INTERGENERATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING PRODUCTIVE AGING, SUPPORTING FAMILIES, AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1017530
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2018
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2023
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
208 MUELLER LABORATORY
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802

Performing Department
Agri Economics, Sociology & Education

Non Technical Summary
Against the backdrop of demographic changes in which the proportion of older adults in the population is growing, intergenerational programs and practices are framed as measures that help ensure the social inclusion of older adults, thereby contributing to their physical and mental health, and increasing their potential for making important contributions to their families and communities in which they live. The focus of this AES project is on how intergenerational intervention strategies, depending on program design, setting, and underlying objectives, can contribute to the health and well-being of older adults, strengthen families and build more cohesive, caring communities. Emphasis is placed on identifying "best practice" approaches (programs, policies, and planned environments) for bringing intergenerational strategies to bear on some of the vital social issues of our time.

Animal Health Component

80%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

80%

Developmental

10%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
802	6099	3080	50%
724	6020	3070	50%

Knowledge Area
724 - Healthy Lifestyle; 802 - Human Development and Family Well-Being;

Subject Of Investigation
6020 - The family and its members; 6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology; 3080 - Sociology;

Keywords

intergenerational program

productive aging

family communication

intergenerational spaces & places

Goals / Objectives
The overall objective is to identify intergenerational program development and implementation processes and their relationship to outcomes for participants, organizations, and communities. This work will be done within the context of new and existing programs designed to:(1) provide older adults with skills and opportunities for developing and implementing intergenerational programs in the communities in which they live;(2) improve intergenerational communication within families facing complex challenges, such as when grandparents or other relatives are needed to provide full-time care for children, and farm and business owners need to establish succession planning processes that lead to informed retirement and estate planning decisions;(3) assist communities in developing intergenerational strategies for promoting civic engagement and responsive community development; and(4) facilitate information exchange, on an international level, with regard to intergenerational strategies that have been found to be effective in various cultural and national contexts.

