Celebrate Grandparents Day with Generations United!

#DoSomethingGrand and celebrate Grandparents Day (Sunday, September 8) throughout the month of September! This year’s theme, "Grand Minds: Learn, Love, Legacy," highlights the role of learning across generations and celebrates the ways in which grandparents, older adults, and younger generations inspire, educate, and support each other. Learn about the #DoSomethingGrand activities you can do with your grandparents, grandfriends, grandchildren, or other loved ones here. 

Leading up to Grandparents Day, Generations United is hosting a video contest! We invite you to create a heartfelt video showcasing how grandparents and older adults inspire, mentor, and shape the future of younger generations. Whether it’s a story of cherished memories, a lesson learned, or a touching moment of connection, we want to see how these remarkable individuals make a difference. Submit a video for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card. Click here to learn how you can enter for a chance to win!

Hosted by our partner GrandparentsAcademy.com, Grandparents Week is the largest virtual educational conference and celebration for grandparents of its kind. You’ll hear from over a dozen experts including our very own Ana Beltran, Director of the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, who will be sharing about being raised in part by her own grandmother as well as resources available for grandfamilies. There are also mini-classes and prizes lined up for this incredible event scheduled for Sept. 8 – 14, 2024. General Admission is free and there are giveaways going on for those who register in advance. Claim your ticket today!

Upcoming Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network Webinar

Join Network Subject Matter Experts Dr. Joseph Crumbley and Dr. Angelique Day on Wednesday, September 11 at 2:00 PM ET for a webinar called "Does Kin Caregiver Training Delivered to Different Groups and Through Different Methods Yield the Same Results?"

Explore the findings of a study of a trauma-informed kin caregiver training program, The Inherent Strengths In Kinship Families, by Dr. Joseph Crumbley. Register for the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network webinar here.

Upcoming Intergenerational Housing Learning Network Webinar

Join us for the Intergenerational Housing Learning Network's next meeting on September 12 at 4 PM ET. Lindsey Beagley, the Senior Director of Lifelong University Engagement at Arizona State University, and Kate Abate, the Community Life Director at Broadview at Purchase College, will share more information on their intergenerational housing initiatives. We will also provide an update on the Intergenerational Housing Blueprint and its release event. Register today and be part of the conversation shaping the future of intergenerational housing for generations to come! Please contact Generations United's Intergenerational Programs Coordinator Ilonka Walker at iwalker@gu.org with any questions or concerns. 

2024 State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care Report Release Event - Register Today!

Join Generations United for the release of the 2024 State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care report, "Pathways to Success: K-12 Education Support for Kinship and Grandfamilies," on Thursday, September 19 at 3:00 PM ET. Hear from caregivers, a school administrator, and advocates and learn about how over 2.4 million children in kinship/grandfamilies are impacted by educational challenges. You'll also learn about actionable recommendations to improve school support and services. Register today!

Generations United Executive Director Donna Butts and Consultant Laura O'Connor are quoted in a Wall Street Journal article, "Americans Are Having Fewer Babies—So Fewer People Get to Be Grandparents," which was written by Clare Ansberry. Read the full story here.

Check Out Our Report: "Promoting Intergenerational Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A Michigan Initiative"

What is the role of higher education institutions in preparing students to live and work in an aging society? How can we create reciprocal, mutually beneficial learning experiences for students and older adults? With support from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Generations United created this report that provides a framework for intergenerational teaching and learning; highlights examples of current practices in Michigan; and identifies challenges, promising practices, and opportunities for deepening and expanding intergenerational learning. Download the report and watch the recording from the release event here.

This resource provides an introduction to the effects of parental substance use on kinship/grandfamilies, followed by strategies and resources that professionals can share with kin/grandfamily caregivers to help them cope and thrive. Access the resource.

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

School One

School One is a progressive, private high school in Providence, Rhode Island where students from many backgrounds come together in a supportive community. Intentional intergenerational programming is a key component of the arts at School One. Older adults and students work together as co-creators and co-learners. Together with teachers, they plan and participate in a variety of art forms that honor the voices and contributions of both older and younger students, Through the arts, youth and elders learn about each other’s life experiences, explore critical current issues, and build emotional connections. Since launching the program in 2016, School One has created various opportunities for storytelling, theatrical performances, artmaking, and discussion. Learn more about School One here.

Pat Owens, a stalwart grandfamily advocate, died on August 23rd, leaving a legacy that includes successfully pioneering legislation at the state and federal level to help kinship families like hers. Driven by her own experience raising grandchildren, Pat led efforts to legally require notification and prioritization of relatives as caregivers for children whose parents cannot raise them. She was an early member of Generations United’s GRAND Voices and a founder of Grandfamilies of America, a caregiver-led organization that partnered with Generations United on multiple GrandRallies at the U.S. Capitol. Generations United extends our deepest gratitude to Pat for the impact she had on grandfamilies across the U.S. and our deepest sympathy to Pat’s family and all who will miss her. Learn more about Pat here.