The City of
Miramar has raised the bar
with our outstanding intergenerational programs. The City of
Miramar’s senior centers
and Early Childhood Program have partnered to create dynamic and innovative
intergenerational programs in an effort to build bridges across generational
lines. These programs have been
highly successful and have expanded year after year.
The City of Miramar is a leader in
intergenerational programming, as we not only plan intergenerational activities
but have actually combined Senior Services and Early Childhood Services into one
department, so as to truly serve the entire lifecycle and to blend common
experiences whenever possible.
BENEFITS
OF INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING
For the
Community
Strengthens
Community: Intergenerational programs bring together diverse groups and networks and help
to dispel inaccurate stereotypes. Sharing talents and resources help to create a
unified group identity. Children, youth, and older adults are less alienated
while the community recognizes that they are contributing members of society.
Maximizes
Human Resources: Intergenerational community service programs tend to multiply human resources by
engaging older adults and youth as volunteers.
Maximizes
Financial Resources: When
groups representing young and old approach local funders, those funders are more
likely to respond positively because they can see broad-based community support.
Intergenerational programs can save money and stretch scarce resources by
sharing sites and/or resources.
Expands
Services: Intergenerational community service programs can expand the level of services to
meet more needs and address more issues.
Encourages
Cultural Exchange: Intergenerational programs promote the transmission of cultural traditions and
values from older to younger generations, helping to build a sense of personal
and societal identity while encouraging tolerance.
Inspires
Collaboration: Intergenerational programs can unite community members to take action on public
policy issues that address human needs across the generations.
For Youth
and Children
Enhances
Social Skills: Interaction with older adults enhances communication skills, promotes
self-esteem, develops problem-solving abilities, and fosters friendships across
generations. Positive attitudes are developed regarding sense of purpose and
community service. Additionally, youth involved in mentoring programs have been
show to be almost one-third less likely to hit others.
Improves
Academic Performance: Intergenerational programs increase school attendance and performance. Students
tutored by older adults made significantly greater gains in achievement test
scores than other students.
Decreases
Drug Use: Youth
involved in intergenerational mentoring programs are 46% less likely to report
the initiation of drug use, and among minority youth that statistic increased to
70%.
Increases
Stability: Children
and youth gain positive role models with whom they can interact on a regular
basis. Older adult volunteers help to provide children and youth with
consistency through mentoring and in child care facilities that average a 25-35%
turnover rate.
For Older
Adults
Enhances
Socialization: Older
adults remain productive, useful, and contributing members of society. They
increase interaction with children and youth and engage more with one another to
prevent isolation in later years.
Stimulates
Learning: Older
adults learn new innovations and technologies from their younger counterparts.
Increases
Emotional Support: Intergenerational programs afford older adults an opportunity to participate in
a meaningful activity. This decreases loneliness, boredom, and depression while
increasing self-esteem. Older volunteers report more enriched lives, a
rejuvenated sense of purpose, and increased coping skills for their personal
struggles.
Improves
Health: Helping
contributes to the maintenance of good health, and can diminish the effect of
psychological and physical diseases and disorders.
*information adapted from the
EPA-Aging Initiative program |
