News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults from Generations United |
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Generations United in the Media |
Generations United Executive Director Donna Butts was quoted in an article, "How Support Systems are Failing Millions of American Children," appearing in The Boca Raton Tribune. She discussed how hard it is for grandfamilies and caregivers to access basic services and support due to bureaucratic barriers and the ways policymakers and decision-makers can support grandfamilies. Learn more.
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GRAND Voice Lynn Urvina is featured on Family & Support Services' The Parental Compass podcast. She describes how her life changed when she found out she had a grandchild she never knew of and became the child's primary parent through kinship care. Listen here.
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Seeking Office Assistant - Apply by March 1 |
Generations United is seeking an office assistant to join our results-oriented team! This Washington, DC-based position is responsible for managing inquiries received by email and phone and general office duties. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to gu@gu.org with the subject line “Office Assistant” by March 1. Learn more.
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Diverse Intergenerational Programs Survey |
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As part of Generations United’s Diverse Intergenerational Programs Initiative, we are conducting a survey to identify and learn more about programs and activities that connect younger and older people. We are especially interested in programs that engage or seek to engage participants from diverse communities. Completed surveys will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card. Learn more and take the survey. |
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Culture United - "Belfast" |
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"Belfast," recently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, is actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical memoir of his childhood in 1969 during "the Troubles" in
Northern Ireland.
The story revolves around 9-year-old Buddy who lives with his older brother, parents, and grandparents. They’re Protestants in a working-class neighborhood that’s also filled with Catholic families.
When the sectarian riots begin, the barricades go up, the British soldiers arrive, and the family must decide whether to stay or leave for England. Actress Judi Dench, who plays Buddy's grandmother, said of her role, “My idea of family life was always to have a community where we were all together...older people understanding about young people, and young hopefully understanding older people. Of course, it can clash and go wrong. But it’s good to try it out.” Learn more.
Culture United highlights films, books, music, and TV shows with an intergenerational theme. Do you have any suggestions? Share them with us, and we'll share in the weeks and months to come. We welcome responses or reactions. See disclaimer.
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William Penn Foundation's Great Learning Program |
The William Penn Foundation's Great Learning Program is interested in efforts to increase the ability of Philadelphia-based agencies to help grandfamilies support their children's early learning and development.
This Request for Inquiries stems from the 2020 Grandfamilies of Philadelphia study led by Generations United to provide educators, policymakers, funders, service providers, and other community members with a better understanding of the composition of grandfamilies in Philadelphia, the availability of services for them, and the degree to which they are aware of and able to access helpful services.They invite letters of inquiry for three-year projects to enhance organizations' ability to serve grandfamilies/kinship care families in Philadelphia.
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Thank You to Our Members and Supporters |
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Siddharth Satish, 17, of West Windsor, New Jersey, whose great-grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, noticed that while his great-grandfather couldn’t remember the specifics of his daily activities, he often share detailed stories of his childhood. Siddharth began showing his great-grandfather photos of familiar landmarks, all of which he was able to recognize. He did some research and found that images and memory boxes have been proven to aid those with Alzheimer’s. In 2019 Siddharth created Rememoirs, a nonprofit dedicated to helping those with Alzheimer’s by creating memory boxes. Each memory box begins with a partnership with a retirement or memory care facility, then youth volunteers create a memory box for the resident they are paired with using photographs and items holding meaning for the resident.
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.
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Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities |
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NEW: Whole Kids Foundation: Garden Grant Program. The Whole Kids Foundation is dedicated to supporting schools and inspiring families to improve children's nutrition and wellness. The Foundation's Garden Grant Program provides funds for eligible gardens at K-12 schools in the U.S. and Canada. Grants of $3000 are awarded to schools as well as nonprofit organizations that serve children in the K-12 age range. Consideration is given to new and or existing garden projects that help at least ten children engage with fresh fruit and vegetables. Applications will be accepted from Feb. 14 through Mar. 11, 2022, for both U.S. and Canadian projects. Learn more.
The AARP® Purpose Prize® Award supports AARP's mission by honoring nonprofit founders ages 50 and older who tap into the power of life experience to build a better future for us all. Submit your application! Call for applications open through Feb. 28, 2022. Learn more.
