Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community Submitted by Christie Nelson Communications Consultant Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community

Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community (WECCC) is a charitable community-wide movement to strengthen community belonging and quality of life. We help people across Windsor-Essex who are elderly, disabled, or isolated. Since 2015, the WECCC movement has been building relationships with local service agencies and community groups for collective impact. Together, the community is committed to helping people organize a circle of care around them so that they feel supported throughout their aging and end of life journey. The project includes 1:1 coaching by community volunteers, caring neighbourhoods, life and living well workshops, and outreach to people who are vulnerable. Our neighbours helping neighbours program matches peoples’ skills, strengths and talents with those in need. Imagine, for example, that you are an older person who has limited mobility. You need to find someone who can help you carry in your groceries.  At the same time, you love to play the piano and can offer to teach others to play. We help build relationships between young people and seniors, and across neighbours so that it becomes natural to exchange time and talent. Now imagine you are living in isolation and feel you have no one to turn to for help. Our community coaches will help you ask for the help you need, set goals, take action to address the challenges you face, and connect you with people you trust to build a life-long network of care around you. Our initiative is truly intergenerational, mobilizing youth as coaches and as good neighbours. Windsor-Essex Compassion Care Community is helping all people to “live well” in their community, by encouraging everyone to reach out with kindness and compassion to the people around us, and to use our natural talents and passions to connect with others.

How to Live Forever , a new book from Marc Freedman and Encore.org’s Gen2Gen campaign Submitted By Stefanie Weiss Strategic Communications Director Generation to Generation

In How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations (released in the US on Nov. 13), Freedman—now 60 and a member of the older generation he has studied for decades—delivers this powerful message: Uniting the generations is the key to societal survival in our more-old-than-young world. It’s what young people want and need. And it’s the surest route to happiness and well-being in later life. Having traveled the globe in search of innovators bringing older and younger people together, Freedman writes about a beloved columnist in London calling boomers to second careers in the classroom, and about Singapore’s grand plan for multigenerational living. We learn about organizations like Pushy Moms, a growing group of 60-something women who help community college students get into four-year colleges, and Nesterly, a new intergenerational homesharing service for older people with room to spare and college students who need low-cost housing.  Enlivened by the stories of Freedman’s own mentors—a sawmill worker turned Foster Grandparent, a university administrator who served as Einstein’s driver, a cabinet secretary who won the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Freedman’s own father, a gym teacher who spent his retirement years organizing track meets for elementary school students— How to Live Forever is, as Jonathan Rauch ( The Happiness Curve ) calls it, “as heartwarming as Tuesdays with Morrie ” and “an inspiring and timely manifesto for a better future.” “The era of age apartheid is ending,” Rauch writes, “and Marc Freedman’s beacon lights the way ahead.” For more about the book, go to howtoliveforever.org . And for more about Encore.org’s Generation to Generation campaign to mobilize 1 million adults 50+ to stand up for and with young people, go to iamgen2gen.org .

The CoNGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity at the UN – Programmes and Collaboration Submitted by Kevin Brabazon, Rosa Perla Resnick & Susanne Seperson

On December 11, 2017 the CoNGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity (COIGENS, 2018), formerly the Sub-committee on Intergenerational Relationships, CoNGO Committee on Ageing (UN) presented a programme to celebrate the 69 th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). It was sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the UN with the collaboration of Generations United, CoNGO, the Armenian Women’s Association, the CoNGO Committee on Migration, the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the group of friends of older persons to the UN in NY. The programme focused on how intergenerational relationships can contribute to the prevention, protection and full enjoyment of the human rights of young and older persons, by displaying a broad set of examples in which intergenerational partnerships and solidarity help to achieve social inclusion, social integration, social cohesion, the promotion of human rights and the attainment of sustainable development. A panel of experts presented some areas where intergenerational relationships can catalyze the enjoyment of human rights of persons of all generations such as early childhood development and education; domestic care; living arrangements; migration; remittances; social security and protection schemes; and political, economic and social participation. The following recommendations of the UN Political Declaration and Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (April 2002) provides a critical context for the work of COIGENS: “Solidarity between generations at all levels, in families, communities, and nations is fundamental for the achievement of a society for all ages”…”Despite geographic mobility and other pressures of contemporary life that can keep people apart, the great majority of people in all cultures maintain close relationships with their families throughout their lives. These relationships work in both directionswith older persons often providing significant contributions both financial and crucially in the education and care of grandchildren and kin. All sectors of society including governments, should aim to strenghthen those ties!!”

