by Julie Randolph, Information and Access Care Coordination Manager
September is Intergenerational Month! Driven by the proven benefits of fostering connection and building relationships between people of all ages, this global movement is influencing approaches to community development. Studies by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, Generations United, and RRF Foundation for Aging have discovered the following benefits:
- Babies to preschool children demonstrate higher levels of interaction and cooperative play, increased tolerance of others, empathy, less judgmental, greater social acceptance, and improved vocabulary and language ability.
- Elementary school children exhibit enhanced learning, improved reading comprehension, and improved writing skills, along with increased patience, sensitivity, respect, compassion, and empathy.
- Middle school students show improvement in academic performance, peer relationships, and healthy dietary habits. Students expressed clearer educational aspirations, occupational interests, and goals, and decreased depressive symptoms and a reduction in substance abuse.
- High school students experience an improved sense of self, identity, and purpose in life. Students are more likely to feel empowered to make positive changes in their schools and neighborhoods.
- Young adults reported improved civic engagement, entrepreneurial capabilities, and occupational skills.
We can promote an intergenerational culture through intentional housing development and designing shared common spaces. Examples are adjoining senior housing complexes to a shopping mall, building senior housing on college campuses, providing childcare and adult day services in the same facility, locating senior activity and dining centers in school buildings, and providing after-school programs at senior centers. Communities can design regulations and funding streams to accommodate intergenerational programming.
Benefits to older adults include a reduction in isolation, ageism, and age discrimination. A strong sense of belonging, understanding, and compassion is protective of mental and physical health and increases a community’s ability to cope in times of adversity. Together we can become tutors, mentors, allies, and friends. Each one of us is an important piece in the puzzle to make our community whole.
