Day 2

Breakfast with Keynote Remarks

7:30 AM-8:45 AM

Presenter

• Nancy Henkin Senior Fellow Generations United

Dr. Henkin will provide a historical perspective of how intergenerational programs and practices have evolved over the past 50 years. She will highlight shifts in terminology and focus, share lessons learned, and discuss strategies for closing the gap between the practice and the promise of intergenerational work.

Workshop Block #1

9:00 AM-10:15 AM

Embedding Intergenerational Practice as a Core Program Approach in Community Centers

Presenters

• Terry Kaelber Founding Director The Institute for Empowered Aging at United Neighborhood Houses [UNH]
• Kerly Serrano Director Older Adult Center, Sunnyside Community Services, Queens NY

Community centers run by settlement houses are dedicated to serving everyone in a community. Unfortunately, program funding is often age-specific, supporting preschoolers, middle and high school students, young mothers, and older people, which in effect divides the community across age. Given the impact of this funding environment, United Neighborhood Houses piloted a multi-year effort to discover how to embed intergenerational approaches and practice throughout community centers for the mutual benefit and health and well-being of both generations. The initiative intentionally connects old and young to each other and to lives of meaning and purpose, creating multi-aged social networks in ways that are valued by - and a benefit to - both age groups and the broader community. The questions we have sought to answer include:

• What impact does this approach have on program participants - both young and old?
• If intergenerational programming is a core program component of a community center, how does this impact the mission and values of the center, how it operates and positions itself in the community, and how it recruits and on-boards staff?
• How does this change the roles and responsibilities of staff, and the skills they need to succeed?

Join this interactive workshop to hear the story of this initiative and the lessons learned. You will be introduced to the tools and resources developed and will be able to explore how this body of knowledge can help your organization develop and sustain intergenerational programming within your organization or community center.

Family Conversations around Cognitive Health: Identifying Warning Signs and Promoting Healthy Habits While Aging

Presenter

• Stacy Reed Extension Educator Penn State Extension - Lancaster County

This presentation will explore the crucial role of cognitive health in the well-being of families. We will discuss strategies to involve family members of all ages in recognizing early signs of cognitive decline and its impact on family dynamics. Presented in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association and Penn State Extension, this interactive session will facilitate a dialogue on promoting brain health and addressing potential cognitive impairment throughout the lifespan.

Participants in this session will:

• Learn about the importance of cognitive health to well-being for family members of all generations.
• Discuss methods to engage family members in recognizing early warning signs of cognitive decline.
• Explore strategies for fostering open family discussions about cognitive health and its implications.
• Collaborate with other participants to develop plans for promoting brain health and addressing cognitive impairment within family settings.

The Reimagination of Senior Care: Vincentian Intergenerational Communities

Presenters

• Erin Coran Manager for Community Life Vincentian Collaborative System
• Jill Paragi Vincentian Home
• Kenna Embree Independent Living Community Life Manager Vincentian Collaborative System

How do you create dynamic intergenerational communities, combat social isolation, depression, and ageism, and reimagine the future of senior care as part of the legacy of a century-strong community senior care organization?

Take an honest look. Seek to improve. Innovate and collaborate. Take action.

This session will describe several of Vincentians innovative intergenerational programs:

• Students-In-Residence Program: Partnerships with local universities bring college students into Vincentian's senior living spaces to live. The program now includes multiple universities and Vincentian facilities.
• Childcare On-Site in Long-Term Care:. Children and seniors connect in organic and intentional ways, prompting learning, fortifying a sense of purpose, and naturally promoting joy.
• Multigenerational Workforce and Intergenerational Collaborations: Mentorship, engagement, and welcoming students and resident seniors into the Vincentian workforce enables us to embrace a multigenerational workforce and promote intergenerational collaborations.
• Reimagining of Traditional Workplace Standards: Vincentian has challenged itself to reinvent the traditionally known Activities/Life Enrichment department as Community Life - with emphasis on Life. Community Life is less about activities and more aligned with embracing engagements, interactions, and relationships.
• Award-Winning Intergenerational Projects: Projects such as Fur-Ever Friends developed by Kenna Embree, Community Life Coordinator at Vincentian Independent Living and one of five 2023 Eisner Prize Fellowship winners, combat the social isolation often experienced by seniors and college students by using pet fostering and adoption as the catalyst for intergenerational connection.