Intergenerational Programs & Collaborations Submitted by Sarah Gibbens Knowledge to Practice Specialist, Caregiver Education and Training Project, Regional Geriatric Programs of Ontario

The Regional Geriatric Programs (RGPs) of Ontario is listening to caregivers of older persons with frailty. Frailty is a condition that severely impacts the quality of life of older persons and their family or friend caregivers. Approximately half of all seniors over the age of 85 are believed to be frail (National Institute on Aging, 2018). The RGPs of Ontario caregiver education and training project is a co-design effort meant to harness the powerful stories of family and friend caregivers in order to create meaningful educational tools for caregivers across the province. Caregivers of frail seniors are often unsupported but remain a significant reason for the success of why so many frail seniors are able to remain at home for as long as possible. As a result of this project, caregivers of different ages, generations and perspectives are coming together with individual experts representing their local community support services to network and to share what caregivers want to learn more about and what information caregivers have decided that all caregivers should know more about. Some form of education for caregivers will be created as a result of this co-design process with an overall goal of reaching approximately 25,000 caregivers with this newly developed education by 2020. If you are a caregiver of a frail older family member or friend and would like to have input into the creation of educational tools for caregivers, we would love to hear from you. For more information about how you can be involved in this innovative and intergenerational project, please feel free to connect with sbacque@rgpo.ca or sgibbens@rgpo.ca

Age-Friendly Sharjah Submitted by Sharjah Age- friendly city program

Under the support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qassimi, member of the Supreme Council of the Federation, Ruler of Sharjah, and according to the strategic plan of Sharjah age friendly city program, Sharjah has implemented many initiatives to promote intergenerational programs in 2017 and 2018. This article illustrate some of these initiatives. First initiative, Sharjah Chess Cultural Club organized a Chess Tournament coinciding with the International Day of Elderly. All ages are allowed to participate in the tournament. Elderly presence in Sports organizations will enhance their role, because of the experiences and the practices they have acquired over many years. Second, Department of Suburbs and Villages Affairs (DSVA), has decide to integrate the elderly and retires in the formation of the district councils of the five suburbs in Sharjah. This will help the elderly to become more integrated into society. Third, during the holy month of Ramadan, Department of Social Services in Sharjah celebrate the holy month with the elderly people by “Barakat Al Dar” initiative, which is a group breakfast with the elderly people residing in Sharjah Social Welfare Complex and their guests from the volunteers and employees from Sharjah organizations. It aims to honoring the elderly for their noble roles and in response to their generosity during the past years. Fourth, department of egovernment has launched “GoSharjah” navigation app with features designed specifically for the Elderly in order to have easy access to Sharjah city services. In addition to “Dose Organizer” app that help to regulate the daily doses of medicines and many other benefits. To conclude, these initiatives are just examples of many initiatives that promote intergenerational and collaborations in Sharjah in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the high follow up committee for Sharjah’s member in the global network of age friendly cities.

‘Stories and Skills – Across the Generations’ –  An Intergenerational Project Submitted by Helen O'Sullivan Seniors & Disability Engagement Officer City of Belmont

