The Human Services Academy

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature intergenerational program ideas that were tried and successful. This series is a tool to highlight various age-optimized programs and practices. The program descriptions are provided by representatives of the programs. Inclusion in this series does not imply Generations United’s endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs.

This week’s cool idea is the Human Services Academy, the first intergenerational career-based program in Wisconsin, annually enrolling over one-hundred students.

(Check our archives for parts 1-60.)

Human Services Academy is unique in its opportunities for student involvement in the daily activities of community non-profit agencies.

The mission of the Academy is to create a lasting bond between generations while providing an education to youth in a quality intergenerational learning environment.

This hands-on classroom is located in a building shared with Child Care Centers of Marshfield-Tiny Tiger and Companion Day Services.

In the Marshfield Human Services Academy, education is a shared responsibility among students, teachers, parents, and the community.

Alliances have been created with individuals and agencies in our community using the talents, resources and expertise of many to create rigorous and relevant learning experiences for students.

Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas? You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group. We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.

Grandparent/GrandChild Camp

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature intergenerational program ideas that were tried and successful. This series is a tool to highlight various age-optimized programs and practices. The program descriptions are provided by representatives of the programs. Inclusion in this series does not imply Generations United’s endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs.

This week’s cool idea is Grandparent/Grandchild Camp at Camp Phillip in Wisconsin, a half week day camp for grades K and up.

(Check our archives for parts 1-53.)

Adults and children camp in the campground with their equipment.

Grandparents and grandchildren join the staff who provide programs that encourage fellowship and interaction.

Two lunches are included for the children and grandparents.

There are optional activities for adults during the day.

Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas? You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group. We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.

Students Inter-generational Art to Protect Nature

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature intergenerational program ideas that were tried and successful. This series is a tool to highlight various age-optimized programs and practices. The program descriptions are provided by representatives of the programs. Inclusion in this series does not imply Generations United’s endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs.

This week’s cool idea is the “Students Inter-generational Art to Protect Nature,” the result of more than 60 pieces of art from Sauk Trail fourth-grade students and older adults in Middleton, Wisconsin, who are concerned about the importance of preserving local nature.

(Check our archives for parts 1-41.)

The program began by observing and discussing nature, wildlife, and habitats seen at Pheasant Branch Conservancy.

The students then spent an afternoon interviewing senior citizens at Middleton Glen Retirement Community, Heritage Senior Living, and Middleton Senior Center to hear what the environment was like when the seniors were fourth-graders.

Back in the classroom, students discussed what they learned, along with what has changed in nature, the environment, and in life.

They agreed there is a strong need to protect natural resources for future generations.

Students in each of the three fourth-grade classrooms created a booklet, drawing a scene from nature for each letter of the alphabet and writing about it.

Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas? You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group. We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.

RSVP BABES (Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature intergenerational program ideas that were tried and successful. This series is a tool to highlight various age-optimized programs and practices. The program descriptions are provided by representatives of the programs. Inclusion in this series does not imply Generations United’s endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs.

This week’s cool idea is RSVP BABES, a Beloit, WI-based program that uses colorful puppets to encourage children to live happy, healthy lives free from abuse.

(Check our archives for parts 1-37.)

Trained RSVP volunteers using BABES (Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies) puppets and a script present accurate, nonjudgmental and age-appropriate information to all second grade classes in Portage County. 

The program is designed to help children by promoting self-esteem, defining peer pressure and practicing good decision-making skills.

The program also helps the children understand and develop skills necessary to cope with unhappy situations and stresses the importance of asking for help.

Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas? You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group. We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.

Congrats to our 2015 Best Intergenerational Communities!

(Click here to view enlarged image.) Author and journalist
Juan Williams offers welcoming remarks. 

Yesterday, we presented three communities with the 2015 MetLife Foundation/Generations United Best Intergenerational Communities Award.

These communities – including Carlisle, MA; Greater Richmond Region, VA; and Greater Plymouth Area, WI – promote policies, programs, practices and services that increase cooperation, interaction and exchange between people of different generations.

