Theater Arts Musical Group), and much quality social time with grandchildren and friends.

GAP provides programs and services that meet the urgent and ongoing needs of grandparents and other relatives raising at-risk children. GAP currently serves relative caregivers in the Los Angeles County area, over 90% of which are grandparents. GAP provides cost-free, community-based programs and services, which include weekly therapeutic support groups, crisis counseling, education, advocacy, and respite care.  

EngAGE Across Generations helps older adults become involved with younger people in their communities – as mentors, sages, and neighbors. The program offers an opportunity for people to inventory their skills and desires and provide places where those can be utilized to help guide youth through the stages of their lives. EngAGE connects with local schools and other organizations to provide support for their endeavors. Examples include intergenerational arts programs, mentoring, read aloud programs and even making films.

Story Catchers is an outgrowth of the APPLE Program that allows children to explore the lives of other generations by interviewing seniors and writing stories based on their responses. GenSpan brings the senior volunteers to elementary school classrooms where the students are split into groups and each group given one volunteer to interview. Once all of the stories are complete, they are taken by GenSpan and compiled unedited into a book, and copies of it are presented to all those involved.

Stagebridge brings seniors trained in storytelling into classrooms. This program helps at-risk students develop listening and language skills.

The Peralta Intergenerational Project' started six years ago and involves 1st - 5th grade classes from Peralta Elementary School in Oakland, CA taking monthly field trips to create art with elders who have dementia at The Bay Area Community Services Adult Day Care Center.

The Center for Digital Storytelling works at the national and international level on projects with dozens of collaborators each year. We have numerous projects that have an intergenerational orientation with our partners. We are currently working on a national program, All Together Now, that will build stories of citizenship between youth and elders. In addition, CDS works in numerous cross-generational environments, in public health settings, education, environmental, and community service, where groups are gathered representing a multi-generational perspective.

Enjoy a day at the beach with others in the surfing community, celebrate the intergenerational nature of our sport and raise some much needed funds for Pacifica’s Environmental Family (PEF). An Intergenerational Team (IT) division welcomes surfers of all ages. Each IT must be 6 surfers, represent 3 generations (one generation = 18 years), include at least 1 surfer under age 20, any length/type board can be used and can include both males and females. Teams will surf together in their own heat. This event takes place every summer.

CATCH brings children and adults age 50+ together to learn good eating and physical activity habits for a lifetime. The program combats obesity by engaging adults age 50+ as mentors to teach healthy lifelong habits to kids in grades K-5. Adults in the program benefit in several ways. Research shows that volunteers have lower rates of depression and mortality and greater functional ability than those who do not volunteer. As they promote healthy habits for kids and for themselves, they also experience the rewards of meaningful community service.