“It] seems like I have relived my life. So, so many memories have come back. It’s a topic of conversation with my family and friends. Frequently people say to me ‘do you remember this or that’. Just fantastic!” The City of Belmont (the City) is a metropolitan local government based in Perth, Western Australia. It has had an Age-Friendly Strategy in place since 2012. In a recent review undertaken with older residents, a number of concerns were identified: Experiencing social isolation due to losing friends and family; Lack of confidence in using technology; Limited opportunities to engage across generations; and Safety concerns based on the rapidly changing cultural diversity within the City. In response to this the City developed the intergenerational project ‘Stories and Skills – Across the Generations’, which created opportunities for both younger and older people to develop greater confidence in communicating across generations. The project aimed to contribute to addressing a number of Age-Friendly Framework domains and to support older people in maintaining functional abilities, allowing them to develop personally and be valued in their community. The project provided the opportunity for community residents across different ages and different cultures to meet and connect regularly over a 12 week period to share stories, skills, knowledge and experience. A total of 22 young volunteers (18-35 years of age) completed a full days training in capturing life stories. They were then paired with an older participant during a meet and greet session. Each weekly session introduced an element of technology including google maps, Facebook and general internet use. The group then broke up into pairs, with the older participant sharing elements of their life story which was recorded by the younger volunteer and developed into a booklet. Other activities were also incorporated into the project including board games, crocheting and a bus trip around the local government area. While some older participants were reluctant to engage fully in the technological component due to lack of confidence or lack of interest, all reported to having learnt something from this part of the project. Primarily, the story telling was the highlight of the project as memories were recalled and relations developed with their project partner. The final product, a compilation of their stories and a video showcasing the project, can be viewed at: http://www.belmont.wa.gov.au/Community/Seniors/Pages/Stories-and-Skills.aspx For further information on this project please contact Helen O’Sullivan at helen.osullivan@belmont.wa.gov.au .

The Bridges Project: Bridging Cultures through Generations Dr. John L. Lewis, Associate Professor School of Planning, University of Waterloo

There is a growing recognition that increasing cultural diversity lends strength and uniqueness to the fabric of a community. Particularly in the educational and human service fields, ‘cultural diversity’ and ‘cultural sensitivity’ are promoted as positive values. In a similar fashion, the intergenerational movement has always viewed differences between people as assets rather than as stumbling blocks and has sought to promote interaction and collaboration between diverse segments of the population. Intergenerational learning initiatives worldwide have grown from a desire to combat ageism and age segregation by creating programs and opportunities for interaction across generations.   The City of Waterloo’s growing cultural diversity has significant potential to impact relationships among youth and seniors in a variety of ways. In the fall of 2018, Waterloo will launch the Bridges Program (www.bridgeswaterloo.com), a unique intergenerational learning program that brings older adults from the City’s many ethnic communities to teach and exchange cultural knowledge with youth from their own and other cultural communities. Planned activities such as South Asian cooking, Caribbean drumming and Indigenous art classes provide an expanded opportunity for senior residents of diverse cultural backgrounds in Waterloo to share their traditions and customs with members of the broader Waterloo community in a social, non-academic setting. In effect, the Bridges Program is designed to tap into the resources of people of all ages, mobilizing the wisdom and experience of older adults and the energy of youth to meet the new challenges of a culturally diverse community.   Canada’s pluralistic society is recognized the world over as a model of rare achievement. The Bridges program builds on this achievement to further the capacity of Waterloo’s diverse citizenry, and provide an example to other Canadian communities, by bridging cultures through generations to foster stronger, healthier communities.

County of San Diego Christina M. Patch, JD, PhD, Community & Aging Policy Specialist Aging & Independence Services County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency

The County of San Diego is on a mission to make its communities even better places for older adults to live well and thrive. “The Boy Scouts were a hit,” said County of San Diego Intergenerational Coordinator, Pam Plimpton, referring to the recent success of an intergenerational workshop where Boy Scouts and other young people taught older adults how to use mobile phone applications. “The older adults had a blast learning about apps like Lyft and Facebook, and the young people liked being the experts.” The workshop was part of Age Well San Diego (Age Well), the County of San Diego’s, five-year plan to become an age-friendly community. The County joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2016 and spent the next two years gathering community input regarding the needs and priorities of its older adults. Many older adults expressed a desire for more opportunities to connect with younger generations. “Increasing opportunities for intergenerational activity is a key goal of Age Well,” said Christy Patch, the Coordinator of Age Well. “We have five Age Well teams, each with its own goals to make the county a better place for older adults.” The teams include Housing, Transportation, Health & Community Support, Dementia-Friendly, and Social Participation, and are led by the collaborative efforts of professionals and community volunteers.  The Social Participation team leads the intergenerational efforts, and organized the intergenerational workshop with the Boy Scouts. The team has since parlayed that success into a series of intergenerational technology workshops offered at two pilot locations in the county. “This is just the start,” says Pam Plimpton. “We have just begun implementing the Age Well Action Plan, so stay tuned for more great intergenerational activities.” For more information about San Diego County’s Age Well initiative, contact Christy Patch at Christina.patch@sdcounty.ca.gov .