“They are among the most vibrant, livable communities you will find anywhere in the nation,” Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, told a packed room at the Hall of States.

Today, 8.4 million Americans live in such communities. This year’s honorees, combined, have a total of 1.2 million residents, which contributes to the total number of people living in age-friendly communities.

Butts praised the honorees' persistence in becoming age-optimized.

“As the communities we are recognizing today know,” she said, “it takes time, investments, commitment and leadership to bring younger and older people together in a true partnership that engages and respects the strengths of each generation.”

(Click here to view enlarged image.) Thelma Collins, mayor of Itta Bena, MS
(a 2013 winner) sharing how the award impacted her community.

That time, investment and commitment paid off for our past winners like Itta Bena, MS (2013 winner).

“The award helped our community see we are moving in the right direction towards a healthier community for all ages,” said Thelma Collins, mayor of Itta Bena, MS. As a result of the award, she added, “We were recognized by the Obama administration and received one of 26 technical assistance grants to help us get a grocery store.”

Dennis White, CEO and president of MetLife Foundation, shared highlights from Maricopa County, AZ, and San Diego County, CA.

For Maricopa County, the award validated their work and helped raised morale among its residents.

San Diego County reported that the award got them the attention of their County Board of Supervisors who decided to start embracing intergenerational programming by voting to add four new intergenerational coordinators through their county.

MetLife Foundation's CEO and President Dennis White

“We know the award has impacted the communities we’ve honored,” White said. 

“We applaud today’s recipients of the Intergenerational Best Communities Award for unleashing the power of intergenerational connections that encourage people of all ages to thrive and work together to make their communities better places to grow up and grow old.”

The awards presentation took place on Capitol Hill and featured author and journalist Juan Williams and our Board member Jatrice Martel Gaither, executive vice president of External Affairs for Volunteers of America.

During her remarks, 11-year-old Margot, of Carlisle, shared a touching story about helping older adults in her community.

Drew Schweiger, 18, and his older adult buddy, Larry Bray, of Greater Plymouth Area, talked about the benefits of living in an age-friendly community.

Doris Hairston, of Greater Richmond Region, shares a story about helping
a challenged youth overcome various obstacles through problem-solving.

As a mentor in the Greater Richmond Region’s Foster Grandparent Program, Doris Hairston sees first-hand the benefits of generations mixing it up.

She recounted a story about helping a challenged youth overcame various obstacles through problem-solving.

Hairston is fulfilled knowing she helps children like Charles. 

“Together,” she said, “the other volunteers and the children we work with are making positive differences in each other’s’ lives.”

Congratulations, again, to our winners. You can see other highlights here.

If you’re interested in more info about intergenerational communities, click here and share our resources with your networks.

Greater Plymouth Area, Wisconsin: Collaborating for a Common Purpose - 2015 Best Intergenerational Communities

Collaboration is the lifeblood of Greater Plymouth Area, Wisconsin. Every success story there is about a community pulling together to help all ages.

In 1985, they developed their first intergenerational program after Here We Grow Child Care Center mixed their activities with the Plymouth Senior Center, South Horizons Apartments and Valley Manor Nursing Home.

Today, the intergenerational activities are at Generations, a 28,000-square-foot facility on a seven-acre campus.

Middle school students, bused there after classes, play board games, Wii, pool and ping pong with the older adults.

Longtime resident, Doreen Salkowski, remembered teaching three teens how to play Canasta, a card game from Uruguay.

“Boy, they struggled, but they felt accomplished when they were finished!” Salkowski explained. “They still tell me how they enjoyed learning to play.”

The Plymouth Intergenerational Coalition’s Programming Committee, which meets monthly, suggests programs, monitors levels of intergenerational activities and shares information to build community awareness.

Donald Krauss – a longtime resident moved by the community's work for all ages – left the Plymouth Intergenerational Coalition, the library and the Plymouth Senior Center nearly $600,000 in his will. 

“He really believed in Greater Plymouth Area’s intergenerational concept,” explained Marsha Vollbrecht, Generations founder. 

Donna Counselman, a retired educator, saw first-hand an intergenerational activity transform an older adult, who once held negative stereotypes of teens.

