About
Our Mission
To educate middle and high school students about aging and facilitate intergenerational programs that connect youth and older adults in dynamic activities that benefit both populations.
Programs are developed in partnership with local high schools, recruiting students to participate as part of their community service graduation requirement. Students convene after school to plan structured activities appropriate for elderly residents in nearby assisted living facilities. As part of the after-school program, students are trained in basic principles of adult development and aging as well as practical techniques for working with older adults who have cognitive and physical limitations.
Students design and lead activities that target cognitive stimulation, social interaction, and physical movement. Examples of activities are music, life storytelling, art, and dance. Students draw on their own interests in these areas to help them feel comfortable working with elderly individuals.
Outcomes of these programs are benefits to both populations and to the community. Specifically, older adults feel a sense of purpose, connection to others, gain cognitive stimulation, and engage in social interaction through telling their stories to students.
Adolescents improve self-esteem, learn to be with older adults, learn about history, and fulfill social service and academic requirements. Finally, with changing demographics, society needs more people knowledgeable and willing to work with elderly populations. Intergenerational programming is a solution to this growing problem.
Link Generations was founded by Lori N. Marks, PhD based on her 25 years in education and gerontology. She has built a vast network of professionals through teaching at the University of Maryland University College, leading the education and training division of a national medical association, volunteering in local schools and assisted living facilities.
Dr. Marks earned her PhD in Health Education from the University of Maryland, an MS in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State, and a BA in Psychology from Wellesley College.
Your Donations at Work
Senitivity Kits
Including shaded glasses, gloves, and cotton for students to experience what it is like to have reduced vision, sense of touch, and hearing.
Training
Including shaded glasses, gloves, and cotton for students to experience what it is like to have reduced vision, sense of touch, and hearing.
Arts & Crafts
For participants to create theme-based projects that facilitate smiles and conversations.
Provide Snacks
Participants to share together, helping them feel more comfortable with each other.
Facilitation Tools
To facilitate conversations to ease participants in interactive discussions.
Evaluation Tool
To measure the benefits of Link Generations programs on participants of all ages.
Link Generations was recognized as a 2018 Program of Distinction by Generations United, the national policy association founded to improve the lives of children, youth and older people through intergenerational collaboration. The Generations United Program of Distinction is awarded to organizations with the most effective intergenerational programs based on tested metrics that determine high quality. By winning this designation, Link Generations becomes a nationally-recognized benchmark program.
Link Generations was recognized internationally in 2021 by UpSocial Canada, a nonprofit organization that began ten years ago in Barcelona, Spain to address social challenges in communities. UpSocial Canada launched the Caring Community Challenge for Toronto’s Bathurst and Finch Neighborhoods, focusing on models that “bolster feelings of belonging and social inclusion.” They identified more than 90 programs worldwide as models that have fostered greater inclusion across cultures and generations. They narrowed down the 90 programs to 24 feasible models for the Toronto community to review and further narrowed their search to 14 case studies. From those case studies, three innovative approaches were selected to pilot within the Bathurst and Finch Neighborhoods. Link Generations was selected to be one of those three programs.
We piloted the Link Generations program via zoom in the Toronto community in November 2021 and February 2022. You can read more about the program here.