Intergenerational Program Database

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.

When a loved one goes missing, minutes matter! The Volunteer Center of the Virginia Peninsula, in partnership with SafeAssured ID, local businesses, DAV Chapters and other Civic Organizations, provides families the power to immediately deliver ready-to-broadcast identification kits to the media and law enforcement. Youth volunteers ages 10 - 25 assist with preparation of the kits: data entry, registration, operating cameras, and assisting those receiving IDs. Information captured for dissemination includes: Streaming video showing movement and gait with both close and direct shots that are television ready; Linked audio file providing the person’s voice inflection and accent; General personal information; Digital photograph. IDs are provided free of charge to veterans and vulnerable seniors through our local sponsors.

The Scholar Store Project is an online learning center for human service professionals and educators. It features the practice wisdom of seasoned professionals packaged in easily downloadable 5-10 page documents. Our documents will be beneficial to two types of customers: Young adults, ages 18-28, entering the human service field, and experienced, mid-career human service professionals who are advancing into executive leadership, education and senior staff positions as Baby Boomers retire. These adults, ages 40– 55, are experienced human service executives, supervisors and educators poised to Scholar wisdom to transform policy and practice, initiate innovation and develop needed skills among new professionals. The Scholar Store links to existing knowledge banks that new professionals are often unaware of and mid-career professionals don’t have the time to locate. To further enhance the transmission of wisdom, the Scholar Store holds a creative commons license that encourages adaptation and innovation by the next generation without assuming intellectual property rights of documents.

In conjunction with our Character Education Program, we have established an Intergenerational Program with various Sunrise Assisted Living Communities in the area. The program gives our children opportunities to share what they are doing in the classroom and what inspires them through the seasons. The children and seniors get together for holidays including Halloween and the winter holidays

Our students have the unique opportunity to participate in an intergenerational program with our senior neighbors at Sunrise Assisted Living and The Virginian Retirement Community. Students of all ages, infants through 6th Graders, have a chance to learn about life experiences from their senior companions. Weekly activities at the homes are both academic and fun. Some of these include: Storytelling, Baking, Sewing, Discussing world governments, and Studying embassies. Keyword: Shared Site

Each month, residents of Warm Hearth are visited by Micah’s Soup for Seniors volunteers. They receive food and a social visit from volunteers from various academic, civic, and religious groups.

Each month, residents of Warm Hearth are visited by Micah’s Soup for Seniors volunteers. They receive food and a social visit from volunteers from various academic, civic, and religious groups.

GHFC is unique in that the children and adults are cared for in one structure, have one entrance to the building where both generations enter and exit, and intergenerational activities are a daily component of our program. There are structured times for interaction between the generations as well as many times that the interaction is spontaneous and need-based. Programs from the USA, Spain and universities have visited the Center for its quality and unique model.

Neighbors Growing Together is an Intergenerational Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Adult Day Center. We conduct three group activities each week between three older adults from the Adult Day Center and three young children from the Child Center in an IG studio, built between the two centers. Activities could range from arts and crafts around a table to an activity on the smart board about languages, countries, pictures, etc. The smart board was recently put in to enhance engagement and increase opportunities for activities. Neighbors Growing Together also has a designated camera used to document each activity. Pictures are kept in the computer or hung up in our Intergenerational Studio to enhance reflection, self-confidence, and reminiscence for the participants and used in a newsletter which also influences reminiscence.

Senior prom has long been a rite of passage for America’s teenagers, a time to celebrate and dance with friends. We recently brought the fun and good times of prom to our residents through a mixer with local students from Viewmont High School. We used the beloved tradition of prom to bridge the generational gap, and unite “seniors” who may not have met otherwise. Everyone in attendance dressed up in their finest and enjoyed chatting, dancing, and tasty refreshments.