Humans have an instinct not only to tell stories but also to listen to them. When the message is passed from storyteller to audience, lessons are frequently transmitted. The stories serve as vessels for cultural transmission. Yet there is a gap in the research evaluating how their effectiveness in teaching informally might be leveraged in a…

How to design environmental education (EE) programs in ways that encourage children to influence the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adults has intrigued researchers for more than a decade. The authors review and synthesize results from 7 studies that sought to answer this question. The studies reviewed were conducted between…

A study of older adult volunteers mentoring primary and secondary students used a framework for intergenerational exchange based on life span development, citizenship, social exclusion, and synergy. Older mentors achieved significant psychological and social gains, and both age groups enjoyed working together for their mutual benefit. (SK)

Maintains that those who design intergenerational programs in school and nonschool settings should (1) protect the prestige of elders and children; (2) limit frustrations by arranging for intimate contacts; (3) plan for functional interaction that has integrity; and (4) ensure that contact is rewarding for elders and children. (BB)

This collection of 10 "Write Partner" newsletters presents articles and other materials that help seniors ("Senior Partners") to use their experience and good will to write to children ("Junior Partners") and to assure the children of their intrinsic value and encourage them to learn and succeed. Each issue in the…

Volunteers can make significant contributions in service to children and youth both by working on behalf of education and by augmenting the learning that schools provide. The merger of the National School Volunteer Program and the National Symposium on Partnerships in Education to form the National Association of Partners in Education is seen as…

This paper examines the definition and practice of intergenerational learning programs, and attempts to determine the characteristics of successful and meaningful programs of this type. The first section defines intergenerational learning and states its purpose: to bring young and old together for the purpose of learning from one another, under…