Volume 18 | Issue 11 | March 15, 2023

Generations This Week

News for Advocates of Children, Youth, and Older Adults from Generations United

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Generations United in the News


Ana Beltran, Director of the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center at Generations United, was interviewed and provided information to help inform a report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The report is titled "Child Welfare: HHS Is Taking Steps to Help States Support Relative Caregivers with Evidence-Based Programs." Read the report here.


Global Conference Updates - Today is the last day to save $100!


Take advantage of the lowest possible rate by registering today (March 15) for Generations United's Global Intergenerational Conference July 26-28, 2023 in Washington, DC! Register today!


A limited number of discounted rooms remain at the conference hotel, the Hilton Washington DC National Mall The Wharf (480 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20024, USA). The rate for conference attendees is $246 per night (plus applicable taxes). Please book your hotel room early using this booking link or call the hotel at (+1 202-484-1000).

Thank you to The Eisner Foundation, our premier sponsor of the 22nd Global Intergenerational Conference.

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Farewell Danica


Thank you to our Special Projects Coordinator Danica Derriennic - whose last day with Generations United is this Thursday - for her support, service, and dedication. We are sad to see her go and will miss her joyful presence. Please join us in wishing Danica all the best in her future endeavors!

Listen to a Life Story Contest


Young people 8 to 18 years old can win big by interviewing a grandparent or grandfriend to write a 300-word real-life story. Enter the Legacy Project's 23rd annual Listen to a Life Story Contest. Create meaningful connections, change lives by learning from the past for a better future, and strengthen community. Deadline is April 14. Learn more.

We're Hiring


Generations United is hiring a Project Assistant. If you're looking to join a supportive and inclusive work environment doing important intergenerational work, apply today!


Learn more and apply.

Next Shared Site Learning Network Meeting - Expanding Our Vision: New Shared Site Models


Join us for the next Shared Site Learning Network Meeting on Tuesday, April 4 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern Time to learn about two exciting models that intentionally bring young people and older adults together in shared spaces. Presenters from Sunnyside Community Services, a community center in Queens, NY and Vincentian Collaborative System, a multi-generational living community in Pittsburgh, PA will share their visions, successes, challenges, and lessons learned as they continue to develop their shared sites. Register Today  


Also, please sign up to receive our new quarterly intergenerational shared site alert - coming soon!

Meet Generations United's Board Members


We continue to introduce you to the phenomenal members of our Board. We are grateful for their commitment and service. Up next are…

Sheri Brady

Vice President, Strategy and Program

CHILDREN'S DEFENSE FUND

Cody Burch

Division President, Leadership Solutions

AMN HEALTHCARE

Learn more about our Board Officers and Board Members here.

Program Spotlight - Pear Pals

Pear Pals is the community benefit program of Pear Suite, a startup focused on improving the social care needs of older adults. The goal of Pear Pals, a Generations United Program of Distinction, is to enable healthcare students studying fields such as nursing, social work, and public health to engage in light care navigation for older adults, an invaluable experience for emerging young healthcare professionals. Using the Pear Suite software, students are empowered to virtually connect with older adults and engage in meaningful conversations about their background, interests, strengths, and challenges. Through interactive surveys, students are guided through conversation prompts and questions. Data from these surveys is processed in the platform and presented as potential wellness solutions, resources, and recommendations. Students and older adults discuss and agree upon goals and the students act as virtual care navigators. To increase engagement, students also commit to their own wellness goals, facilitating a collaborative relationship. Students and older adults provide each other with ongoing support, thereby increasing positive health outcomes and establishing purposeful intergenerational relationships. A virtual program, Pear Pals has partnered with 6 universities and 7 senior-serving organizations to reach over 800 participants. Learn more about Pear Suite here.

Photo courtesy of Pear Pals

Each week, Generations United is spotlighting a recipient of our Intergenerational Program Certification. The certification is an annual recognition of outstanding programs bringing older and younger participants together and is based on rigorous standards of program effectiveness and sustainability. Learn more about the Intergenerational Program Certification here.

New Resource: Tips to Include Kinship/Grandfamilies in Programmatic Decision-Making

Increasingly, government and nonprofit leaders are recognizing the value of engaging individuals with lived experience when creating and enhancing programs and services. This resource offers tips for engaging with caregivers, youth, and parents with lived experience in kinship/grandfamilies so that they can meaningfully contribute to programs and services intended for them. Access the resource.

Accepting Technical Assistance Requests

As always, the Network is accepting individual technical assistance (TA) requests from professionals who work in systems or organizations that serve kinship/grandfamilies. Fill out the TA request form to receive support from our team. Learn more and sign up to access our resources!

The Network is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $9,950,000 with 95 percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $523,684 and 5 percentage funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

Culture United - InterGeneration Film Screening


InterGeneration follows a group of Boston teens in an after-school program as they forge relationships with Boston elders during the early stages of the pandemic. A glimpse into an educational process beautifully visualized through the teens' hand-made, stop-motion animation, the film shows the power of cross-generational storytelling to build community in a time of crisis. The film will be screened with Facing History and Ourselves March 28. Learn more.


Culture United highlights films, books, and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions? Share them with us, and we'll share them in the weeks and months to come. We welcome responses or reactions. See disclaimer.

