For more than a decade, the number of adults who cannot read has plateaued at around 32 million (HuffPost Books, 2014). According to the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, 67% of children are not proficient readers by the end of third grade (Smith, 2015). Given the high stakes attached to acquiring multiple literacies in order to access basic…

Multiracial youth activism groups, based in working class and poor neighborhoods, seek to improve social conditions by organizing grassroots campaigns. Campaigns such as these, which require sophisticated planning, organizing, and advocacy skills, are noteworthy not just for their political impact, but also because of the insights they provide…

Residential, familial, and recreational patterns of contemporary U.S. society tend to isolate the young from the old. Sensitivity to this isolation has prompted many human service agencies to seek ways to promote opportunities for constructive and ongoing interactions involving children and older persons. This paper provides insights and…

This book profiles 74 intergenerational programs in the United States. The programs range from basic tutoring projects to a sophisticated corporate-based day care center. Project selection was based on replicatable programs involving mutually beneficial exchanges. Grouped by subjects, profiles include programs targeting both young and old. Most…

This issue of "Service Learning Network" examines a world where teachers, students, and community members break the age barrier in service to their communities. "Images of Intergenerational Service" (Paul Simon), offers images of intergenerational service from political and personal points of view. "The Gathering of…

This article describes Garden Mosaics, a program funded by the National Science Foundation. Garden Mosaics combines science learning with intergenerational mentoring, multicultural understanding, and community service. The program's mission is "connecting youth and elders to explore the mosaics of plants, people, and cultures in gardens, to learn…

A model of service learning that can serve as a vehicle for teaching, research, and community service is suggested to college faculty. Two such projects are described: a project providing parent education to young families while researching effectiveness of temperament education, and an intergenerational program to determine whether community…

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…

Describes the MAGIC ME program in which urban middle school students visit and form relationships with the elderly in nursing homes. The importance of meaningful long-term service is demonstrated through anecdotes of the interaction between students and older adults. MAGIC ME has a history of success in many communities. (SLD)

This document is designed to enlarge and expand the intergenerational community service mission and serve as a practical tool to anyone (including policymakers and program planning professionals) who wishes to learn about or start intergenerational community service programs (ICSPs). The following ICSP topics are discussed: rationale (building…