Presenters from Sunnyside Community Services, a community center in Queens, NY and Vincentian Collaborative System, a multi-generational living community in Pittsburgh, PA shared their visions, successes, challenges, and lessons learned as they continue to develop their shared sites.
Sunnyside Community Services (SCS), a community-based nonprofit in Queens, NY, offers a wide range of programs to a diverse population of children, youth, families, and older adults. SCS is developing strategies for becoming an intergenerational community center that fosters opportunities for engagement and interaction across ages. Building on previous intergenerational programming involving older adult self-directed teams and middle school students, SCS is expanding its intergenerational focus. It has developed three program models – service, co-educational, and co-leadership; formed strong partnerships with local high schools; and is promoting culture change to create a truly integrated and welcoming community space.
Presenters: Donald Lubin, Deputy Director of High School Programming, and Kerly Serrano, Director of the Older Adult Center at Sunnyside Community Services.
Vincentian Collaborative System (VCS), a not-for-profit health care and human services organization in Pittsburgh, PA, is developing a new multi-generational living community. What started out as identifying opportunities to better meet the needs of the people they serve, has taken VCS on an unexpected journey and ultimate commitment to intergenerational practices and programming. Presenters will share where they started, how and why they’ve evolved their thinking through the lens of major construction projects, and how their latest endeavor, Vincentian Schenley Gardens, is poised to become the new model for older adults, children, college students, and everyone in between.
Presenters: Patty Embree, COO and VP of Innovations; Ann Cosentino, Executive Strategy Consultant, and Kenna Embree, Independent Living Life Enrichment Coordinator at Vincentian Collaborative System.
This webinar is presented as part of Generations United’s Shared Site Learning Network which is made possible with support from The Eisner Foundation.