Intergenerational volunteerism is a global phenomenon that aids multiple generations. Considering the positive evidence of volunteering among older adults and their desire for engagement with children, it is important to explore older adult volunteers' experiences in intergenerational programs with a specific focus on the cultural and social…

Focusing on the role of information in the planning and managing of intergenerational programs, this paper argues that two types of information--formal/objective and personal/subjective--must be addressed in relation to the problems of aging members of our society. These two types of information are characterized via illustrative stories: the…

Family and intergenerational literacy programs are intended to improve the literacy of educationally disadvantaged parents and children, based on the assumption that improving the literacy skills of parents results in better educational experiences for their children. A typology for classifying family literacy programs has two dimensions: type of…

To address some of the social, health, economic and cultural issues of growing older in America, Greenfield Community College (GCC) in Massachusetts sponsored a Celebration of Growing Older program. The 2-month long series of events was designed to educate the public, both young and old, about the myths of aging and to challenge some assumptions…

The narrative records events leading to, during, and following an English language literacy event for older First Nations, Metis, and other Canadian older women, which took place in Saskatchewan in January 1996 under the supervision of Intergenerational Grandmothers Uniting, formally known as the Cross Cultural Intergenerational Pilot Project, an…

Family literacy has developed over the past decade into an increasingly significant--and often contested--area of research, practice, and policymaking in the fields of literacy and family studies as well as in the broader arenas of education and schooling. The purpose of this chapter is to give the reader a better understanding of the general…

This handbook is a description of a Title VII Family Literacy Project implemented through El Paso Community College Literacy Programs in the El Paso, Texas area. The perspective is that literacy education in culturally and linguistically diverse areas must be an evolving, developmental process. The intergenerational Family Initiative for English…

A range of case studies is presented that describes the idea that literacy is embedded in social contexts in different cultural settings. Organized by theme, the book illustrates both the differences and connections between cultural groups. Although the case studies span the whole age range, the book focuses particularly on the variety of use of…

This document contains information about and from a study of the experiences of 41 adults enrolled in adult basic education/English for speakers of other languages (ABE/ESOL) programs that was conducted to determine what their learning meant to them and to identify strategies for developing a new pluralism in ABE/ESOL classrooms and teaching to…

The 51 papers included in this symposium proceedings address gender equity issues in higher education, as well as some of the current research and programming designed to advance the education of girls and women in K-12 and higher education. Papers focus on six topics: (1) higher education curricula and classroom strategies that promote equity;…