Students developing relationships with adults who are close in age to their grandparents (or older) is more than a quaint idea. Intergenerational partnerships can produce meaningful benefits for everyone involved.
It’s easy to see the value regular interactions with school-age children can bring to older adults, many of whom experience loneliness and social isolation in their daily lives. But such partnerships between schools and older adults—through avenues that may include retirement communities, senior centers, or nursing homes—can be equally beneficial to students. Research shows they have a particularly positive effect on children’s social-emotional skills.
In one review of 10 years’ worth of studies on intergenerational programs that consisted of ongoing, organized interactions between school-age students and older adults, researchers identified several benefits to students: a more positive attitude toward older adults, improved school attendance, greater confidence, and stronger social skills.
Such interactions can lead students to see older adults in a new light. That’s been the case for Mateo Sanchez-Hernandez, a 7th grader at Cougar Mountain Middle School in Issaquah, Wash., which has a partnership with a neighboring senior living community.
“I think of him like a friend,” Mateo said of his school-based mentor, Bob Fritz, an 83-year-old retired engineer. “We like to spend time with each other playing chess.”
In Issaquah, several residents from the retirement community regularly visit the school. Some serve as one-on-one mentors. One instructs small groups of music students. Another launched a popular after-school knitting club.
“The real benefit [of intergenerational partnerships] is the relationships that people build with each other across those generations,” said Sheri Y. Steinig, the director of strategic initiatives and communications at Generations United, a nonprofit that advocates for policies and practices that benefit all generations. “But staff must be prepared to help facilitate those interactions. You just can’t throw an older person and a younger person in a room and say, ‘go for it.’”
Thinking about starting an intergenerational partnership in your school or district? Download the below guide for five strategies that will get you off to a strong start.