Project Methods
The following four procedures correspond to the four objectives identified above:(1) The "Intergenerational Leadership Institute," a lifelong learning and civic engagement certificate program established by Penn State University in 2015 for older adults (55+), will be expanded. In collaboration with universities and senior volunteer programs in other locations, ILI chapters will be established in 5-7 additional communities. The ILI program has three components: A mini-course on intergenerational programming (16 contact hours), monthly application seminars designed to support and assist ILI participants with their intergenerational projects, and additional training and networking opportunities provided by Penn State and partnering organizations. Upon completion of all three phases of this program, participants will: be able to identify issues of concern to multiple generations, be familiar with the intergenerational studies field, gain practical program development skills, and gain experience in shaping new or existing intergenerational programs. Pre- and post-program questionnaires, observations and document analysis from ILI sessions and community meetings will be used to determine program impact on participants and on community quality of life.(2) The PA Kinship Navigator website (Penn State Extension's online, interactive database of programs, services, and resources available for kinship care families in Pennsylvania) will be continuously updated and monitored to determine public usage. Penn State's online "Business Transitions: Family Farm and Business Succession Planning" educational program, developed in 2017 for farm and business owners, will continue to be disseminated throughout the state. Ancillary trainings will be conducted for various stakeholder groups interested in the section on building (family) communication skills.(3) Scholarly and outreach education publications and presentations will be developed to help guide the development of communities with growing older adult populations. One point of emphasis will be on the role of the physical environment, particularly the spatial focal points of intergenerational encounters labeled as "intergenerational contact zones" (Kaplan et al., 2016). ICZs provide a conceptual tool for studying complex, multi-generational community settings and a design tool for creating innovative, responsive intergenerational meeting spaces. In collaboration with design professionals, intergenerational specialists, and Extension educators, applications will be explored in diverse community settings, including schools, parks, reading rooms, clubhouses, museums, community gardens, environmental education centers, and multi-service community centers.(4) Through participation in intergenerationally-themed study tours, conferences, and student exchanges that will be organized in the U.S., Spain, China, and possibly Ghana and Japan, will work with international colleagues to clarify common points of understanding with regard to how intergenerational practices are conceived, understood, and promoted across geographic regions and cultural contexts. Through sessions organized at professional meetings, and articles written for professional publications, will seek to provide a nuanced understanding and a realistic appraisal of some of the challenges associated with replicating/ modifying successful models across national borders and cultural realities.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Older adult volunteers (55+), intergenerational practitioners, "grandfamilies" and the professionals who work with them, environmental design professionals, healthcare providers, environmental educators, and extension educators (and their clientele) in the "Food, Families and Health" and "Leadership and Community Vitality" program areas Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Through new factsheets and additional website development measures (tied to the Penn State Extension RAPP Program), we have increased public and professional access to information and resources aimed at supporting Pennsylvania families with grandparents and other relatives raising children. We have also conducted a number of presentations (conferences, staff training workshops, seminars, etc.) on topics related to developing intergenerationally enriched environments and planning programs that promote health and wellbeing, civic engagement, and community leadership. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?I am in the second year of a Distinguished Honors Faculty Program (DHFP) award (2019-2021) to educate and engage honors students in intergenerational initiatives. Activities included conducting "fireside chats" on topics such as "Intergenerational entrepreneurship," "Intergenerational approaches for promoting climate awareness and action," and "Intergenerational living, learning, and leadership in Ghana." I have also joined several advisory committees for Generations United projects, including one on intergenerational shared sites and another on intergenerational food-related model projects. I have also conducted several webinars for Extension educators and professionals in the health care and aging services fields on the broad topic of "high- and low- tech ways for engaging socially isolated older adults." What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Penn State Extension Relatives as Parents program team has plans to create several new educational products, including a short course on how to plan and run a kinship care support group, a factsheet series on "Family Bonding - Grandparent Style" and, if funding is obtained, a series of weekend Kinship Family Retreats. I am also working with Irv Katz, a Senior Fellow at Generations United, to co-author an American Planning Association PAS (Professional Advisory Service) report on "Intergenerational Community Planning" (expected date of publication: end of 2020 or early 2021). I also expect to present at a number of conferences to which I have been invited, such as the Pennsylvania Association of Senior Centers conference which is tentatively set for April 2021.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Progress was made in further developing the ILI (Intergenerational Leadership Institute) model for training older adult volunteers to take on leadership roles in developing local intergenerational initiatives. The Intergenerational Friends Fair curriculum (developed in consultation with ILI graduates) was further refined to create additional entry points for residents to join local intergenerational programs. In the ILI-State College, PA chapter, the third phase of the ILI training program was modified; monthly "application seminars," previously only including ILI graduates, are now framed as "Intergenerational think tank" meetings that are also open to staff and administrators of local organizations and agencies engaged in intergenerational endeavors. To address issues faced by older adults who are socially isolated, two webinars were conducted on the theme of "Strategies for Engaging Older Adults in this Era of Social Distancing" and a webpage on "High Tech and Low Tech Ways to Engage Socially Isolated Older Adults" was created to highlight presentations, articles, and resources focused on this topic. Goal 2: Substantial progress was made in terms of strengthening the Penn State Extension Relatives as Parents Program. This includes reconstituting the program team (it now has five members, four of whom are Extension educators), adding two new factsheets, and updating the PA Kinship Navigator website. On another front, the viability of the "Business Transitions - Family Farm and Business Succession Planning" online course has been maintained. The evaluation component for this course was recently revised to match the current structure of the Penn State Extension Business, Entrepreneurship & Economic Development program's online course series. Goal 3: Progress was made in expanding our knowledge base, contacts, and outreach education activities in the area of "intergenerational placemaking." One such initiative involved conducting a presentation for a large group of design professionals (mostly architects) at a symposium on "Intergenerational Learning Spaces" which was sponsored by the AIA/Center for Architecture in New York City (March 2020). Another initiative with an intergenerational community planning thrust was launched when the Penn State Extension Leadership and Civic Vitality team was awarded a 2020 AARP Community Challenge mini-grant to conduct a project entitled, "One Community - Many Generations." The project entails developing an intergenerational community engagement guide and online community assessment tool that will be piloted in Susquehanna Depot, PA, and subsequently refined, co-branded with AARP, housed on the Extension website, and made available to any interested community. Goal 4: For a recent book published by Routledge ("Intergenerational Contact Zones: Place-based Strategies for Promoting Social Inclusion and Belonging," 2020), emphasis was placed on ensuring that this collection of 26 chapters would have an international flavor. Having the four co-editors of the book based in four different continents (Asia, Europe, and Africa, and North America) was helpful in soliciting chapter authors from a wide range of countries and with culturally diverse perspectives and experiences.

