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Intergenerational Activities
Intergenerational
Relations
Intergenerational programs are activities that bring together individuals of different ages as partners to explore, study, and work towards a shared goal. These activities foster cooperation and promote interaction among generations including children, youth and older adults. Programs can be youth serving older adults, older adults serving youth, or youth and older adults serving together. Some examples of intergenerational programs are: youth teaching seniors or providing chore service; older adults mentoring youth or providing childcare; and children, youth and older adults performing in a community theater group or working to improve the natural environment.
EPA’s Intergenerational Focus
EPA’s
mission it is to protect human health and safeguard the environment.
As part of the Agency’s Aging Initiative, EPA is developing a
National Agenda for the Environment
and Aging that encourages older persons to volunteer in their own communities
to reduce hazards and protect the environment. Including an intergenerational
component is an effective way to broaden the pool of people working
towards this objective while promoting understanding and unity between
generations.
In 2002 EPA established the Aging Initiative within the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP). A major goal of the Aging Initiative is the development of a National Agenda for the Environment and the Aging. The National Agenda has a three-pronged focus:
- Prioritize environmental health hazards that affect older persons.
- Examine the environmental impact of an aging population in a smart growth context.
- Encourage civic engagement among older persons in their communities to reduce environmental hazards.
To succeed with this the participation of older adults is critical.
Many older adults give of their time to improve quality of life for themselves, their families and their communities, including protecting the environment. EPA's intends to harness the energy generated by this growing number of older persons to inform their communities about hazards that threaten the environment or public health.
Senior service may be utilized in many non-traditional organizations and raises public awareness of the value of older adult volunteers. This rationale is at the root of these intergenerational environmental education programs. A variety of promising strategies exist for bringing people of all ages together. To get more information about existing programs, check out the Examples of Intergenerational Programs as well as the section on Intergenerational Resources.
EPA has collaborated with the following organizations on intergenerational initiatives:
- Generations United
- Radical
- Family Friends
Unity has released “Respect” 30-second Public Service Announcement directed towards the misuse of tobacco by Native Americans. An older Native American women delivers the message about the harmful health effects of smoking and that the use of tobacco in this way is disrespectful of Native American culture.
New Fact Sheet Prepared by Generations United
Generations United:
Environmental Health for All Generations:
PDF: http://ipath.gu.org/documents/A0/IG_Environmental_Health_FS_Final.pdf (4 pp, About PDF)