The JAMS Foundation/NAFCM Mini-Grant Program supports the development of innovative and effective programs that can be replicated by community mediation centers nationwide and serve as a pathway to their sustainability and growth. The 2022 Mini-Grant Program will focus on organizations helping communities assess and address a range of community conditions to assist them in developing and implementing new approaches to community safety. Proposed projects should expand how organizations currently serve communities (through mediation, restorative justice practices, conflict coaching, conflict management training, or dialogue processes) by offering a new or enhanced process to help people, institutions, and the community as a whole on their path toward re-imaging community safety. Mini-Grants of $15,000 for two years will be awarded to up to five organizations across the country. Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public agencies are eligible to apply. Deadline for Solicitation of Interest responses is Mar. 7, 2022. Learn more.
The AARP Community Challenge provides small grants to fund quick-action projects that can help communities become more livable for people of all ages. This year, applications will be accepted for projects to improve public spaces; housing; transportation; civic engagement; diversity, equity and inclusion; support efforts to build engagement for programs under new federal laws; and other innovative ideas that support people age 50 or older. Applications due Mar. 22, 2022. Learn more.
NEW: The Riley's Way Foundation's Call for Kindness program empowers young leaders throughout the country to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change. The program will provide grants of up to $3,000 to up to 35 youth-led projects in 2022. Funded projects may tackle anything from pressing equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections in schools or communities. The 2022 special topic will support ten projects specifically focused on mental health. Youth living in the United States, ages 13-22, may enter by essay or video describing a new project, or an improvement to an existing project. Each project is required to have both a partner organization and an adult mentor. Winners will also join a cohort of fellows from across the country to participate in a dynamic leadership development experience. Application deadline is Apr. 1, 2022. Learn more.
NEA Funding Guidelines Posted. Guidelines and application materials for Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) and Challenge America funding are now available on the National Endowment for the Arts’ website. The National Endowment for the Arts supports projects in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions. Through their programs, they encourage activities that rebuild the creative economy and educate the next generation, unite and heal the nation through the arts, and serve the nation’s arts field.
The NIH Office of the Director has released a Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity to support one RADx Tribal Data Repository (TDR). This opportunity will provide a repository for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) data and is expected to publish in the winter of 2022. The repository will house AI/AN data collected from projects supported by the RADx Initiative to better understand the impacts of COVID-19, support research to better inform and develop policies to address current and future pandemics, and support and promote AI/AN researchers by providing data access upon appropriate review. Application due: May 25, 2022. Learn more.
If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to gu@gu.org.
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Think Intergenerational - Great Resources |
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The Children’s Defense Fund has always been rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement’s grassroots educational campaign. February is Black History Month, but every day is an opportunity to talk about Black history — and to give young people of color a way to see themselves in it. Check out these 10 resources to help educators incorporate Black history into their classrooms all year long. Learn more. |
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Now Available: Spanish Version of 2021 State of Grandfamilies Report |
Generations United has released the Spanish language version of the 2021 State of Grandfamilies in America Annual Report. This report highlights how the systems and services that help U.S. families were not designed for grandfamilies, leaving children and caregivers in these families with inequitable access to key resources to help their families thrive. Learn more.
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Generations United Resources |
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Reinforcing a Strong Foundation: Equitable Supports for Basic Needs of Grandfamilies. The 2021 State of Grandfamilies in America Annual Report includes updated national and state data on grandfamilies and key recommendations to address inequities and provide critical supports to serve grandfamilies well. Available in English and Spanish. Learn more.
Latino Grandfamilies: Helping Latino Children Thrive Through Connection to Culture and Family. This new toolkit is designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations so that they can better serve all Latino grandfamilies regardless of child welfare involvement. Available in English and Spanish. 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. . Learn more.
Fact Sheet: Intergenerational Programs Benefit Everyone, serves as a companion piece to Making the Case and provides a synthesized overview of the benefits. Learn more.
Staying Connected While Staying Apart: Intergenerational Programs & the COVID-19 Pandemic shares what we have learned about intergenerational engagement during the pandemic, including examples of inspiring intergenerational initiatives; tips for addressing the digital divide; and resources to help you get started or strengthen your intergenerational work. Learn more.
Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages. Generations United's new infographic 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. Check it out.
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"It’s a good heart…who acknowledges intergenerational friendships. Both young and old have lessons
for the other.”
~ Jeffrey DeMann
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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 oth er intergenerational enthusiasts through our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email the editor at lwestell@gu.org. I'd love to hear from you!
Best,
Lee Westell, Editor
Generations This Week
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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.
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