“Sometimes the news makes me think that all teenagers are bad people,” the woman told Counselman. After watching 13-year-olds in the Head Start Pals group read to 3-year-olds, she said: “I certainly can see this is not the case in our community!”

Another activity all ages enjoy is the New Year’s Eve “Cheese Drop”.

“There is free coffee and hot chocolate for revelers who brave the cold and come downtown,” Vollbrecht recalled. 

Greater Plymouth Area knew they qualified for the 2015 Best Intergenerational Community Awards. 

“We are not shy about sharing successes,” noted Joann Van Horn Wieland, executive director of Generations.

A huge success is Generations, a $4.2 million project funded by a public/private campaign that brought all ages together through through bake sales, collecting aluminum cans, and a community party with raffles and a silent auction. 

Funds were raised from large companies and donors, along with a few dollars donated by every day citizens.

Additionally, $1.1 million came from a stimulus grant and $15,000 came from the State of Wisconsin Department of Commerce, which was established to help with a community needs assessment.

The local restaurants got involved, hosting “Guest Bartender” nights, where residents worked the bars. In exchange, the restaurants offered matching funds. 

When Generations paid off its mortgage two years after it opened, all ages celebrated with a mortgage-burning party.

“We are very proud of what we have worked on for so many years,” explained Wieland, who also noted the Endowment Fund the community established for its intergenerational programs.

Greater Plymouth Area is still in high spirits since the news of being a 2015 Best Intergenerational Communities Award winner.

“I was so thrilled,” Wieland recalled, “that I was hugging people, sharing the news with seniors in our exercise classes.”

When she shared the news at the Board meeting, Vollbrecht, Generations founder, jumped out of her seat and cheered.

Greater Plymouth Area hopes the award will bring more financial resources from existing and new partners.

The Lutheran Home

EDITOR’S NOTE: Each week, we feature intergenerational program ideas that were tried and successful. This series is a tool to highlight various age-optimized programs and practices. The program descriptions are provided by representatives of the programs. Inclusion in this series does not imply Generations United’s endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs.

In the latest of series, we feature The Lutheran Home, located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

(Check our archives for parts 1-28.)

The Lutheran Home is over 100 years old. They house skilled care nursing units, memory care assisted units, a rehabilitation unit with therapy services located down the hall, an adult day service department and a children's center in our building.

The children's center opened in 1991, and began intergenerational activities right from the start. The children's center is NAEYC accredited.

Today, all the children, infants through 4K, have planned intergenerational activities at least two or three times each week.

They spend time for the intergenerational activities with the adult day participants, the residents from memory care and from the skilled nursing units.

The recreation therapy staff, memory care and adult day services program coordinators and children's center teachers meet and plan the intergenerational activities together.

There are also special events throughout the year that are available to all.

Annually, they host a spring art fair, featuring children's, adults and intergenerational art, with a gallery open to all residents, participants, children and their families.

In fall, they host an outdoors carnival for all children, participants, residents and their families, with games and food for all ages.

Got something cool you tried that was successful? Why not tweet your cool intergenerational ideas to #cooligideas? You can also post them to our Intergenerational Connections Facebook Group or just text us through the Facebook Messenger app (friend me to join our Cool Intergenerational Ideas group discussion). We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Share the inspiration.

Grandparents Day Blog: Jack and Marion Hlava

Adam Hlava's grandparents

Jack and Marion Hlava were married on June 18th 1949 in the central Wisconsin town of Mosinee. They had five children, and among them was my father. After leaving Mosinee, Grandma and Grandpa Hlava spent the rest of their lives in the small paper town of Green Bay, and their house sat on Ridge Road just a few short blocks away from the famed Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers.

When I was very young I remember the car rides to their house marked by the left turn just in front of the colossal football shrine. Often I was forced against my will to wear an itchy sweater in my best effort to be as photogenic as possible for the family photo. But I toughed through it, because going to grandma and grandpa’s house meant great food, hanging out with the family, but most importantly there was usually a Packer game involved.

