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News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults  

from Generations United

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 Volume 13, Issue 3
January 17, 2018
Generations United in the News
  • The New Republic posed the question: why are so many children being raised by their grandparents? The responses include a quote from Donna Butts. Learn more.
     
  • The Columbus Dispatch reported on grandparents raising grandchildren because of the opioid epidemic. The article quotes Ana Beltran, special advisor to Generations United's National Center on Grandfamilies. Read the article.
     
  • The Mankato Free Press did a story on support available for grandparents raising grandchildren. The article highlighted Sharon Olson and Kelijo Wright, who've raised their voices as part of Generations United's GrAND Voices Network. Learn more.
The State of America's Children 2017 Report
This new report from Children's Defense Fund provides a comprehensive look at the status of America's children in 11 areas. The report includes state factsheets that provide summaries of how children are doing in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia & nationwide. The report, factsheets and key facts can help older adults make the case for policies, programs and strategies for improving the odds for children. Learn more.
Senator Collins Highlights Increase of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Due to Opioid Epidemic
At last week's Senate Health Committee hearing on the opioid epidemic,  Senator Susan Collins , a recipient of Generations United's 2017 Grandfamilies Champion Award, highlighted the growing number of grandparents raising grandchildren because of the crisis. Learn more .
A Huge Thanks to Our Members and Supporters 
Generations United thanks our members and supporters for their contributions.  Together, we are building a world that values all generations!  Donate to help us unleash the potential of an "age-amped" society . If you're an organization,  join us !

Interns Wanted!

Generations United is looking for exceptional individuals for internships beginning in late spring/early summer in Washington, DC. Our internships provide opportunities to build research skills, become involved with advocacy training and engage in an active intergenerational network. Stipends available. Learn more

Resource Spotlight
Valuing Vaccines: Campaign in Japan

A recent survey by our partners in Japan, led by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute on Gerontology (TMIG), found that 73 percent of senior volunteers either agreed or somewhat agreed that an intergenerational talk about vaccinations may raise the awareness of the importance of vaccines for all ages.

The survey, created as part of our  Valuing Vaccinations Across Generations campaign, also found that 238 out of 249 respondents were willing to communicate with children or grandchildren about the importance of vaccines. Learn about the campaign in Japan

We launched the campaign in the United States through partnerships with the  Gerontological Society of America and the  American Academy of Pediatrics with support from Pfizer.

In addition to teams led by TMIG, Generations United is also working with the University of Granada - Business Sector Foundation in Spain. Follow  #bandAGEofhonor and  learn more about our campaign
Cool Ideas
Voices in Motion (ViM)
Voices in Motion (ViM) is an intergenerational community choir started in Victoria, BC, Canada and hosted by the University of Victoria. This choir aims to explore the impact of participation of community dwelling persons with Alzheimer's disease (PwAD) and their caregivers in an intergenerational choir.  Read their profile in CBC News. Visit their website.

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.
Culture United
Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today
Drawing on her personal experience, dozens of interviews, and the latest findings in psychology, Jane Isay shows how a grandparent can use his or her unique perspective and experience to create a deep and lasting bond that will echo throughout a grandchild's life. She explores the realities of today's multigenerational families, identifying problems and offering solutions to enhance love, trust, and understanding between grandparents, parents, and grandchildren. 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. We'll possibly feature them on our blog. See disclaimer.
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
The Purpose Challenge Essay Contest.  The Purpose Challenge toolkit helps high school seniors explore and identify their purpose - infusing what they learn about themselves into their 2017-2018 college applications. They can enter that essay in a contest; six students will win prizes ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. Deadline: Feb. 1, 2018. Learn more.

Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program.  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and its partners will award $2 million in grants nationwide. The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations.  Deadline: Jan. 31, 2018.  Learn more.

Healthy Schools Grant.  America's Promise Healthy School Fund will award three to five two-year grants of up to $300,000 to organizations working toward creating healthier school environments for all children.  Deadline: Jan. 22, 2018.   Learn more .

If you have - or know of - any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to aking@gu.org
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources  
Research and Resources
Intergenerational Programming in Senior Housing: From Promise to Practice. This report describes findings from a year-long study on the nature and extent of intergenerational programming in senior housing that was conducted by Generations United and LeadingAge, with support from the Retirement Research Foundation. Learn more.

The Foster Care Housing Crisis. According to a key finding Chronicle of Social Change's report, some states' growing reliance on kinship care has offset the demand for non-relative homes. But an overall increase in the reliance on relatives is smaller than one might think. Learn more

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research Practice and Policy. This issue includes a policy brief from Ana Beltran , special advisor to Generations United's National Center on Grandfamilies. Ana's brief highlights Generations United's GrAND Voices members. Read the new issue .

I Need You, You Need Me: The Young, the Old, and What We Can Achieve Together.  The latest report from Generations United and The Eisner Foundation highlights national examples of pioneers reuniting the generations and making their communities better places to live.  Learn more .
Events
29th Annual National Service-Learning Conference: Justice in Action.  National Youth Leadership Council. St. Paul, MN. March 11-13, 2018. Learn more

2018 Aging in America Conference. American Society on Aging.  San Francisco, CA. March 26-29, 2018. Learn more.

International Federation on Ageing 14th Global Conference on Ageing. International Federation on Ageing.  Toronto, ON, Canada. Aug. 8-10, 2018.  Learn more.
Quote  
"Fewer and fewer Americans possess objects that have a patina, old furniture, grandparents' pots and pans, the used things, warm with generations of human touch, essential to a human landscape." ~Susan Sontag, whose birthday was yesterday. The late filmmaker, writer, teacher and activist would've been 85. (See the meme.)

Your Feedback Invited! 

We want Generations This Week to be a real resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, reports and webinars. Local and state events can be shared in our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at gu@gu.org. We'd love to hear from you!

 

Best,       

 

         


Alan King
Communications Specialist
Generations United
  
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