Volume 18 | Issue 10 | March 8, 2023

Generations This Week

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

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Global Conference Updates - The early bird registration deadline is March 15th!


Registration is open for Generations United's Global Intergenerational Conference, to be held July 26-28, 2023 in Washington, DC! Special savings are available to people who register by March 15. Register today!

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

Generations United in the News


Executive Director Donna Butts and GRAND Voices Keith Lowhorne, Mercedes Bristol, and Eugene Vickerson are quoted in an article featured in AARP, titled "When Grandparents Are Called to Parent — Again." The article draws attention to the experiences and stories of grandparents raising grandchildren. Read more.


Donna also signed an article published in The Imprint, titled "We're Building a New Path to Prioritize Kin." The article highlights the new proposed rule that eases foster care licensing barriers for relatives.

Read more.

Announcing Global Intergenerational Week 2023!


Join Generations United, The Eisner Foundation, and organizations around the world to celebrate Global Intergenerational Week!


Now in its fourth year, this U.K.-based campaign led by Generations Working Together is expanding its global reach! As one of the U.S.-based leaders for this initiative, we invite you to sign up as a supporter and help inspire people, organizations, governments, and more to fully embrace intergenerational practices connecting people of all ages, especially the younger and older generations.


Ready to share your passion about everything intergenerational? Learn how you can participate.

Learn more

Human Values in Aging Newsletter


Human Values in Aging is a monthly newsletter edited by H. R. Moody and published by the Creative Longevity and Wisdom Program at Fielding Graduate University. There is no charge for the subscription but it is only sent to people who specifically ask to receive the newsletter. For a sample copy or subscription, send a request here.

Upcoming Webinars:


The Unique Dynamics of Shared/Co-Parenting in Kinship Families


This webinar with Dr. Joseph Crumbley is geared towards service professionals and will take place on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Join us to learn shared/co-parenting strategies that provide well-being, safety, and stability for children in kinship families. Register now.



Navigating Family Dynamics: A Native Youth Perspective


Hear from Native youth voices during this webinar, a discussion in collaboration with the National Indian Child Welfare Association, which will take place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Register now.

Do you have 5 minutes to help build Generations United’s shared site learning network?


As part of Generations United’s effort to support the development of intergenerational shared sites, we have created a short survey to explore ways to strengthen our intergenerational shared site learning network. This survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete. We very much appreciate your input and time! Take the survey.


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


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.

Meet Generations United's Board Members


The Generations United Board of Directors recently re-elected board members for new three-year terms. We are grateful for their service and look forward to introducing you to them, including continuing board members, over the next few weeks. Up next are…

Janet McUlsky

President

MCULSKY HEALTH FORCE LLC

Nebeyou Abebe

Senior Vice President, Social Determinants of Health

HIGHMARK HEALTH

Learn more about our Board Officers and Board Members here.

Program Spotlight - Kavod Senior Life Music & Memory Program

Kavod Senior Life provides senior living and assisted living apartment homes and enriching programs for older adults in the Denver, Colorado area. The Music & Memory Program, a Generations United Program of Merit, helps residents who have a wide range of cognitive and physical challenges to find renewed meaning and connection in their lives through personalized music. Older adults connect with college students, coming together to build playlists, listen to music and talk about the memories and emotions music elicits. The students are trained on how to curate playlists that reflect their interests and the interests and lives of the older residents. These personalized playlists- specifically beloved songs from a person’s formative years – tap deep memories not lost to memory issues or dementia and can bring listeners back to life, enabling them to feel like themselves again, to converse, socialize, and stay present. Over the past four years, the Music & Memory Program has worked with over 300 older adults and over 300 local college students. Learn more about Kavod Senior Life and their intergenerational programming here.

Photo courtesy of Kavod Senior Life

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 - UnTextbooked | A History Podcast for the Future


UnTextbooked is brought to you by teen change-makers who are looking for answers to big questions. They have intergenerational conversations by interviewing famous authors and historians on specific topics each episode. They are in the middle of season 3 now. 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

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking grant proposals for projects to support the development and/or enhancement of strategic multi-system and multi-level collaboration between child welfare, early care and education systems, and other relevant partners to effectively prevent child abuse and neglect and provide comprehensive supports to children and families with or at-risk of involvement with the child welfare system, including children of color and their families. Grant funding will support infrastructure and capacity-building through the development of policy, coordination mechanisms and procedures, quality practice, and other cross-system strategies. Applications are due March 13, 2023. Learn more.


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.


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.

"Home is no longer simply a physical place for me, but a roaming space of intergenerational love, connection and healing."


Yas Necati, activist and writer for the monthly column about gender for gal-dem.

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!

As a reader of Generations This Week, you are eligible to receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND - The Lifestyle Magazine for Awesome Grandparents. 


That's a $26 value for 12 issues delivered right to your inbox. Get valuable offers and inspirational articles like our column on GRAND Families, and more.

Click here for your free subscription
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