Where do you start? We provide the reason, the method, and the inspiration to harness the power of generational diversity, ignite intergenerational engagement, and provide the roadmap leading to intentional intergenerational communities that thrive.

Workshop Block #2

10:30 AM-11:45 AM

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Shared Housing and Resource Exchange Program, Domiciliary Care and Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity

Presenter

• Margo Muchinsky Aging Services Specialist Pennsylvania Department of Aging

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging recognized shared housing as a cost-effective housing model to address an insufficient number of affordable housing options, rising property taxes, home, and other housing costs. This session will describe three of the Department's shared housing programs—SHARE, Domiciliary Care Dom Care), and Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO).

SHARE is an intergenerational, shared housing program that provides affordable housing, companionship, and an exchange of resources. Since the program launched in 2017, over 300 individuals have benefited with housing from the program.

SHARE brings together two adults--a host (homeowner/renter) who wants to share their home with a home sharer in exchange for rent, help around the house, or a combination of both. One of the individuals in the match must be age 60 or older. The matching process creates a family of choice and provides older adults the opportunity to age safely in their homes and communities.

The Domiciliary Care (Dom Care) Program provides a home-like, supervised living arrangement in the community for adults age 18+ who are unable to live independently, have few informal supports, and do not need a nursing-facility level of care. The homeowner is referred to as the Dom Care provider, of which the majority providers in Pennsylvania are age 60 and over.

Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) units are small, separate, manufactured residences for older adults, temporarily placed in the rear or side yard of the older adult's friend or family member. The cottage is free-standing and can be customized for accessibility needs. A host can be any homeowner that is considered a natural support to the older adult.

The presenter will provide an overview of the programs and discuss the benefits, successes, and share experiences and testimonials of the intergenerational matches. Participants will engage in open dialogue on how shared housing can benefit their communities.

Lasting Impact through Shared Wisdom - Lessons Learned from Twenty-two Years of Intergenerational Initiatives at Garden Spot Village

Presenter

• Scott Miller Chief Marketing Officer Garden Spot Communities

During an offsite "Open Space" retreat several members of the leadership team of Garden Spot Village, a 55+ retirement community, established a passionate Intergenerational Team with a charter to create initiatives that bring the generations together. Since the retreat, over 30 diverse initiatives have been created, bringing together adults 55+ with younger generations. The initiatives are designed to create ongoing relationships, friendships, long-lasting memories and in some cases teaching, support, and guidance for navigating life. The initiatives enrich the lives of everyone involved regardless of age.

This session highlights the principles of an "Open Space" meeting, defines key elements of an "intergenerational mindset", provides a timeline of initiatives and describes a recent initiative, entitled: The Wisdom Course, an eight-session workshop that brings together college students and older adults ages 55 and over.

Successful Intergenerational Programs at Penn State Altoona and Harrisburg

Presenters

• A. Patricia Aguilera-Hermida Assistant Teaching Professor Penn State University
• Kelly Munly Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies Penn State University
• Jennifer Geubtner-May Director of OLLI Penn State University

This session will present two successful and different intergenerational programs implemented at Penn State Altoona and Penn State Harrisburg.

At Penn State Altoona, a successful intergenerational program has been the physical activity engagement program, "A Healthier You," implemented in a residential long-term care setting, and running for nearly 8 years under the Human Development and Family Studies program. The program, which operates throughout the academic year, gives students meaning in service-learning, and provides faculty and staff an opportunity to connect their programmatic areas with the lived realities of the surrounding community.

