Volume 16 | Issue 48 | December 1, 2021
Generations This Week
News for Advocates of Children, Youth and Older Adults from Generations United
Join Us for the Release of Our 2021 State of Grandfamilies Report
Join Generations United on December 9th at 3:00 PM Eastern for the release of the 2021 State of Grandfamilies Report, Reinforcing a Strong Foundation: Equitable Supports for Basic Needs of Grandfamilies

Across the United States, more than 2.6 million children are being raised in grandfamilies (families where children are raised by grandparents, other relatives, and close family friends). This year’s annual State of Grandfamilies report highlights how the systems and services that help U.S. families were not designed for grandfamilies, leaving children and caregivers in these families with inequitable access to key resources to help their families thrive. Attendees will hear directly from caregivers about their families’ strengths and the challenges they face. The event will feature report highlights including updated national and state data on grandfamilies and key recommendations to address inequities and provide critical supports to serve grandfamilies well.
Generations United's Advisory Group on Diverse Intergenerational Programs - APPLICATIONS CLOSE TODAY
Generations United is seeking individuals interested in joining an Advisory Group on Diverse Intergenerational Programs. The objectives of the Advisory Group are to help identify and elevate high-quality intergenerational programs across the US that are inclusive and culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse. Members will represent a broad range of expertise, including intergenerational practitioners, researchers, and program participants. Learn more and apply by Dec. 1 (Today!).
2021 Eisner Prize Celebration and New York City Launch
On Wednesday, December 8, The Eisner Foundation is celebrating their newest Eisner Prize winner the Institute for Empowered Aging at United Neighborhood Houses of New York and will share details about their new grantmaking effort in New York City. This free virtual event is open to anyone interested in intergenerational programming. For those with intergenerational programs in New York City or Los Angeles County, this is a great opportunity to learn more about their grantmaking process and ask your questions. Register here.
New Endowment Supporting Penn State Intergenerational Program
We were thrilled to learn about the new endowment to support the work of our good friend Dr. Matt Kaplan and the Penn State Intergenerational Program. This recognition of Matt's leadership and scholarship not only helps solidify the foundation of intergenerational work in Pennsylvania but will benefit all of us who rely on the excellent tools and resources developed by Matt and the Penn State Intergenerational Program. One major initiative now underway is the Pennsylvania Intergenerational Conference, currently scheduled for July 5–7, 2022, in State College. Learn more.
COOL IDEAS - Virtual Age-Friendly Film Festival
The County of San Diego has been working with community partners on the Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship. This four-month fellowship provided young adults with stipends and mentorship to produce their own short films highlighting the importance of ongoing local efforts to build age-friendly communities where people of all ages can be healthy and thrive. The fellowship included mentorship, access to equipment, and a $2,000 stipend. Upon completion, the short documentaries were screened at a live Age-Friendly Film Festival in November. A virtual version of the festival will be presented on December 8th from 6 – 8 PM (PST). The virtual film screening will be followed by a Q&A with several of the participating filmmakers. This virtual screening is FREE but registration is required. Register here.
Thank You to Our Members and Supporters
Generations United thanks Jaia Peterson Lent for her contribution. Consider making a donation today to help us unleash the potential of a society that values all generations. If you're an organization, join us!
Think Intergenerational - Funding Opportunities
Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Education Grants Program supports education projects that promote environmental awareness and stewardship and help provide people with the skills to take responsible actions to protect the environment. The Program offers financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques. Deadline: Dec. 6, 2021. Learn more.

Public Humanities Projects Program. This initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities supports efforts to bring the ideas of the humanities to life for general audiences through public programming. Projects must engage humanities scholarship to analyze significant themes in disciplines such as history, literature, ethics, and art history. Deadline: Dec. 8, 2021. Learn more.

NEW Food Security Efforts Funded - Department of Agriculture. The Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program seeks to improve food and nutrition security in low-income communities through a food systems approach and social determinants of health framework. Two types of grants are available: Community Food Projects and Planning Projects. Community Food Project grants support the development of projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects self-sustaining. Planning Project grants provide support to complete a plan toward the improvement of community food security. Deadline: Dec. 20, 2021. Learn more.

JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth. The JAMS Foundation/ACR Initiative for Students and Youth provides grants—ranging from $15,000 to $40,000—for conflict prevention and dispute resolution programs for pre-K-12 students and for adults working with youth populations in ways that directly transfer conflict resolution education (CRE) skills from adults to youth. The focus for 2022 is on utilizing conflict resolution education and training for youth to create opportunities to prevent and manage conflict in the following settings: foster care, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, school, and after-school programs, and youth correctional facilities. Deadline: Jan. 14, 2022. Learn more.

National Endowment for the Arts. The Big Read supports the development of community-wide reading programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. These programs include activities such as author readings, book discussions, art exhibits, lectures, film series, music or dance events, theatrical performances, panel discussions, and other events and activities related to a specific book chosen by the community. Deadline: Jan. 26, 2022. Learn more.

American Rescue Plan Funding Opportunities. AmeriCorps Seniors' focus with this opportunity are applicants who can demonstrate how they will engage adults age 55 and over in impactful national service to address one or more of the identified priorities. AmeriCorps Seniors prioritizes serving communities that are hard-to-reach and/or those that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Deadline: Feb. 3, 2022. Learn more.

