Service-learning opportunities are prominent on many college campuses. The process of designing and implementing service-learning experiences, especially for students of gerontology, however, has rarely been addressed. The current article briefly reviews the background and utility of service-learning in gerontology courses, describes our…

The impact of intergenerational mentoring between retirees and first-year college has largely been ignored in gerontological research. This research note explores the methodology of designing a mentoring program that targets "foster grandparents" and first-year college students using life satisfaction scales.

Describes the goals, development, operation, and outcomes of an intergenerational programmatic relationship between a private college and a congregate facility for older adults. Faculty and students report that partnership activities provide excellent opportunities for increasing the understanding of aging and older adults. Residents report…

Evaluation of an intergenerational shared-site program included observations and videos of 20 children and 27 elders. Interpersonal communication and empathy were cultivated over time. The best activities promoted interaction and relationship building. Environmental factors and teaching style affected outcomes. Making and interpreting videos…

In community schools, youth, families, and community residents work as equal partners with schools and other organizations to develop programs and services in five areas: quality education, youth development, family support, family and community engagement, and community development. Community schools foster strong partnerships and share…

In our rapidly aging society, the support of older adults is critical for public education. Older taxpayers are not as racially diverse as the school children affected by their votes. Although a few districts have recognized senior citizens as rich, untapped resources and implemented systematic intergenerational programs, most efforts are…

Discusses a comprehensive qualitative multigenerational study carried out in East Germany. Shows that social orientations and attitudes remained practically unchanged between the generation of grandparents and grandchildren. Argues that educational processes throughout a life-span can only be understood if mental deep structures and…

Lessons worth noting from existing community-service programs include the importance of reciprocity and benefit to the volunteer; accountability to the community; youth leadership; a multigenerational approach; crossing the color line; and open mindedness. The service movement provides real possibilities for mutual advantage. (SLD)

Discusses a specific type of mentoring: matching retired, older persons with young people enduring a crisis period in their lives. Programs such as the Teaching Learning Communities (T-LC) Mentoring Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, assign elders as mentors and tutors to junior high school students in danger of dropping out. Strong elder-youth bonds…

Service-learning is a pedagogical innovation in higher education that offers experiential learning to students while providing benefits to communities. Recognizing the importance of this innovation, the Corporation for National and Community Service has promoted the development of intergenerational service-learning components in gerontology…

Describes a successful intergenerational program resulting from the collaboration of agencies in Pennsylvania which work with senior citizens and young children. Agencies provided training and support for the cooperatively developed project. (HOD)

This book is a detailed account of the effects of parental involvement in a literacy project on Latino children's academic performance, addressing methods of parent participation, home literacy uses by children, and the nature of school experiences. The first two chapters provide family literacy and Intergenerational Literacy Project background…

An evaluation determined the impact on participants of pilot intergenerational programs in the Central Greene, Quaker Valley, and Titusville school districts in western Pennsylvania. It examined how participation in project activities changed students' attitudes about older adults and aging. A four-part questionnaire consisted of the following:…

Implemented in September 1989, the Parents and Children Together project was intended to engage approximately 30 adult basic education (ABE) students in schooling to improve their skills as learners and, at the same time, involve them in the learning activities of their preschool children. A process and product evaluation was carried out on the…

Although Generations X and Y do not promote specific social-change goals, today's young people share a concern for building, maintaining, and serving community. Simply assigning students tasks in teacher-designed service-learning projects denies them opportunities for decision making, action planning, and leadership development. (MLH)