Another successful program is a collaborative initiative between Penn State Harrisburg and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Penn State York that started in the Fall of 2023. It is an 8-week course in which older and young adults share their wisdom. In the first 5 sessions, participants have conversations about important topics from a lifespan perspective, including issues related to relationships, mental health, caregiving/long-term care, and "successful" aging. In the 2 following sessions, students present their research to older adults, and the last session is to celebrate and be grateful for what all participants have learned from their time together.

The session will draw upon these experiences and the gerontology literature to provide frameworks for understanding how to establish similar programs.

Exploring Kinship Family Dynamics: How Kinship Changes Families and How You Can Help

Presenters

• Alex Maasdam Kinship Navigator PA Kin Connector
• Deborah Willett Program Coordinator Grandfamily Connections of Chester County

Participants will learn about the unique family dynamics of kinship care and grandparenting through insights from theory and lived experience of grandfamilies. Family dynamics such as role changes, family systems/triangulation, collaborating in sharing power (coparenting), and revised parental roles will be discussed along with dynamics that the children face during their kinship journey. There may also be a hands-on family mapping activity at the end before Q&A if time allows. Ideally, through greater awareness of family dynamics, participants will feel empowered to take action to change their systems and constructively respond to improve relationships and communities for the better. They also will become more effective in supporting families by applying insights to guide families as they navigate changes in family dynamics together.

Lunch with Keynote Remarks

12:00 PM-1:15 PM

Presenter

• Steve Lindsey CEO Garden Spot Communities

Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges: The Power of Intergenerational Connections

What happened from the time that the US was the most age integrated country in the world to the least age integrated country in the world? What role has "retirement" played in separating generations? Join the conversation about starting a counter-cultural movement to break down barriers and build bridges that transcend age, enrich communities and pave the way for collective progress.

Steve Lindsey, CEO of Garden Spot Communities in New Holland, PA will share how one retirement community recognizes the crucial importance of learning from the past, and is fostering intergenerational relationships to bridge societal gaps and build a greater sense of unity and understanding. Recognized as one of the most innovative, inspirational, and trendsetting leaders in the field of aging, Steve Lindsey has spearheaded some of the most innovative, person-centered and intergenerational projects in the industry.

Workshop Block #3

1:30 PM-2:45 PM

Learning from Intergenerational Innovators: A Practical Guide to Inspire Action

Presenter

• Lynsey Farrell Co-Founder and Executive Director Grandmother Collective

Join for a dynamic 50-minute session where we'll dive into "Thrive Together: a Changemaking Guide to Intergenerational Collaboration," guiding you to analyze, discuss, and apply practical strategies. Walk away equipped with new ideas and innovative solutions, ready to apply new lessons in fostering positive relationships across generations within your aging community.

The primary goal is to empower participants to go beyond understanding and actively apply actionable strategies from the Thrive Together Guide. Through an exploration of intergenerational collaboration, we'll draw inspiration from real examples within our network of intergenerational collaborators.

Guide Overview and Explanation of Four Paths: Dive deep into the Thrive Together Guide, dissecting its key components and gaining a nuanced understanding of each strategy. Engage in collaborative discussions to pinpoint elements relevant to your work.

Innovative Solutions for Systemic Challenges: Delve into the systemic challenges hindering intergenerational collaboration and positive aging. Participate in World Cafe discussions to brainstorm innovative solutions, tapping into diverse perspectives. The session will culminate in the design and presentation of solutions.

Reflect Together: After the World Cafe discussion, discuss learnings and receive valuable feedback and insights from both facilitators and peers.

Expected Outcomes: By the session's conclusion, participants will have gained in-depth knowledge of the Thrive Together Guide and its adaptability to diverse community settings. Armed with a personalized action plan, attendees will be well-equipped to initiate intergenerational connections in their communities. The session's emphasis on addressing systemic challenges will yield innovative solutions that break down age segregation barriers.