The CareSource Foundation supports programs that improve health outcomes and conditions for low-income, underserved populations in the communities the company serves in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. The Foundation provides Community Grants to nonprofit organizations that address one or more of the following areas: 1) health education, disease management, and prevention programs; 2) programs that promote healthy births and enable vulnerable newborns, children, and parents to thrive; 3) programs that help rebuild healthy neighborhoods, reduce health inequities, and create economic opportunity for vulnerable populations; and 4) education programs that prepare the next generation of professionals, and foster a high-quality, diverse workforce. Applications for Community Grants may be submitted at any time and are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Learn more.

If you have—or know of—any intergenerational funding opportunities, please send them to gu@gu.org.
Think Intergenerational - Great Resources
ZERO TO THREE Resources on Parenting for Social Justice
ZERO TO THREE has developed helpful resources on the topic of parenting young children through a thoughtful, truthful, and equitable lens. Their library of “Parenting for Social Justice” resources are helpful for parents, caregivers, and those wanting to learn how to raise children who will stand up against racism and injustice. Learn more.
Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act Initial Report to Congress
On November 16, 2021, the Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren released its initial report to Congress. This report outlines the joys, challenges, gaps, and unmet needs faced by kin and grandparent caregivers. It also describes federal programs currently available to assist them and provides 22 recommendations for better supporting kinship families and grandfamilies. Learn more
RRF Foundation for Aging Releases Issue Brief on Social and Intergenerational Connectedness
RRF Foundation for Aging has released an issue brief on one of its four priority funding areas—social and intergenerational connectedness. Engaged and Thriving: Promoting Social and Intergenerational Connectedness, describes RRF’s support for innovative projects to address social isolation and loneliness, and the development and implementation of new assessment tools to measure these issues and their impact. Learn more.
Generations United Resources
Latino Grandfamilies: Helping Latino Children Thrive Through Connection to Culture and Family. This new toolkit is designed to give resources and tips to child welfare agencies, other government agencies, and nonprofit organizations so that they can better serve all Latino grandfamilies regardless of child welfare involvement. Learn more.

Sharing Our Space: A Toolkit for Developing and Enhancing Intergenerational Shared Sites is designed for individuals and organizations interested in creating an intergenerational shared site or enhancing services at their current site. Divided into 10 sections, the toolkit details every step of the development and operation process, from initial planning to sustaining long-term shared site programs. Each section includes effective practices, challenges, tips, examples, and concrete tools gathered from researchers and practitioners from across the field, organized towards the goal of assisting readers in planning and implementing high-quality shared sites. Learn more.

Making the Case for Intergenerational Programs provides rationale and facts to help make the case for intergenerational programs. It is based on a comprehensive review of the literature on intergenerational programs and highlights evidence-based findings on how intergenerational programs benefit everyone. This resource aims to strengthen and expand intergenerational programs and support the growing field of practice by increasing the knowledge and skills of people working to connect and support older adults, children, and youth. Learn more.

Fact Sheet: Intergenerational Programs Benefit Everyone, serves as a companion piece to Making the Case and provides a synthesized overview of the benefits. Learn more.

Staying Connected While Staying Apart: Intergenerational Programs & the COVID-19 Pandemic shares what we have learned about intergenerational engagement during the pandemic, including some of the research findings and a list of inspiring intergenerational initiatives focusing on creativity, art, and storytelling; helping each other; accessing vaccines; tutoring and mentoring; pen pals; and shared sites. We conclude with tips for addressing the digital divide; lessons learned; a checklist for virtual intergenerational programs; and resources to help you get started or strengthen your intergenerational work. Learn more.

Generations United's 2020 State of Grandfamilies Report—Facing a Pandemic: Grandfamilies Living Together During COVID-19 and Thriving Beyond. Grandfamily caregivers are the first line of defense for children during the pandemic, having stepped in when parents cannot raise them for many reasons, including cases where children's parents have died from the COVID-19 virus. Download the full report, watch Senator Sherrod Brown's award acceptance speech, and listen to stories of grandfamilies impacted by COVID-19. Learn more.

Staying Healthy Across Generations: Vaccines are Essential for All Ages. Generations United's new infographic illustrates that vaccines aren't just for kids-they protect all generations- especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying up to date on vaccines for the flu, pneumonia and whooping cough is important to protect both older adults and children. Check it out.

“Hard to see the light now, just don’t let it go, things will come out right now, we can make it so. Someone is on your side. No one is alone.” - No One Is Alone, Into the Woods (Stephen Sondheim)

We want Generations This Week to be a real resource for you. Please send us any national news on intergenerational issues in addition to upcoming conferences, funding opportunities, research, reports, and webinars. You can connect with other intergenerational enthusiasts through our Facebook group. Please also let us know how we can improve! Email us at gu@gu.org. We'd love to hear from you!

Best,
The Generations United Team
Treat Yourself GRAND!
As a reader of Generations This Week, you are eligible to receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND - The Lifestyle Magazine for Awesome Grandparents. 

That's a $26 value for 12 issues delivered right to your inbox. Get valuable offers and inspirational articles like our column on GRAND Families, and more.