Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets. -- Leonardo Da Vinci
One of our core values at Bridges Together is lifelong learning. Young or old, we all have something to learn (and teach!), so why not have fun learning together?

Take a look below at some of the ways Bridges Together promotes learning:  

Learning & Celebrating: BT Party on April 2  
   

What a day! On April 2, Bridges Together gathered at Longfellow's Wayside Inn to celebrate 25 years of the Bridges program and 5 years of our incorporation as a 501(c)(3). Click here for a recap!

We were delighted that our guests could learn more about three individuals who have been pivotal in Bridges Together's journey:

Ruth Griesel, former director of the Sudbury Senior Center; Emmett Schmarsow, Program Manager for Councils on Aging and Senior Centers at the Executive Office of Elder Affairs; and Dave Stevens, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging.
 


The event also served as a great way for our guests to learn about ALL of the work that Bridges Together does! 
   
Please enjoy some photos of the event taken by Susan Ogar Photography

One of the original Bridges volunteers, Bob Vannerson and his wife, Alice.
Last year's honoree Dr. Edgar Klugman with a young guest.


  
Thank you to the Wayside Inn for creating a beautiful cake to look just like our event's logo!
BT Board Chair Chris Hammer with Ruth Griesel, former director of the Sudbury Senior Center.


Learning in Community   

Since December , four Massachusetts communities have learned about the benefits of creating community-wide intergenerational initiatives. Thanks to funding from the Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging, Bridges Together has trained teams from Ashland, Barnstable, South Hadley and West Boylston. Take a peek:

 
Back in December, Ashland had a record-breaking 15 community organizations represented at its first training. Andrea was honored to attend the first outgrowth of Ashland's grant: an oral history project between the high school and senior center.   



In January, Barnstable became the fourth community to be trained by BT. Read more about Barnstable's plans here.


South Hadley created a wonderful Veterans' Recognition Breakfast that was profiled in The Daily Hampshire Gazette. You can read more about that event here.

Bridges Together also trained members of the West Boylston community in December. Stay tuned for this community's intergenerational initiative...!

A true community-wide affair: Barnstable's Intergenerational Leadership Team includes students from Barnstable High School!
  


Learning With Your Loved Ones  
 
It doesn't take an official program to create an intergenerational moment with those in your circle of love. Take a look at these Bridges Together-created ways to engage with someone of a different generation:


Scavenger Hunt at Longfellow's Wayside Inn
. Bridges Together has teamed up with our landlord (aka the historic Wayside Inn) to create a scavenger hunt around the site's grounds and structures. If you're near Sudbury, this is the perfect way to spend a sunny day. Click here for more information.


 
This way to intergenerational engagement!
Did you know that Bridges Together regularly publishes free, downloadable resources? These How-To Guides are perfect for use at home or in a more structured community organization setting. Some of our offerings include:

Take a look here to see an entire listing of all of our How-To Guides.  



Bridges Together is Learning Too!     

Bridges Together is partnered with Ernest Gonzales, PhD, of the Boston University School of Social Work to analyze data from the Bridges Program Curricula Suite. We were delighted when he told us that the Bridges program is a perfect example of a prejudice-combating program, according to Allport's Contact Hypothesis. What does that mean? Click here to read more!


Bridges Together will be at Generations United's conference in Milwaukee in June. Not only will Bridges Together be accepting an award for the Bridges Program Curricula Suite, a Generations United Program of Distinction, but Andrea will be sharing about Intergenerational Month and the Bridges Program Curricula Suite.



Did you catch our announcement that Bridges Together has merged with Intergeneration Month? We are particularly excited to learn about YOUR stories since we are ensuring that the organization's intergenerational story contest continues. Stay tuned as we announce details about this year's contest, which will coincide with Intergenerational Month in September!

 
 


Want to Learn More?  
Bridges Together is on a mission to make our vision a reality! Click here to read about our updated mission and vision statements.

One easy way to learn more about the work that Bridges Together does, as well as intergenerational issues in general, is to connect with us on social media. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
 
 

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Bridges Together, Inc.
The Gatehouse at the Wayside Inn
47 Wayside Inn Road, 1st Floor West
Sudbury MA 01776

BridgesTogether.org