Developing and Launching a Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Presenters

• Elke Altenburger Associate Professor of Interior Design Illinois State University
• Luke Russell Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science Illinois State University
• Chang Su-Russell Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science Illinois State University

In this interactive workshop, we will provide an overview of the development and launching of a Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments at Illinois State University. We will specifically address some of the successes, challenges, and lessons learned in developing and promoting an interdisciplinary center, with particular attention to the benefits of drawing on best practices from the NIH collaboration and team science field guide (Bennett et al., 2018). We will address strategies for identifying and engaging with both existing and novel partners and collaborators. In addition, we will review specific methodological tools we utilized to conduct a preliminary community needs assessment, catalyze intergenerational thinking, and create a collective vision grounded in community based participatory research approaches.

Critically, we will work to catalyze discussion of how our model and lessons learned might be translated to other contexts and organizations hoping to promote thought and action around the development of intergenerational environments. Participants will be invited to discuss how to build on existing momentum to grow opportunities for research, develop community partnerships, and make meaningful changes to the lived environment.

How Ageism Holds Us Back From Intergenerational Solidarity, and What We Can Do About It

Presenter

• Cassandra Masters Associate Director Age Friendly Greater Pittsburgh

Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh (AFGP) is dedicated to making Southwestern Pennsylvania a better place to grow up and grow old. AFGP brings generations together to reimagine how our neighborhoods are built and to advance equity through advocacy, education and innovation. A region that's more accessible and welcoming is better for older residents and better for everyone.

Regions across the Mid-Atlantic are experiencing a significant shift in demographics. We are growing older, rapidly. Research shows that Allegheny County, for example, is the second oldest county in the U.S. with 19.7% of residents ages 65+, compared to 16.8% nationally. AFGP views this demographic shift as a valuable asset, and an opportunity to strengthen intergenerational connections.

One barrier preventing intergenerational solidarity? Ageism, or how we think, feel and act towards ourselves and others based on age. Ageism intersects with other forms of discrimination (e.g., racism, sexism), and research shows that it is linked to several negative health outcomes. Other studies show that age stereotypes are internalized as early as three years old and remain across the lifespan. Ageism also holds us back from reaching our fullest potential within ourselves and our communities.

In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of how ageism shows up in our lives, and how to better advocate for intergenerational, age-friendly practices that counter ageism.

Participants will also hear about projects AFGP has initiated over the past several years as well as Pittsburgh's upcoming Campaign to Counter Ageism, mobilizing workplaces, universities, social service agencies and neighbors to reimagine what aging looks like for all of us.

Poster Session

2:50 PM-4:30 PM

• Building Bridges Across Generations: The Intergenerational Classroom Jessica Hsieh, Raza Mirz, Claudia Osmond
• Weaving Generations Marshay McCain
• Reframing Aging through a Intergenerational Lens Gina Maguire
• Most/Least Favorite Spaces on a University Campus: Examining Leverage Points and (Dis)similarity Across Generations Luke Russell, Chang Su-Russell, Elke Altenburger
• Community Connect - Fostering Community Interaction in Modern Apartments Shruti Sanjay Salokhe
• Intergenerational Affordable Housing Fatoumata Thiero
• Intergenerational Housing in Philadelphia Sagnar Mohsenian
• Liva - Multigenerational Housing in Baltimore, MD Garrett Walters
• Aligning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with Intergenerational Practice Katie Chriest, Ilona Ballreich

Coffee Break

4:00 PM-4:30 PM

Workshop Block #4

4:45 PM-5:45 PM

Quick, Effective Tips to Maximize the Value of Intergenerational Programming to Your Community

Presenter

• Leah Bradley Executive Director and Co-Founder Empowering the Ages

Intergenerational programming is a valuable potential asset for older adult service providers, youth service providers, and communities as a whole. If implemented well, it can enhance the lives of the youth and elders involved, appeal to potential participants and supporters, and contribute to your reputation as a well-known and positively-regarded member of the local community. In this session, experts in the intergenerational field will share specific criteria that will help you implement high-quality programming, as well as avoid some common pitfalls. Attendees will receive a one-page summary as a quick reference for future program development.

