Penn State’s “Intergenerational Leadership Institute” Gains Steam

The success of each ILI chapter depends on the active participation of several strategic partners. For the ILI - State College, PA chapter, which recently held a "graduation" event for nine ILI participants, program partners include the Penn State Intergenerational Program (rooted in Penn State Extension), the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging, RSVP - Centre County, OLLI - Penn State (University Park), and the PSU College of Agricultural Sciences Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The second ILI chapter, located in Montgomery County, MD, is run by the Heyman Interages Center, based at the Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington. Key partners include Montgomery County Public Schools and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.

Having demonstrated the viability of the ILI model for motivating and training older adults as effective intergenerational program developers, we are in the process of ramping up efforts to expand the program beyond these two sites. A two day train-the-trainer workshop (held at Penn State University on October 25-26, 2017) drew 19 colleagues around the country (and in Canada) interested in establishing local ILI chapters in their localities. [In the above photo, several ILI - State College, PA chapter "fellows" are pictured with workshop participants.] We are now working with workshop attendees to launch 4-6 new ILI chapters and lay the foundations for an ILI Chapters Network.

To find out more about the overall ILI program model, including what is involved in establishing a new ILI chapter, check out the ILI website.