Mission:

To improve the lives of people across the lifespan through intergenerational collaboration involving teaching, research, and outreach.

Our Vision

A society that values all generations

Goals

1. To prepare professionals to work with children and older adults.
2. To research child and adult development.
3. To inform best intergenerational practices.
4. To provide services to children, older adults, and their families and to the early childhood and adult development community in the Commonwealth.
5. To inform public policy related to our intergenerational program.

 Objectives

1. To prepare professionals to work with children and older adults through the provision of on-going intergenerational cross-training, the distribution of responsibility for planning, facilitating, and evaluating intergenerational interactions and opportunities, and the allocation of scholarships/awards for students interested in pursuing additional intergenerational training.
2. To research child and adult development through collaborative intergenerational research projects devoted to understanding the effects of these opportunities on individuals at both ends of the life span, their caregivers, and the broader context of the intergenerational system.
3. To inform best intergenerational practice by presenting empirically based research, evaluation, and documentation to intergenerational programmers and community based service administrators through conference presentations, training workshops, web postings, intergenerational manuscripts and other publications.
4. To provide high quality services to children, older adults, and their families through daily programming designed to nurture development, enhance competencies, and facilitate positive social interactions between the generations.
5. To inform public policy by collaborating with Generations United and advocating for intergenerational funding through politically influential organizations and institutes.

 Beliefs

Our programs are inspired by philosophies of person centered care and the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education that share the common values of:

1. Valuing children, adults, and families with diverse abilities, backgrounds, and social contexts.
2. Treating children, adults, and those who care for them as capable and competent individuals.
3. Providing experiences and care based upon meaningful relationships.
4. Being attentive to the interests and perspectives of children and adults and crafting meaningful opportunities that support and cultivate these interests.

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