When we are on the road, creating StickTogether images at various community events, we love it when the participants span multiple age groups, from youngsters who are just learning their letters... to seniors. It's so wonderful to see them all collaborating at the board, conversing casually while 'stickering' together. We recently got an email from a customer, a grandmother, who was purchasing StickTogether as a way to bond with her grandchildren. One teacher noted that "it's not often that a kindergartener can work on the same project as 6th grader. StickTogether gives them the opportunity to create a mural as a learning community." And just this week, Kellyanne Burbage tweeted about her 'cross-generational event' with StickTogether in Charleston, SC.
All of this got us thinking about the benefits, and power, of intergenerational activities. While looking into this phenomenon we came across this groundbreaking report: I Need You, You Need Me: The Young, The Old, and What We Can Achieve Together. The report is published by The Eisner Foundation (Connecting Generations For Good) and Generations United, whose mission it is "to improve the lives of children youth and older people through intergenerational collaboration, public policies, and programs for the enduring benefit of all."
They found that "nearly 9 out of 10 Americans believe community programs that serve kids and older adults actually end up benefitting everyone." The infographic above includes dozens of other insights about the need for, and benefits of, intergenerational collaborations and interactions. We'd love to hear about your intergenerational experience with StickTogether and beyond!
Let's ALL StickTogether With Folks of ALL Ages