Generation Games: All generations enjoying sports together! Submitted by Robbert Nesselaar International Generation Games Association President

The Generation Games is a fun and meaningful sporting event for people of all ages. Mixed-generation teams – for instance children, parents, grandparents – take part in this grassroots multi-sports event in the city centre. Everyone can take part regardless of fitness level. The event is about learning from each other, inspiring each other and having a good time. The aim is to achieve positive community impact through intergenerational collaboration: connecting people, social aspects, education, and stimulating a healthy lifestyle at any age are key and interrelated elements. Ideally in an age-friendly urban environment.   The event has been held in many cities around the world, including Rotterdam, Lausanne (part of Olympic Week), Oslo, Guwahati, Tampere, Salem, Geneva (in collaboration with the WHO), Lillehammer and many others. The event is organised by the community, for the community. This provides young talent, like students, the opportunity to get valuable experience, and older generations the chance to pass on their knowledge. For instance, the logo of the Generation Games was designed by a young intern, being coached by an experienced designer. Generations can learn a lot from each other. And generations complement each other, and by doing so form great teams. Research shows there is an clear correlation: active parents are more likely to have active children. And older people, sometimes a bit insecure about their sporting performance, feel at ease while participating in a family team. With a focus on having a good time and taking part, not necessarily on competing and winning.   The non-profit Generation Games concept is 100% shared: there is no bidding procedure, no licence fee, open source, much flexibility, do-it-yourself. Cities receive the creative framework, practical information, communication materials. Then, it’s up to the city itself, together with local sports clubs, volunteer networks, schools and universities, to organise the event.   Two short videos: Rotterdam (2012) Viana do Castelo (2017)   International Generation Games Association www.generationgames.com info@generationgames.com

Toronto HomeShare Pilot Project Submitted by Tonya Salomons, MSW, RSW - NICE Raza Mirza, PhD - NICE Andrea Austen, MA - City of Toronto  Laura Martinez, MSW, RSW -NICE  Lynn McDonald, PhD - NICE

With a less than 2% vacancy rate in Toronto 1 , the ability to secure reliable and affordable housing is waning, regardless of age. For post-secondary students in Toronto, housing affordability and attainability may be a source of stress. Despite low vacancy rates, up to five-million empty bedrooms across the Greater Toronto Area, often in the homes of older adults 2 , are a resource to be explored. With this in mind, and knowing that older adults want to age-in-place 3 , the Toronto Seniors Strategy and Accountability Table put forward an innovative home sharing solution that would allow ‘overhoused’ older adults access to financial and social supports to help them stay in their communities longer; to promote intergenerational engagement, and to leverage this opportunity to subsidize rent for students. Funded by the Ministry of Seniors Affairs, the City of Toronto partnered with the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE), an international not-for-profit in the field of aging, to implement the Toronto HomeShare Pilot Project.   Although homeshare programs are not new, the current model is novel as it is fully facilitated from start-to-finish by a team of social workers, and a research/evaluation component is embedded within the program. The project team matches older adults (55+) willing to share their homes with a student looking for affordable housing. The matching process also includes a vulnerable sector screening, group interview and education session. In exchange for reduced rent, students contribute up to five hours weekly to the household, and can include, preparing/sharing a meal, light chores, and seasonal maintenance. To date, 11 matches have been successfully facilitated, with the matching process streamlined to 10 days. While the extra supports for older adults are often beneficial, most simply enjoy the companionship, the security of not always being home alone, and they welcome the intergenerational connection.  For more information, contact tonya.salomons@utoronto.ca 1 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 2 Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis 3 World Health Organization

