Increasing the Power of Intergenerational Programs: Advancing an Evaluation Tool.

Intergenerational practitioners responding to a 2018 national survey identified a need for evidence-informed evaluation tools to measure program impact. The Best Practices (BP) Checklist, a 14-item (yes/no) measure assessing the extent to which an intergenerational program session maintained effective intergenerational strategies, may help meet this need. Yet, researchers have not validated the measure. In this study, we begin the empirical validation process by completing an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the BP Checklist to offer insight into possible item reduction and an underlying latent factor structure. Using BP Checklist data from 132 intergenerational activities, we found a 13-item, 3-factor structure, reflecting dimensions of: (a) pairing intergenerational participants, (b) person-centered strategies (e.g., selecting activities reflecting participants' interests), and (c) staff knowledge of participants. Our study represents a foundational step toward optimizing intergenerational program evaluation, thereby enhancing programming quality.

Implementing Intergenerational Best Practices in Community-Based Settings: A Preliminary Study.

Evidence-based intergenerational (IG) programs bring youth and older adults together in shared activities and promote socioemotional health across age-groups. The core components of these IG programs include 14 IG "best practices" that should be implemented during IG program sessions to optimize program effectiveness for both youth and older adult participants. Despite the proliferation of IG programs across the United States, it is unclear the extent to which these IG best practices have been implemented in the community. This preliminary study assesses the implementation of IG best practices at two community-based sites by program leaders who participated in a multifaceted professional education intervention for IG best practice use. Implementation of best practices was measured through the Best Practices Checklist completed by program leaders and trained coders as well as through narrative written comments. Program leaders indicated that they were able to consistently implement six out of the 14 IG best practices in 46 IG sessions, whereas the best practice named "Adaptations to equipment were made" was least likely to be implemented. Analysis of narrative comments indicated that (a) the group arrangement of participants and (b) program leaders' familiarity with activities also influenced implementation. While many IG best practices can be implemented in the community, some best practices can be implemented with greater ease and consistency. Training resources can support IG best practice implementation; however, our multifaceted professional education intervention may benefit from the addition of case examples or vignettes to depict potential strategies for optimizing evidence-based IG practices.

Addressing Children's Nutritional Needs with Community-Based Participatory Action Research.

BACKGROUND: The absence of consistent, reliable, culturally appropriate access to nutritious food places children's development at risk. Nutrition education programming that is delivered using intergenerational strategies may help optimize children's access, consumption, and knowledge of healthy foods. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to present the development, implementation and lessons learned from the first year of Food for a Long Life (FFLL) programming-an intergenerational community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) project joining Extension staff, researchers, and community partners to increase families' knowledge, access, and consumption regarding healthy food in a food insecure community. Preschoolers, their family members, and older adults were recruited from two preschools and one adult day services center. METHODS: Collaborations with community stakeholders informed the development and implementation of intergenerational nutrition education delivered during FFLL programming. Preschoolers, families, and older adults participated in twenty-six nutrition education sessions during the programming year. Parents of preschoolers completed the Household Food Security Survey (HHFS) and the Healthy Kids measure. Semistructured interview data from staff were also collected upon the conclusion of programming. RESULTS: Preschoolers and their families were found to have marginal food security but relatively healthy eating behaviors. Staff believed FFLL programming enhanced preschoolers' eating behaviors (e.g., increased willingness to try new foods). Continued collaborations with community partners were viewed as essential to program success. CONCLUSIONS: Relationship-building among intergenerational community members, Extension staff, and university researchers strengthens trust and may expand the reach of FFLL programming and research components.

Experiential education through project-based learning: Sex and aging.

Myths and stereotypes of sex in late-life prevail. Unless the workforce is prepared to address the sexual health needs of older adults, it is difficult to disrupt ageism in professional settings. We evaluated a two-day project-based workshop designed for undergraduate students about sex and aging. Using content analysis, we examined open-ended responses from 41 undergraduate students. Three themes depicted the value of experiential project-based learning. Participants (1) appreciated the opportunity to develop transferable pre-professional skills, (2) demonstrated comfort and utilized creative strategies to discuss a sensitive topic, and (3) attained a greater awareness of late-life sexual health and behavior. Providing training to undergraduate students helped close the knowledge gap about issues of late-life sexual health and behaviors. Participants developed skills for translating knowledge into practical resources. It is critical for gerontology educators to identify strategies to deliver sex and aging education to enhance services for older adults.

Exploring intergenerational study abroad to promote Age-Friendly Universities (AFU).

Intergenerational study abroad programs can provide opportunities for academic institutions to become more age-friendly. With a robust market of both older adult educational tourists and university study abroad students, there is an opportunity to integrate the age-segregated travel groups by collaborating to provide intergenerational study abroad. By diversifying the ages of study abroad participants, group experiences may lead to transformative learning related to self-awareness. This multi-disciplinary review examines literature from the gerontology, tourism, and education disciplines to determine specific approaches for achieving shared educational outcomes through intergenerational study abroad. This exploratory paper outlines a theoretical framework for college and university-sponsored intergenerational study abroad, identifies overlapping areas of student study abroad and older adult educational tourism, and provides recommendations for creating an intergenerational learning opportunity that extends beyond the academic campus and exemplifies the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. Finally, a discussion of implications for gerontology education and potential challenges of implementation is provided.