The Grandpals program at Oak Hill Elementary School in Overland Park, Kansas, meets teachers' needs while providing successful intergenerational programming. The first step in developing a program like Grandpals is to determine program goals, objectives, and theme. A next step is to determine the two populations to be involved. For example, whole schools can adopt entire groups of older adults, or single classrooms can adopt voluntary residents in a long-term care facility. In any case, the population of elders should be able to communicate easily and interact cooperatively with children. The facility chosen must meet criteria related to staff commitment, proximity to the school, and similar socioeconomic status of residents and students. Partner alliances between the facility and school must be collaborative, and a program leader should be designated to act as facilitator and host. Key planning issues include outside funding sources, school and facility liability, parents' awareness and permission, and location of activities. Planners also need to determine how to match the intergenerational partners; and need to make decisions about the type and frequency of activities, taking into account the developmental needs and abilities of the two populations involved. Other aspects of program development are program duration, student and elder orientation and evaluation, advance design of activities, involvement of well elderly to give a balanced view of aging, and the incorporation of aging education into the curriculum. (AC)