Publications

• Type: Books Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kaplan, M., Thang, L.L., S�nchez, M. and Hoffman, J. (Eds.). (2020). Intergenerational contact zones: Place-based strategies for promoting social inclusion and belonging. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kaplan, M., Windon, S., & Zavada, E. (2020). Transforming a barn into an 'intergenerational planning zone.' In Kaplan, Thang, S�nchez, & Hoffman (Eds.). Intergenerational contact zones: Place-based strategies for promoting social inclusion and belonging (pp. 49-59). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Smith, S. & Kaplan, M., (2020). Forests as intergenerational contact zones: Teaching about and experiencing forests through historical interpretation. In Kaplan, Thang, S�nchez, & Hoffman (Eds.). Intergenerational contact zones: Place-based strategies for promoting social inclusion and belonging (pp. 109-116). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kaplan, M., S�nchez, M., Thang, L.L., & Hoffman, J. (2020). Conclusions: Lessons learned about the design and functioning of Intergenerational Contact Zones. In Kaplan, Thang, S�nchez, & Hoffman (Eds.). Intergenerational contact zones: Place-based strategies for promoting social inclusion and belonging (pp. 298-314). New York, NY: Routledge.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Generational Differences in the Workplace and Health Care Preference." Panel presentation (with M. Sciegaj and D. George). Inclusion Academy series. Penn State Healths Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Webinar. Sept. 30, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Intergenerational Spaces and Places." Keynote. Third Intergenerational Symposium. Massachusetts Gerontology Association and the RoseMary B. Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies. Lasell University, Newton, MA. Video conference. Sept. 30, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "One Community - Many Generations." Kickoff Meeting & Training. Susquehanna Depot, PA. With Penn State Extension Leadership and Civic Vitality program team. AARP supported project. Sept. 28, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Applications of the ICZ conceptual framework." Webinar. Generations United staff and volunteers. Washington, D.C. Webinar. July 29, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Engaging Socially Isolated Older Adults during a Pandemic: Lessons learned from the intergenerational studies field." Part of the Penn State College of Medicine COVID-19 ECHO webinar series. June 12, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Strategies for Engaging Older Adults in this Era of 'Social Distancing'." Penn State Extension Leadership and Civic Vitality program. Webinar. April 15, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Strategies for Engaging Older Adults in this Era of 'Social Distancing': Considerations related to the novel coronavirus pandemic and beyond." Two Webinars. Penn State Extension Town Hall COVID-19 meetings. March 26-27, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Intergenerational Entrepreneurship." (Virtual) panel presentation (with Dan Azzara, Lee Erickson, and James Delattre). Schreyer Honors College DHFP (Distinguished Honors Faculty Program). March 26, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Intergenerational Learning Spaces." Panel presentation. AIA/Center for Architecture. New York City. March 3, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Ag Business Succession Planning." Pennsylvania Game Breeders and Hunting Preserves Conference. Penn State Extension. State College, PA. Feb. 24, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Goetz, S.J., Tian, Z., & Kaplan, M. (2020). "Artistic and Creative Institutions, and the Elderly." Conference paper. Development Studies Association of Australia (DSAA). Melbourne, Australia. Feb. 5-7, 2020.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Kaplan, M. "Intergenerational Adventures from a Global Perspective." Professional development workshop. Tompkins County Youth Services. Ithaca, NY. Dec. 5, 2019.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Kaplan, M. "Intergenerational Programs and Possibilities." Workshop. Clarion Rotary. Clarion, PA. Oct. 28, 2019.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: "Intergenerational Living, Learning, and Leadership in Ghana" (with C. Sterling, M. Edwards, & G. Hampton). Schreyer Honors College - DHFP event. University Park, PA. Oct. 23, 2019.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: "Intergenerational Adventures: Enriching the Work of the Family and Consumer Sciences" (with F. Alloway, D. Variano, M. Dolbin-MacNab, & J. von Stackelberg). NEAFCS Conference (pre-conference session). Hershey, PA. Sept. 30, 2019.
• Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "High-Tech and Low-Tech Ways to Engage Socially Isolated Older Adults." Website with presentations, articles, and resources.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: "Strategies for Engaging Older Adults in this Era of Social Distancing." Penn State Extension News Article. April 22, 2020. https://extension.psu.edu/strategies-for-engaging-older-adults-in-this-era-of-social-distancing