Ageing Nepal - Intergenerational Programmes and Collaboration Submitted by Prasamsa Shrestha Nursing Officer Ageing Nepal

Older people are the source of immense knowledge, skills, experience and wisdom, and have enthusiasm and energy when collaborating with younger people. So, collaborative relations between them create a win-win situation. However, there is not any platform to initiate collaborative action of both generations for our social development. Most of the research on intergenerational has focused on grandparent-grandchild relationships as these relationships are associated with comprehensive outcomes – positive attitude towards older people, interest in gerontology, more understanding of elder abuse and so on. Their collaboration enhances social networks within communities and family members as well. Dhana Maya Lama, 75-years-old, Aarubari, Nepal, a student of Basic Literacy Class for Older people said, “My granddaughter helps me with my homework. Even when I was unable to recognize numbers, she helped me to learn and use a mobile phone”, she added. Such programmes for older people help to eliminate negative stereotypes about ageing, reduces anxiety about older people's own ageing, improve older people's performance on cognitive tests and enhance their use of technology. According to the findings of National Harris Poll Survey of 2,000 U.S adults, “93% agree that children and youth benefit from building relationship with older people in their communities. And 92% believe that elders benefit from building relationships with children and youth.” In Nepal, the older population accounts for about 10% of the total population. Although no survey has been done in Nepal, the trend of intergenerational collaboration can be seen in few activities like rehabilitation for both generations in the same house, where generations are kept together so that they can help each other. It is very important to recognize the value of intergenerational collaboration for educational, social, professional and personal development.

Intergenerational initiative builds awareness of career opportunities in the aging care sector Submitted by Hilary Dunn-Ridgeway, Director of Communications, Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging

With an aging population, the demand for seniors care and living continues to rise. Yet in Canada, many senior living providers are struggling to fill positions and attract new hires. Intergenerational programs offer an exciting opportunity for youth to experience the many benefits of working with older adults.  A new intergenerational initiative is being led by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging in partnership with the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (Ontario CLRI). The goal of this work is to increase secondary students’ awareness of the many rewarding career opportunities in the long-term care and retirement sector. Secondary schools are always looking for meaningful co-operative (co-op) and volunteer placements for their students, and long-term care and retirement homes are in need of volunteers. With the breadth of roles available, from care to recreation to accounting, students gain valuable experience and learn first-hand the benefits of a career in seniors care. The initiative is a win-win for all involved. The program also serves to change the often-negative public perception of life in long-term care and retirement homes. Younger generations get a chance to see how vibrant these communities truly are, and build relationships with a generation they don’t normally connect with.  A think tank is planned for fall 2018 to bring together researchers and stakeholders from across the long-term care, retirement, and education sectors to share their learnings on intergenerational initiatives and discuss how to build and maintain partnerships. The findings will be packaged into a toolkit to support secondary schools and long-term care and retirement homes in developing their own initiatives. The toolkit will be made freely available in 2019.  To learn more, visit the Ontario CLRI website at clri-ltc.ca .

Submitted by Colleen Diskin Communications Director Age-Friendly Teaneck

The looming geriatric workforce crisis extends far outside the borders of Teaneck, New Jersey. But in the spirit of “think globally, act locally,” Age-Friendly Teaneck decided to tackle a root cause of the problem – the misconception, particularly strong among young people, that working with older adults is a joyless pursuit. Four high school students participated in a four-week summer internship designed by three of our community partners. They helped plan and run activities for residents of an assisted living residence, shadowed social workers and learned the inner-workings of a home-care agency. The interns were exposed to almost every type of geriatrics profession, through Lunch&Learn sessions with elder-care professionals and tours of a local hospital, nursing home and two independent living communities. The internship arose from our local leaders’ belief that ageism and our country’s youth-oriented culture are partly to blame for young people’s disinterest in the geriatrics field. Age-Friendly Teaneck believes in the importance of creating opportunities for young and old generations to interact and learn from each other. This internship program, for which we secured private funding, will be a big component of those continuing efforts. We surveyed these four young people at the end of the summer and were pleased with their reviews. One intern credited the internship with helping her decide to major in nursing. Another said she felt the experience would help her have a better relationship with her own grandparents. Better still, all four offered to serve as ambassadors for the age-friendly mission by helping us promote next year’s internship to their classmates. Going forward, Age-Friendly Teaneck hopes to work with other communities interested in replicating this internship program, which our leaders see as a small but important bridge toward better respect and empathy between the generations. Age-Friendly Teaneck is one of five initiatives in Bergen County, NJ, funded by the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation to seek solutions to the challenges faced by older adults who want to age in place in their suburban communities.

