Older adults throughout different cultures are revered for their wisdom and experience. The younger generations greatly benefit from their elders imparting their wisdom and sharing their life lessons. There is also the added benefit of reducing social isolation for seniors while fostering intergenerational connectedness.
Numerous studies have shown the benefit of mentorship programs between older adults and children/adolescents. While mentoring helps to bridge the generational gap, both parties benefit from sharing ideas, learning new skills, and just being together! If you would like to get involved in mentoring, check out some of the resources below:
Mentoring.org: MENTOR’s mission is to fuel the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships for America’s young people and to close the mentoring gap for the one in three young people growing up without this critical support.
Experience Corps: AARP Foundation Experience Corps is an intergenerational volunteer-based tutoring program that is proven to help children who aren’t reading at grade level become great readers by the end of third grade.