Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

1
Tried and true Building intergenerational
community through teaching, research, and
outreach Shannon E. Jarrott, PhD
Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University
INTRODUCTION
COMMUNITY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES
IG COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

• Care options for families with young children or
  frail elderly relatives include intergenerational
  (IG) programs, such as shared site
  intergenerational communities (SSICs), in which
  young and old persons receive ongoing services at
  the same site concurrently.1
• Important benefits of SSICs have been identified,
  including enhanced behavior and affect among
  participants2 as well as benefits for staff and
  family caregivers 3. IG research rarely focuses
  on other stakeholders.
• SSICs represent an opportunity to forge community
  capacity, or shared responsibility collective
  competence, thus enhancing sustainability 4,5.
• We implemented a community building project to
  enhance and sustain IG programming at a
  university-based SSIC. Our activities are
  described here.

• We focused on target and program results, paying
  attention to knowledge, behavioral, attitudinal
  indicators of goal achievement.
• Focus group interviews were conducted twice with
  program staff/students to assess change in the
  community.
• Findings Respondents identified greater
  administrative support, increased comfort and
  familiarity between program stakeholders, and
  psychosocial benefits for young and old alike.8
• Administrator interviews were completed
  individually regarding the importance of the IG
  component to the two programs.
• Findings Administrators reported the IG program
  was a selling point for individual programs.
  Issues of equitable support arose, but
  administrators reported commitment to sustaining
  IG contact.10
• Attitude surveys regarding IG exchange were
  administered to staff/student respondents to
  assess change in attitudes.
• Findings Those directly involved in IG
  programming experienced positive attitudinal
  change.8
• Attitude surveys regarding sense of community
  were developed and administered to assess
  staff/students experience in the project.
• Findings Item analysis yielded preliminary
  indicators of validity.11
• Planning/evaluation forms were completed for
  planned activities.
• Findings Adaptations were needed for most
  activities. Experiences with activities varied,
  but were generally positive.8

Based on our progress through the first three
steps of the Results Management process, we
focused on three main activities in Step 4. These
involved administrators, staff, students, and
participants from both programs.

• Infrastructure development Program
  administrators met twice monthly to discuss
  programs care philosophies, evidence based
  practices, and logistics for building staff
  partnerships and IG relationships.
• IG cross-training We developed and implemented
  several educational techniques, including
• IG cross-training sessions Semi-annual sessions
  oriented staff to care philosophies, policies,
  and practices, client characteristics, and
  guidelines for developing, implementing, and
  documenting IG activities.
• Orientation manual A manual specific to the
  SSIC served as a reference to background
  information covered in the cross-training
  session.9
• Training videos Short videos were developed for
  cross-training group discussion and to illustrate
  effective and ineffective facilitation practices.
• 3. Increased intergenerational contact To
  support ongoing programming that reflected the
  two programs desire for flexibility and
  structure, we coordinated three categories of IG
  opportunities.
• Structured activities Scheduled, small group
  activities took place in the IG studio between
  programs. Each class had 1-2 weekly structured
  activities.
• Scheduled visits Less formal, regular visits
  alternated between the classrooms and ADS for
  interaction requiring less planning. Each class
  had 1-2 scheduled visits each week.
• Spontaneous visits Unscheduled visits involved
  individual or small groups of participants (with
  staff). Reasons for spontaneous visits included
  the need to borrow materials or participants
  desire to share new projects.

RESULTS MANAGEMENT
Orthner Bowen6 created the Results Management
model to promote evidence based practices
(Figure 1). The model involves four iterative
steps, which we implemented at a SSIC involving a
child development center serving 50 children ages
15 months to five years and adult day services
serving 12-15 frail elders each day.

1. Client Needs/ Strengths
4. Program Activities
NEXT STEPS

• The use of a resource-allocation strategy, the
  Results Management model, is highly effective for
  building community at our SSIC.
• The SSIC infrastructure requires maintenance.
  Administrators continue to meet regularly, and
  new roles have emerged, including a student IG
  coordinator.
• Cross-training and issues related to programming
  are ongoing. The Results Management model gives
  us a useful tool for ongoing, integrated
  assessment and modification that reflect our
  needs and document progress towards our goals.
• We are currently working towards replication of
  our project at other SSICs

3. Program Results
2. Target Results
Figure 1. Results Management Model6

• STEP 1 Identify needs and strengths in the
  community.
• An early evaluation at the targeted SSIC7
  revealed a need for greater infrastructure,
  shared knowledge, regular IG programming.
• STEP 2 Identify target results or broad-based
  outcomes.
• Our identified target results8 included improved
  attitudes towards aging and enhanced quality of
  life for participants.
• STEP 3 Identify program results or short-term
  outcomes.
• Our identified program results7 centered on
  positive interactions for kids seniors and
  enhanced sense of community among staff members.
• STEP 4 Implement evidence-based practices to
  achieve results.
• The following focuses on Step 4 program
  activities that reflect the SSICs needs and
  strengths and desired target and program results.

• With a Results Management approach contributing
  to sustainability, we can use IG strategies to
  achieve diverse developmental and relational
  goals in our community.

Department of Human Development (0416)
Blacksburg, VA 24061. sjarrott_at_vt.edu
540-231-5434 Presented at the 33rd Annual
Meeting, Association for Gerontology in Higher
Education, Portland, Oregon, March 1-4, 2007