Social Inclusion and Participation (SIPP) Project Pauline de Lange Martinez, Director of Regional Development,  Center for Age Friendly Excellence,  http://www.cfafe.org  Margriet de Lange, MA, Project Director,  Senior Inclusion and Participation Project sipp.cafe@gmail.com

Over the recent years there has been a growing public attention to the almost invisible epidemic of isolation and loneliness among older adults in our communities, leading to a shift in our understanding of its impact and in particular its implications for mental and physical health. We now know that feelings of loneliness can negatively affect both physical and mental health; and that senior isolation increases the risk of mortality.  SIPP   stands for Social Inclusion and Participation Project and our intention is to better understand this social problem and develop sensitive and meaningful ways to intervene. Overall it is about creating community; creating caring, intergenerational communities.   SIPP is working with community partners, faith communities and many youthful local ‘befrienders’ to reach out with Senior Brunches, Senior Tech Events and Senior Creativity Events   and many more one-on-one activities to gently bring lonely older persons back into a caring community. Each event fosters meaningful relationships and outcomes. For example, when a young couples’ wedding was coming up, attendees helped to decorate the wedding cake. During one of the brunches, a young woman played violin. She found out one of the older adults at the brunch was also a violinist, and now the two attend regular concerts together. In an event focused on creativity, stations are set up with a variety of art or fine arts projects, led by individuals of all ages. Final projects are shared with the local homeless community. During the Senior Tech Events, high school students share about cyber security, and Boy Scout troops provide one-on-one tutoring for older adults who have questions about their tablet, smart phone, or laptop.  By bringing diverse people together around meaningful activities, relationships are formed, and individuals form connections within their local neighborhoods. To learn more, visit www.sipproject.org SIPP has received funding and institutional support from: Los Altos Community Foundation, El Camino Healthcare District, Center for Age-Friendly Excellence (CAFE)

Kindred Care Summer Camps Mary Ellen Ruddell Director, Programs and Services, Lumacare

“I liked getting to meet the grandmas and grandpas” 3 ½ year old Kindred Camp participant, 2018 Lumacare 1 , a multi-service, community sector, seniors agency in North York, Ontario, Canada, recognizes that participation in intergenerational programs has a positive impact on quality of life and well-being across agess 2 . These impacts can be found in life skills, reduced isolation, socio-emotional support and a decrease in negative attitudes children may have toward seniors. Programs and services at Lumacare support a full continuum of care that sees its core as the family and the community. “An Intergenerational lens that becomes a reality through our programs is a natural outcome of Lumacare’s Vision and Values”, says Susan Doyle, Executive Director. In 2013 Lumacare began a goal to provide daycare that included connecting children and seniors from visual contact through to shared experiences. Lumacare has since operated four Kindred Care week-long summer camps. Children, staff, clients and caregivers have provided positive feedback and declared them successful. Curriculum for the week centres on separate, age appropriate activities in common areas as well as shared activities known to be of interest to all ages. Crafts, baking, singing, exercise and guest speakers all play a role in the camps success throughout the years. Adult day program spaces are temporarily transformed by adding children’s toys, books, puzzles and child size furniture, believed to enhance the engagement of the older adults.  Over the years, success has been seen in a reduction of disinhibited and anxious behaviours for clients living with dementia as well as staff who are more engaged and involved. Where do we go from here? Future development would see a full operational daycare, or a permanent annual camp for children of Lumacare staff that would provide intergenerational opportunities with clients of Lumacare’s Adult Day Programs. Lumacare. Programs & Services. http://lumacare.ca/programs-and-services/. Published 2018. Galbraith B, Larkin H, Moorhouse A, Oomen T. Intergenerational Programs for Persons With Dementia: A Scoping Review. J Gerontol Soc Work. 2015;58(4):357-378. doi:10.1080/01634372.2015.1008166.

