By Eunice Lin Nichols, CoGenerate & Bobbie Laur, Campus Compact
We are thrilled to announce the next phase of Campus CoGenerate! With support from MetLife Foundation, Campus Compact and CoGenerate are expanding efforts to mobilize campuses in preparing older and younger generations to join forces to secure a more stable economic future for all.
America is the most age-diverse society in history, yet campuses remain highly age-segregated. Age segregation is not just a problem—it’s a missed opportunity to build valuable relationships and networks that can drive personal and professional growth. To bridge this gap, we are focusing on three key areas where older and younger generations are present but rarely connected:
- Continuing Education: Older adults engage in upskilling and reskilling but often remain disconnected from younger learners.
- Lifelong Learning Centers: Older adults are positioned primarily as learners rather than active contributors or collaborators.
- Civic and Community Engagement: Programs often focus on one-directional mentoring, missing the opportunity for shared learning and relationship-building that grows social capital and expands access to economic resources.
Introducing the Campus CoGenerate Affinity Network Launching in April, the Campus CoGenerate Affinity Network will bring together 100 higher education leaders and students to advance cogeneration and expand social capital. In partnership with Campus Compact, this network will:
- Foster collaboration and peer learning through relationship-building activities that enhance both professional and personal growth.
- Serve as a platform for cogenerational innovation focused on expanding economic opportunity and building networks of support across generations.
- Engage diverse institutions, including community colleges, HBCUs, HSIs, rural, and faith-based colleges.
Ways to Get Involved:
- Stay Connected: Sign up for the Campus Cogenerate affinity network today to get updates and learn about opportunities to get involved in the network at launch.
- Steering Committee Leadership: When you sign up, apply to be part of the inaugural leadership team, co-designing the network’s structure and activities.
- Compact25 Meet-Up: Join us at Compact25 for a roundtable and networking.
- Affinity Network Coordinator & Senior Fellow Roles: Explore leadership roles focused on student and institutional engagement (details coming soon).
Our vision is to create a lasting network where students, community members, and higher education leaders can share promising cogenerational practices, develop new campus-community partnerships, and collectively advance economic inclusion for all generations. Students will have the opportunity to gain leadership experience, expand their professional networks, and engage with campus leaders in shaping inclusive, collaborative spaces.
This work will be guided by a diverse steering committee and a group of Campus CoGenerate Fellows with expertise in intergenerational collaboration, ensuring that all voices, including student perspectives, play a critical role in advancing this mission. Join us in this groundbreaking initiative to transform campuses into spaces where older and younger generations learn, work, and thrive together. Let’s unlock the power of cogeneration for a brighter economic future for all.