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Older adult volunteers (55+) engaged in intergenerational programs, families with grandparents raising grandchildren and the professionals who work with them, professionals engaged in community development, Extension educators and specialists developing interventions aimed at supporting families affected by the opioid epidemic, and staff and clientele of international organizations affiliated with the UN's Division for Inclusive Social Development. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Conducted a number ofconference presentations, workshops, seminars, and media interviews primarily on the topics related to developing intergenerational spaces and places, older adult volunteers in leadership roles in developing intergenerational programs, and intergenerational models taking root in other countries. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Responded to an "Ask an Expert" query posted on the eXtension website (Family Caregiving category - about financial and legal services available to grandparents raising grandchildren in Pennsylvania. Outreach to new audiences: Received a Distinguished Honors Faculty Program (DHFP) award (2019-2021) to educate and engage honors students in intergenerational initiatives. Conducted a panel presentation on families and climate awareness and action at the 2019 UN International Day of Families observance (the event drew 260 people and was livestreamed internationally on UN-TV). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We now have four solid ILI chapters (three in the US, one in Canada) and another one now taking root in Mexico. For next reporting period, we plan to add another 1-2 ILI chapters, conduct an additional train-the-trainer workshop for would-be ILI chapter coordinators, help establish or reinforce the online presence of each ILI chapter, and formalize an ILI chapters network to further promote information and resource exchange between ILI chapters. My colleagues (Thang, Sanchez, and Hoffman) and I are co-editors of a book that Routledge will publish in Feb. 2020, entitled, "Intergenerational contact zones: Place-based strategies for promoting social inclusion and belonging." I am also looking forward to leading a group of Penn State Schreyer Honors College students and several ILI Fellows on an international travel and learn experience in Ghana; this May 2020 course is entitled, "Global Perspectives for intergenerational living and learning - Ghana."

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1: Trained a new cohort of older adults who joined the ILI (Intergenerational Leadership Institute) chapter in Centre County, PA, and conducted a presentation at the June 2019 Generations United conference, along with coordinators of ILI chapters in Montgomery County, MD, Durham, NC, and Nelson, BC (Canada). All ILI chapters are functioning as intended, as incubators for generating and supporting intergenerational programs that address priority needs at the local level. ILI-inspired community intervention campaigns are organized and carried out by ILI participants with the support of partnering organizations. Goal 2: Updates were made to the PA Kinship Navigator website which is a part of Penn State Extension's Relatives As Parents Program. Contributions made to the Penn State Extension Opioid Working Group in terms of increasing awareness of Extension professionals across program areas of the challenges faced by grandfamilies and some of the resources available to them. Goal 3: Conducted two community events in Centre County PA: an "Intergenerational Ideas for Enriching Quality of Life in Centre County" Summit (Oct. 11, 2018) and an "Intergenerational Friends Fair" (June 1, 2019). Served as advisory committee member and curriculum reviewer for the "Intergenerational Programming in Senior Housing" study and implementation toolkit published by Generations United and LeadingAge (2019). The Penn State Intergenerational Program (PSIP) was recognized as contributing to the quality of life of rural elders as evidenced by receipt of a "Community Connectivity - Aging Well in Rural America" award at the 2019 Connectivity Summit on Rural Aging (Nashville, TN), Aug. 15, 2019. PSIP programs were also featured in Tivity Health's 2019 publication, "Aging Well in Rural America: A Collection of Stories from the Heartland." Two conference presentations were conducted which highlighted new applications of the "intergenerational contact zones" conceptual framework for studying and designing intergenerational environments. Goal 4: Worked with colleagues to establish an ILI chapter in Tlalnepantla de Baz, Mexico. Served as outside reviewer for doctoral student in a South African university working on an intergenerational-themed dissertation. Conference co-presentation with colleagues from Japan on the intergenerational studies movement in Japan and plans for an international conference in Japan in 2020.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Qiao L., Kaplan, M. & Leng Leng, Thang, L.L. (2019): Intergenerational Programs and Practices in China: Results Based on a Web Search Method. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. Published online: 30 Jul 2019. DOI: 10.1080/15350770.2019.1623148
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Citation: Kaplan, M., Greenwood-Junkermeier, & Bradley, L. (In Press) Unlocking the potential of older adult volunteers: The Intergenerational Leadership Institute model as a resource for bolstering Extension. Journal of Extension
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Sanchez, M. & Kaplan, M. (2019). Intergenerational programs. In D. Gu and M.E. Dupre (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. New York, NY: Springer Nature.