Aging of the Population in Line with the Generations Submitted by Suzanne Garon, Full Professor and researcher, Research Center on Aging (CDRV), Université de Sherbrooke, and Director, WHO Collaborative Centre for Age-friendly Cities and Communities CAN-97  Anne Veil, MSS., Research supervisor for the research team MADA-Québec, CDRV, Sherbrooke, Québec Stéfanie Fournier, Student in the Ph.D. program in Psychology, Université de Sherbrooke

As the population ages we have an opportunity to trace the progress that science and public policy have made in response. Some see the aging population as nothing but a gray tsunami, while others perceive an essential opportunity to ask questions about society pertaining to solidarity and intergenerational equity. In 2006, the Quebec Institute for Statistics published a study revealing that Quebec has one of the most quickly aging populations in the world. The publication of this study was a wake-up call to public decision-makers. Since then, all subsequent governments have paid specific attention to this demographic phenomenon, particularly by adapting the social environments and the built environments through the Age-Friendly Cities (AFC) program. Since 2008, several evaluations and case studies have been conducted by the Quebec Age-Friendly Cities research team of the Center for Research on Aging to better understand the facilitating factors and obstacles faced by municipalities and RCM (Regional County Municipalities) in the realization of their Age-Friendly approach. A summary analysis of intergenerational projects in the AFC program shows very diversified projects and activities. Several aim at creating an intersectoral structure to work more effectively on intergenerational issues, such as funding organizations or creating a mechanism for consultation between school partners and organizations for seniors. Many cultural and outdoor activities are identified in the action plans (fishing, gardening, cooking, sewing, crafts, etc.) as well as physical activities (Wii sessions). Other projects focus more specifically on safety: Trottibus (a pedestrian route on which seniors accompany schoolchildren, ensuring their safety) or neighborhood festivals promoting mutual aid between generations. Lastly, projects for learning or knowledge merging, such as sponsorship or pairing, cover diverse fields (carpentry, mechanics, technologies, traditional crafts, etc.). These are small but important gestures with great impact for all the partners involved.

iLABi - Intergenerational Laboratory of Innovation Submitted by Eleonora Barone, Fundadora y directora mYmO

In February 2018 from mYmO we launched the iLABi - Intergenerational Laboratory of Innovation , a training-action lab, designed for people who are unemployed. iLABi focuses on the opportunity to PROVIDE PEOPLE with the necessary tools in order to CARRY OUT PROJECT-BASED WORK . The iLABi consists of 6+6 weeks of training and action sessions to understand the social economy and new business models . We train people with INNOVATIVE TOOLS , such as Design Thinking, Business Model Canvas, Service Design, etc. iLABi is also INTERGENERATIONAL in order to break down stereotypes based on age. TALENT IS AGELESS , however we are still discriminated against because our age, either for being “too old” or “too young” in the case of young people who find their access to the labour market blocked due to a lack of experience. The possibility to work with people from a broad range of ages provides both emotional and professional benefits . We want people to CREATE OPPORTUNITIES RATHER THAN LOOK FOR JOBS . We want to activate a CRITICAL MIND SET in order to recognise the problems that we can see in our environment, being able to turn them into labour opportunities. iLABi is a practical experience where people TRAIN and WORK . iLABi is a COMMUNITY PROJECT . We work in a network putting local and community values at the forefront in order to be part of the solution. iLABi is SOCIAL INNOVATION in itself, like a Social Business Incubator, because of its format as a laboratory, its content and above all by considering unemployed people as “Agents of Change” it is connected to other ways of creating employment.  iLABi is INTERGENERATIONAL as it connects people of different ages that suffer the same discrimination when unemployed. iLABi is a POWERFUL TOOL in order to showcase our own iKIGAi and build healthier societies with greater socio-economic wealth.

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