Introduction to the Guidebook

At an unprecedented level, new initiatives are emerging throughout the country which aim to bring young people and older adults together in various settings - to interact, engage, educate, support, and provide care for one another. Our focus here is on intergenerational programs in early childhood education settings.

Just as there is no one way for a senior adult and a child to share a moment, there is no one way to establish an intergenerational program. In this guidebook, we share our experiences and those of some colleagues doing similar work. Our aim is to provide helpful suggestions for early childhood professionals interested in involving senior adults - whether they are volunteers, receive a small stipend, or are paid staff - in early childhood care and education programs.

To help bring key intergenerational practices to life, we draw on pictures of programs in action and, as much as possible, sprinkle in the words of the participants themselves - senior adults, children, teachers, administrators, and parents with first hand experience of intergenerational programs.

The guidebook is available in hard copy or as a downloadable 429k PDF file. To read the guidebook you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. You can download Acrobat Reader for free.