Intergenerational Program Database

Music & Memory helps our residents who suffer from a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges. They find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through the gift of personalized music shared with young adults who work together to build music playlists, listen to music, and talk about the memories of the music together. It bridges the generation gap and brings joy and happiness to all participants. Our goal and mission is to improve the quality of life of our residents through intergenerational programming through the sharing of music from generations. We train the students on how to set up personalized music playlists for themselves and our residents . These music favorites – specifically the beloved songs from a person’s formative years – tap deep memories not lost to memory issues or dementia. It can bring listeners back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize, and stay present. Over the past 4 years we have served over 300+ older adults and 300+ college students. Keyword: Program of Merit

Legacy Letters is a five-week virtual intergenerational program designed to increase engagement and decrease isolation and loneliness with high school students and older adults through sharing life stories. Legacy Letters offers an opportunity for participants to connect with a different generation and share their life story. This experience boosts self-esteem by giving each and every participant a chance to be truly seen, heard and witnessed. The sharing of wisdom across generations is a unique and deeply meaningful experience for all involved. The mission of Legacy Letters is to significantly reduce older and younger adults’ levels of loneliness and improve social connectedness through writing and sharing autobiographical writing across generations. We aim to improve perceived levels of social support, positive sense of self, connectedness to community, and life satisfaction. Keyword: Program of Merit

San Diego Oasis’ Intergenerational Program Team was proud to bring the “grandparent effect” experience to Summer Camp for 1st – 3rd graders summer of 2022. This first-ever endeavor was a 5-day camp in which children were connected with caring older adults who want to see them grow and thrive. The camp provided interactive and fun learning experiences in reading, science, physical activity, and arts & crafts. Students were encouraged to form bonds with each other and with older adult tutors in a warm and loving space. Each generation learned together and had a meaningful and fun week-long experience. The mission of ‘Generations Together’ Summer Camp was to bring older adults and young elementary students together. The goal was to introduce small-group and one-on-one interactive opportunities throughout one entire week. Rather than spreading interaction over a number of weeks, months, or a year, we wanted to condense the time to multiple hours per day over a week. In addition to co-learning experiences, the volunteers took turns reading to the children as a group and the elementary-aged attendees were able to take new books home each day, which pertained to the day’s “theme.” Keyword: Program of Merit

AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program serve directly with nonprofit organizations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges. The Foster Grandparent Program engages Americans 55 years and older in volunteer service and to provide one-on-one support to children with special needs to improve their academic, social, or emotional development. The volunteers in this program help children learn to read and provide one-on-one tutoring; mentor trouble teenagers and young mothers; care for premature infants or children with disabilities; help children who have been abused or neglected. The Foster Grandparent Program of Southwestern PA’s goal is to have approximately 150 individuals 55+ to serve over 2,000 children in the region. The program is a stipend volunteer program that provides intergenerational relationships while improving educational outcomes for children in need. The volunteers serve as classroom grandparents who are mentors and positive role models at local non-profit organizations such as: public and private schools, Head Starts, daycare and child development centers, in addition to after- school programs. They help, guide, and assist children by developing skills in literacy, language, math, and cognitive development, as well as improving essential social and emotional intelligence. The volunteers are from all walks of life from a six county region in Southwestern PA (Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene and Washington Counties). Our outcomes are documented and reported to the Federal government. Keyword: Program of Merit

DreamCatchers empowers students and their local communities to fulfill end-of-life Dreams of hospice patients and creates powerful connections for younger and older generations. High school and college student-run chapters partner with local hospices in their communities in order to grant dreams for their patients, in the form of a memorable experience or event. Past dreams include family reunions, birthday parties, car shows, boat rides, helicopter rides, and more! The DreamCatchers mission is centered around creating strong intergenerational connections, with the goal of de-stigmatizing hospice, death and dying. Keyword: Program of Merit

The Adopt-A-Senior Program (AASP) of San Antonio TX addresses loneliness, social isolation, and food insecurity among the senior population in Bexar County. Our mission is to help seniors age with dignity by increasing food security, reducing isolation via quality social interactions with volunteers, evaluating their home and life needs, providing transportation (e.g., medical appointments), and assisting them in accessing secondary resources to improve their quality of life. Keyword: Program of Merit

Social Call was launched in 2009 to decrease loneliness and increase social connection by pairing older people aged 60+ and volunteers 18+ in the Bay Area region of California for in person 1:1 conversations. In 2018, SC moved to a remote model available by phone or video and expanded availability throughout the United States, with matches spending at least 30 minutes per week in virtual visits to develop meaningful relationships and friendships. SC works with 1,100 older adults and volunteers and facilitates over 500 matches annually, 70% are intergenerational. Keyword: Program of Distinction

Pear Pals brings students and older adults together for friendly phone calls that promote health and happiness! Using a social care platform, Pear Suite, students are guided through interactive well-being surveys that enable both participants to virtually share about their background, interests, strengths, and challenges, particularly around the social drivers of health. Data from these surveys is automatically transformed to suggest conversation starters, actionable goals, and local resources to boost wellness. By collectively working towards their wellness goals, both our students and older adults can actively support each other towards healthier outcomes, while establishing purposeful intergenerational relationships. Pear Pals is the community benefit program of Pear Suite, a startup focused on improving the social care needs of older adults. The mission of Pear Suite is to enable more people, regardless of training and experience, to help older adults live healthy, happy, and independent lives. The goal of Pear Pals is to enable healthcare students studying fields such as nursing, social work, and public health to engage in light care navigation for older adults, an invaluable experience for emerging young healthcare professionals. Keyword: Program of Distinction

The mission of ReadtoME is to engage with every 3-5 year old with the ambition of them reading by age 6. The program wants to create an environment that breeds a love for reading that becomes contagious among the young minds as they engage the entire community in reading sessions and activities. The goal is to have every 3-5 year old registered with ReadtoME by multiple citizens ensuring there are a pool of people involved in their development. Ultimately, the program advocates that the children between 3-5 are read to 15 minutes a day with a goal of them gaining a life long love for reading and the importance of it. Keyword: Program of Merit

Health Buddies is an innovative, intergenerational model that helps older adults and adults with disabilities who struggle with chronic conditions by matching them with a Health Buddy. Health Buddies are college students preparing for health careers who offer “companionship as medicine” through supportive phone calls to improve social connection, health knowledge and ability to age-in- place. After 12-weeks, clients who still need support get ongoing telephone reassurance; in-home companionship; and/or referred for other community resources. Health Buddies is a scalable, equitable, cost-effective way to promote aging in place while developing our next generation of aging services and health professionals. Its missions is to foster interaction between different generations, sharing skills/life experiences and building relationships that benefit both individuals and community. Keyword: Program of Distinction