Vincentian's Journey to Building Sustainable, Research-based, Intergenerational Initiatives through a Dynamic Local University Partnership

Presenters

• Danielle Bryce Director of Personal Care Services Vincentian Collaborative System
• Rosemarie Malanoski Sr. Manager of Community Life and Campus Engagement Vincentian Schenley Gardens

Vincentian Schenley Gardens has partnered with Chatham University's Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Students to provide an environment for the students to conduct their research while fostering Vincentian's mission to enhance our growing intergenerational community.

The students explored the following three avenues of health and wellness through interactive programming with the seniors in our Personal Care Home:

• A six-week emotional health education program designed to create a successful transition from home to life in a personal care community.
• A six-week interactive dementia training course designed to provide the staff with in-depth training to increase empathy, knowledge, and comfort level for staff working in the personal care community.
• Life review and reminiscence therapy to prompt memories and focus on important aspects of their lives and identify to create meaningful, lasting memories for the family and resident to share.

All three original programs were designed to address a need amongst the residents and staff that make up the Schenley Gardens community. Data was collected through a pre- and post-test for each project and results were presented by the students. Students provided a complete guide for use by future young adults in our Students-in-Residence program and staff in replicating the program modules.

Presenters will provide an overview of these programs and engage workshop participants with interactive pre- and post-test questions from the projects as well as questions about quality of life and coping skills.

Strengthening Cultural Responsiveness in Intergenerational Programs

Presenter

• Ilonka Walker Intergenerational Coordinator Generations United

This session describes the findings and insights emerging from a report commissioned by Generations United, Strengthening Cultural Responsiveness in Intergenerational Programs: Passion, Purpose, and Planning to Drive Equitable Change. This report highlights the intentional and creative ways that organizations are combatting systemic racism by prioritizing the voices and lived experiences of diverse staff and participants in their practices.

The report encompasses insights from interviews with four intergenerational programs and reviews of over 50 programs.

This session will describe the interview and program review processes along with the themes and recommendations emerging from the project.

• Embracing cultural inclusivity is a journey. Don't be afraid to be adaptable, flexible, and allow time for the journey to unfold.
• Be intentional, specific, and targeted about uplifting diversity. All levels of the organization need to be held accountable to truly make this a "team" effort.
• Be proactive in seeking out allies and collaborators who bring a fresh and diverse perspective to your program and can serve as program ambassadors.
• Equip participants in diverse intergenerational programs with the tools to enact change in their communities.
• Diversify your DEI approach. Creativity and flexibility are instrumental in implementing organizational DEI practices and protocols.

Advancing equity is not without its challenges. These programs encountered challenges related to staff and participant resistance, lack of community buy-in, and difficulties incorporating diversity in a diverse community. Ways of overcoming these challenges also will be discussed.

Visioning Rural Pennsylvania Intergenerational Living: The Ridgway and Freeport Pilot Projects

Presenters

• John Turack Extension Education Program Specialist Penn State Extension
• Chi Catalone Extension Educator Penn State Extension
• Kenna Embree Independent Living Community Life Manager Vincentian Collaborative System

This session will delve into the objectives, methodologies, and initial results of a pilot project aimed at crafting intergenerational initiatives (programs and places) to address rural depopulation trends and challenges in two rural communities in Pennsylvania. The project planning group in each community consisted of a team of Penn State Extension educators, a Penn State faculty member, community planners, and a wide range of community-based professionals and stakeholders. Presenters will highlight processes and lessons learned when working with multigenerational groups of local residents to develop and pilot a multi-faceted platform of intergenerational initiatives with implications for stimulating in-migration and reducing out-migration of residents. The process entailed: first generating novel ideas for creating or leveraging intergenerational engagement programs and spaces; prioritizing these ideas based on local interest and resource availability; and securing community champions to co-lead planning and implementation efforts.

Dinner on the Town

6:00 PM-7:45 PM