Thank You to Our Members and Supporters

Thank you to our members and supporters! Consider making a donation today to help unleash the potential of a society that values all generations. If you're an organization, join us!

Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities

Riley's Way Foundation's Call for Kindness empowers young leaders throughout the U.S. to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change. In 2023, Riley's Way will award up to $3,000 to as many as 36 youth-led projects rooted in the values of kindness, empathy, youth leadership, and inclusive community that tackle anything from equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections in a school or community. At least ten of the selected projects will be specifically focused on environmental justice. Winners will also participate in a leadership development fellowship. Youth ages 13 to 22 that are living in the United States are eligible to apply. The deadline for submitting applications is April 2, 2023. Learn more.


Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is funding research on supportive family policies and programs that have strong potential to impact equitable access to nutritious food in communities, nutrition security, diet quality, and improved nutrition and health outcomes. Apply by April 5, 2023. Learn more.


J.M. Kaplan Fund: J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify, support, and elevate innovators who are spearheading transformative, early-stage projects in the fields of the environment, heritage conservation, and social justice. In 2023, up to ten Prizes will be awarded, each including unrestricted funding of $150,000 over three years, plus $25,000 in technical assistance funds, for a total award of $175,000. Awardees also receive guidance through the Fund and its resource network, accessing tools and a community of support to help turn their innovative ideas into life-changing social impacts. The first-round application deadline is April 28, 2023. Learn more.


NEW: The Brookdale Foundation Group Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the creation or expansion of supportive services to grandparents and other relatives raising children. A seed grant of $30,000 ($20,000 in year one and $10,000 tier two, contingent upon progress made during year one and potential for continuity in the future) is available to non-profit organizations across the United States. On-going technical assistance will be provided. Proposals are due on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Learn more.


If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to [email protected].

Think Intergenerational - Great Resources

Journal of Intergenerational Relationships Call for Papers for Memorial Issue Honoring Founding Editor Dr. Sally Newman’s Contributions to the Intergenerational Field: Dr. Sally Newman was a guiding force for founding the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships in 2003, serving as its first editor until June 2014. Despite her death in 2022, Dr. Newman’s legacy lives on. In honor of Dr. Newman’s leadership in intergenerational program research, the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships invites scholarly contributions for a special issue focused on contemporary intergenerational research that builds on her foundational work, which can be seen today in different programmatic settings and countries. This special memorial issue will be published in 2024. Submissions must be received by May 31, 2023. Read the full special issue announcement here. Contact Shannon Jarrott with questions.


"Intergenerational Community Planning" Report: Generations United Senior Fellow Irv Katz and Generations United friend and Penn State professor Matt Kaplan, PhD, collaborated on a "guide" to intergenerational community planning published by the American Planning Association (APA). The intergenerational planning guide follows related APA reports on multigenerational planning and planning for all ages. The document suggests that the well-being of children, youth, and older adults--and how they relate with one another--should be integrated into regular city planning processes, such as the comprehensive planning that most cities and towns undertake. "Intergenerational Community Planning" is available for free to members of the American Planning Association and $25 for non-members.

Generations United Resources

2022 State of Grandfamilies Report, Together at the Table: Supporting the Nutrition, Health, and Well-Being of Grandfamilies, includes the latest findings on grandfamilies facing high rates of hunger and food insecurity, as well as policy recommendations to help feed grandfamilies. Read the report to explore the data and learn why we need to change current policies to ensure access to adequate nutritious food for grandfamilies.


Grandfamily Caregiver Tip Sheets on Self-Care and Youth Mental Health are now available in Spanish. These tip sheets were developed with support from our partner, Humana. Learn more.


Updated Intergenerational Evaluation Toolkit, which was created in 2019 by Dr. Shannon Jarrott with support from The Eisner Foundation, includes over 20 reliable and valid outcome measures that have been used in the evaluation of intergenerational programs. Learn more.


Racial Equity Toolkits are designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, so they can better serve all grandfamilies. Generations United has produced a toolkit for American Indian and Alaska Native grandfamilies, African-American grandfamilies, and Latino grandfamilies. Learn more.


Racial Equity Tipsheets Now Available. With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Generations United is pleased to share a new series of tip sheets to accompany our racial equity toolkits. These tools are designed to help professionals serving grandfamilies to provide culturally appropriate services. Learn more.


Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing and Enhancing Intergenerational Shared Sites is designed for individuals and organizations interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. Divided into 10 sections, the toolkit details every step of the development and operation process, from initial planning to sustaining long-term shared site programs. Learn more.


Making the Case for Intergenerational Programs provides rationale and facts to help make the case for intergenerational programs. It is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on intergenerational programs and highlights evidence-based findings on how intergenerational programs benefit everyone. There is also an accompanying fact sheet available in English and Spanish. Learn more.


Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages is an infographic that illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids - they protect all generations, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia, and whooping cough is important to protect both older adults and children. Learn more.

"Families may come together from need, but they stay together by choice."


Donna Butts, Generations United Executive Director

We want Generations This Week to be a resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, research, reports, and webinars. You can connect with other intergenerational enthusiasts through our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!

Treat Yourself GRAND!

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