Intergenerational volunteering is a collaborative effort that intentionally brings together individuals from different age groups—typically seniors and youth—to work toward a common goal. This practice is a modern reimagining of the close-knit, multi-generational communities that were once more common. Today, these programs offer a structured way to reconnect generations, providing significant benefits to participants and the wider community. A prime example is a shared-site program, like one pairing a daycare center with a senior living facility, but many other models exist that bring diverse ages together for meaningful service.
The Power of Shared-Site Volunteering
One of the most effective and direct models of intergenerational volunteering is the shared-site program. This involves co-locating facilities for different age groups, such as a daycare or school within a retirement community. The interactions that occur naturally in these spaces provide rich, meaningful opportunities for connection and collaboration. In such a setting, the volunteering is often integrated into the daily routine rather than being a one-off event. The key to its success lies in designing specific activities that facilitate intentional interaction, ensuring both age groups feel valued and engaged.
For example, the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens has coordinated teenage volunteer programs in its residential buildings, collaborating with local schools. Student volunteers organize and coordinate activities for the residents, which can include games, entertainment, gardening, and creative writing sessions. Through these regular, low-stakes activities, friendships develop organically, enriching the lives of both the young volunteers and the senior residents.
Benefits of Shared-Site Intergenerational Volunteering
- Improved Health and Well-being: Both seniors and youth report enhanced mental and physical health. For seniors, interaction helps combat social isolation and can boost cognitive function. For youth, it offers positive role models and a greater sense of purpose.
- Reduction of Ageism: Exposure to one another's lives and perspectives helps to break down stereotypes. Young people gain a more realistic view of aging, while seniors gain a deeper understanding of the younger generation's challenges and triumphs.
- Increased Community Cohesion: These programs knit the community together, strengthening social bonds and creating a more inclusive environment where all members, regardless of age, feel a sense of belonging.
Technology-Focused Intergenerational Volunteering
Another popular example is a technology training program where young volunteers provide tech support to older adults. In this model, teens or college students teach seniors how to use smartphones, tablets, computers, and social media platforms. This type of program is a perfect example of two-way skill-sharing. While the younger generation transfers modern technical knowledge, the seniors often share valuable life experiences and historical insights, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.
A common activity might involve a teen volunteer helping a senior set up a video call app to connect with a distant family member or showing them how to use a new app. The senior, in turn, might share stories from their life, provide advice, or teach the teen a traditional skill, such as knitting or baking. This creates an environment of mutual respect and learning that transcends generational differences.
Outdoor and Environmental Volunteering
For those who prefer working with their hands and connecting with nature, outdoor and environmental projects offer a fantastic intergenerational volunteering option. These projects bring together all ages to work on tasks such as maintaining a community garden, planting trees, or conducting park cleanups.
A community garden, for instance, provides a perfect setting for skill exchange. Older volunteers, who often have a wealth of knowledge about gardening and horticulture, can teach younger volunteers about planting, cultivating, and harvesting. Young people can provide the physical labor for more demanding tasks, as well as introduce modern ideas about sustainable practices. This shared work promotes teamwork and allows both generations to contribute their unique strengths toward a tangible, positive outcome for the community. The Minnesota-based AGE to age program, which connects young people and adults in rural areas for various projects, is a strong example of this model.
Intergenerational Volunteering Models Comparison
| Feature | Shared-Site Volunteering | Technology-Focused Volunteering | Outdoor/Environmental Volunteering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Location | Co-located facilities (e.g., senior center + daycare) | Libraries, community centers, or remotely via video call | Community gardens, parks, and other green spaces |
| Key Activity | Regular, spontaneous interactions and planned events | Targeted tech training and reciprocal wisdom-sharing | Hands-on projects like gardening, planting, and cleanup |
| Main Skill Exchange | Life skills, storytelling, and mentorship | Digital literacy from youth; life wisdom from seniors | Gardening techniques from seniors; physical labor from youth |
| Benefit to Participants | Reduced loneliness, improved social skills, positive role models | Enhanced communication, new skills, dispelled stereotypes | Teamwork, improved physical health, visible community impact |
| Best For | Building sustained, familial-style relationships | Bridging the digital divide and modernizing skills | Community beautification and hands-on collaboration |
Conclusion
What is an example of intergenerational volunteering can be seen in many forms, from co-located centers fostering daily interactions to specific projects focused on technology, arts, or environmental causes. Ultimately, the success of any intergenerational program lies in creating intentional opportunities for different generations to connect, share skills, and build lasting relationships based on mutual respect. By moving past age-based stereotypes, these programs strengthen community bonds and enrich the lives of everyone involved, proving that collaboration between young and old is a powerful force for social good.
AARP Experience Corps Case Study
A powerful, large-scale example of intergenerational volunteering is the AARP Experience Corps program. This initiative engages volunteers aged 50 and older to serve as tutors and mentors to elementary school students in urban public schools. The program's core goal is to improve children's reading proficiency by the end of third grade, an essential educational benchmark. The older volunteers receive comprehensive training and support, ensuring they are well-prepared to make a meaningful impact in the classroom. For the children, the benefits extend beyond academic improvement, offering them consistent mentorship and positive role models. The older adult volunteers also experience significant positive outcomes, including reduced social isolation, a stronger sense of purpose, and better mental and physical health. The Experience Corps demonstrates how a structured, intentional program can produce quantifiable educational outcomes while simultaneously strengthening community ties and improving the well-being of volunteers and beneficiaries across generations.
Examples of Intergenerational Volunteer Projects
- Gardening and Community Clean-up: Seniors and youth work together to maintain a community garden, with older adults sharing horticultural knowledge and younger people providing physical labor.
- Oral History Projects: Students interview senior residents about their life stories and historical events. These interviews are then compiled into a book, video, or podcast, preserving local history and fostering deep connections.
- Technology Mentoring: High school or college students visit a senior center to help older adults learn to use new technology, such as smartphones, social media, or video-conferencing tools.
- Shared Creative Arts: Different generations collaborate on art projects, such as painting a community mural, creating a quilt, or putting on a musical performance.
- Literacy Tutoring: Older adults serve as reading mentors for young children in a school or community setting, as exemplified by the AARP Experience Corps program.
- Community Meals and Food Banks: Young and old volunteers work side-by-side to prepare meals at a soup kitchen or sort and pack food at a local food bank.
- Pen Pals: An organized program where young students and older adults regularly write letters to one another, sharing stories, experiences, and advice.
- Shared Programming: A daycare located inside a senior care facility where children and residents participate in daily activities like storytime, games, and crafts.