Speaking of the Green Bay Packers, for anyone from the great state of Wisconsin (Green Bay in particular) watching the games were as commonplace as breathing. Being a fan is simply a part of everyday life there, and there were no bigger Packer fans that I knew of than my grandparents. If anything I remember of them, it was the look of sheer jubilation at every great win, and the heart retching agony of every loss. But we shared in it together as a family and it was a special bond that I’ll never forget. In 1996 the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl for the first time in my life, and I was there at Grandma and Grandpa’s house cheering them on with my family.

This year when I celebrate Grandparents Day, I’ll be thinking about those car rides past Lambeau Field to my grandparents’ house. I’ll remember those awful striped sweaters I used to wear during the holidays at their house, and the hearty meals we ate when the temperatures dipped below zero. I’ll remember the jubilation of every Packer victory and the agony of every loss when we all watched the games together. I’m proud to say that the time spent with my grandparents made me who I am today; I cherish the time with my family, am a lifelong Packer fan which I will be passed down to the next generation, and I still hate itchy sweaters.

Written By: Adam Hlava

A Look Back at Past Best Intergenerational Communities Award Winners

Communities across America are developing innovative practices, programs and policies to solve challenges that benefit people of all ages.

Next month, we’ll honor the 2014 Best Intergenerational Community award winners: The Greater Phoenix Region, Arizona; City of Parkland, Florida; Reston, Virginia and Village of Shorewood, Wisconsin.

These age-optimized communities bring together people of all generations to improve neighborhoods, towns, cities, and counties.    

Intergenerational communities thrive because they build strong, supportive communities with fresh solutions to challenges that help people of all ages. They advance policies and practices that both acknowledge and promote intergenerational interdependence.

  

That’s why, starting today and through the weeks leading up to our March 25 event, we’re highlighting our past winners’ stories in three-part series that shows why age-intentional strategies are important.

First up, are our inaugural winners in 2012: Georgetown, Texas; Lamoni, Iowa and Oberlin, Ohio.

In Georgetown, TX, home to approximately 47,000 residents, no one entity plans or oversees the city’s array of intergenerational activities or initiatives. Instead, the city government, schools, businesses, and religious and nonprofit organizations all work collaboratively to identify opportunities and strengthen existing efforts.

The city government helps sustain intergenerational efforts in a number of ways. Using an Asset Based Community Development approach, it works to build the often underused “community assets” (talents) of seniors and youth.

The city is also a major contributor to the Georgetown Project, which funds social service and youth development organizations that help sustain intergenerational connections. Other city projects include helping to revitalize the historic town square so it now serves as an intergenerational gathering place; overseeing a new public library that includes space to foster intergenerational interactions; and building a new recreation center that includes a teen/senior center.

Things are just as busy in Lamoni, Iowa, where problem solving brings the generations together.

With a population of just under 2,500 residents, Lamoni has numerous strong intergenerational practices benefiting all ages. Graceland University students volunteer with school children, senior adults and local community organizations. High school students teach computer skills to adults. 

The weekly Lunch Buddies mentoring program brings mentors ranging from Graceland students to city employees, to Optimist Club members, to retired citizens to the local elementary school.

Additional intergenerational programs include a Service Learning Club that provides a wide array of services for older adults and Across Ages mentoring that pairs middle school youth with adults aged 55 and over.

That spirit of collaboration and community service are a big part of life in Oberlin, a city that’s built strong alliances with community organizations that ensure that Oberlin is an intergenerational community. 

The local government, Oberlin College, Oberlin City Schools, Kendal at Oberlin (a retirement community), Oberlin Community Services, Oberlin Heritage Center, Mercy Allen Hospital, and many other local organizations work closely together to develop programs that support and encourage interaction among different generations. 

Students from Oberlin College’s Bonner Center for Service and Learning work with the many community organizations to address concerns and challenges, using many intergenerational techniques to achieve the goals.  Read the full community profiles here.

Stay tuned for next week, when we introduce San Diego County, California; Virginia Planning District 10 (2012 winners) and Dunedin, Florida (a 2013 winner).