By Natalie Furlett, Senior Director of Member and Student Engagement at Campus Compact
College campuses are natural places for cogenerational work, where knowledge is not bound by age but instead shared across generations to enrich academic and civic life. Our partnership with CoGenerate to create the Campus CoGenerate Affinity Network has brought together institutions across different geographies and types to showcase how uniting generations of learners can spark not just friendship and understanding, but a deep appreciation for the ingenuity of co-generational partnerships.
As we launch the monthly meetings of the Campus CoGenerate Affinity Network, we hope to inspire more campuses to engage in age-friendly, intergenerational practices that open their doors to learners of all ages to enrich the shared learning experience. The intersection of youthful energy with seasoned perspective make campuses ideal laboratories for building democratic habits of dialogue, collaboration, and collective problem-solving.
By addressing our shared challenges as a generation-spanning collective, together we can build a more secure, sustainable future that centers education and dignity for all.
Cogenerational engagement in practice
Learn about existing campus programming where older people and younger people come together to achieve common goals.
Lasell Village: Where lifelong learning means something different
Inspired by Lasell University and sharing its campus, learn about the nation’s first senior living community that requires each resident to commit to a goal-oriented program of education.More
Intergenerational connection
Graduate students at Dominican University can take part in a a four-week project as part of the Successful Aging: Communities of Care and Intergenerational Experience course in which student help volunteers over age 65 write stories from their lives.More
Arts-centered model for intergenerational co-housing at Drexel University
A $ 1 million grant will support Drexel's Second Story Collective, an arts-centered model for intergenerational co-housing, focused on affordable homeownership in West Philadelphia.More
Lori’s Hands: Impacts on participating students
Lori’s Hands is a service learning organization based in Delaware that serves individuals living at home with chronic illness. Each year over 100 community members are served by student volunteers from the University of Delaware. More
Get involved: Cogenerational Engagement
-
Are you actively leading or aspiring to lead cogenerational work? Join the Campus CoGenerate affinity network! The affinity network begins with a kick-off meeting on October 15 at 1pm ET. Affinity network members will meet regularly for networking, partnership building, sharing best practices, and collaborating on cogenerational engagement.
-
Revisit two recent webinars hosted by Campus Compact and CoGenerate that focus on cogenerational work:
-
Bridging Generations in Higher Education provides an introduction to the affinity network and shares real-world examples of this work in action
-
Campus Innovation for a Multigenerational Society explores a new study by CoGenerate, “Can Intergenerational Connection Heal Us?” that uncovers how bridging generational divides can spark connection and innovation
-
-
Submit your cogenerational idea or innovation for the CoGen Big Ideas Challenge to Reimagine Higher Education. Selected applicants will receive support for their Big Idea, including professional videography, a place in a peer cohort, and national visibility.
-
Join CoGenerate’s upcoming 10/7 webinar, “Three College Presidents on Cogeneration, Innovation, and Higher Ed’s Bottom Line.”
-
Read the recent paper “The Power and Promise of Intergenerational Collaboration: Higher Education Institutions as Proving Ground,” for findings and recommendations that explore the power of intergenerational collaboration at colleges and universities.
-
Encourage students on your campus to join the Campus CoGenerate Student Ambassador program.
Join Campus Compact
To leverage the full benefits of Campus Compact at your institution, join our coalition. Campus Compact membership offers valuable information, powerful networks, and opportunities to work collectively with peers across the country.