The Gen2Gen campaign concluded in 2020, but we are continuing the work to elevate innovators and ideas that bridge generational divides. Visit Encore.org for updates.
Estimated number of children helped by Gen2Gen supporters and champions
The survey says…
A June survey returned by more than 1,000 Gen2Gen supporters finds:
90%90%
Regularly interact with people of different generations
70%70%
Play an active role in the life of one or more young people
78%78%
Experience a sense of meaning and purpose from intergenerational connections
“I worked for 49 years with children, youth and college students. Finding Gen2Gen has renewed my desire to help others my age help children and youth.”
— Anita Faber Spencer co-author, First and Ten Team Mentoring
4,654
Number of people who have taken Gen2Gen’s “Are you living in an age bubble?” quiz
Total number of times the hashtag #Gen2Gen has been seen on social media
109 million
Potential media impressions from articles mentioning the Gen2Gen campaign
“Gen2Gen caused me to reflect on the mentors we onboard for our mentoring program and how important it is that more of those mentors are 50+.”
— Elizabeth Aman Faithful Friends Mentoring Program
#1
On the Wall Street Journal’s list of the year’s best books on aging well!
How to Live Forever by Gen2Gen Co-Chair Marc Freedman has been making news (click logos to read articles).
#1
On the Wall Street Journal’s list of the year’s best books on aging well!
How to Live Forever by Gen2Gen Co-Chair Marc Freedman has been making news (click logos to read articles).
“By making our program more accessible to older adults, we saw our number of 50+ volunteers rise from 300 last year to over 400 this year. It’s probably no coincidence that this year we’ve seen some of the best student literacy results we ever have in Los Angeles.”
Winners of the Gen2Gen Summer Fun(d)received $250 each to subsidize creative ideas for bringing the generations together — like banjo lessons, dancing, painting murals, doing oral histories, reading, gardening, cooking and so much more!
Building on Success
FIRST 5 Santa Clara County is expanding its use of older volunteers from a few sites to 27! Soon, 200 older volunteers will be helping 650 young children at local family resource centers across the California county.
“Age segregation is this invisible bedrock of society. When Gen2Gen launched, it felt like a consciousness-piercing moment, a powerful antidote that put forward practical solutions. I’m really excited to see a future in which unlikely partners come together and join the movement. I think Generation to Generation has revealed that there are allies everywhere.”
— David Hsu Author, Gen2Gen Advisor
Try it, you’ll like it!
As the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities engages more older adults, attitudes are changing. Here’s a look at how much staff perceptions have changed in just one year.
50+ talent will help our organization meet its mission
Year One: 47% agreed47%47%
Year Two: 76% agreed76%76%
Our organization will be better able to serve our community because of 50+ talent
Year One: 50% agreed50%50%
Year Two: 86% agreed86%86%
“Applying an intergenerational lens to our work has proven to be not only valuable but critical to our continued success.”
— Susan Dreyfus President & CEO, Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
Generation Citizen Recruits Older Coaches
“Having Encore Democracy Coaches in classrooms building relationships with the kids is a gamechanger! At our school, we pride ourselves on being lifelong learners. This experience has taught us the importance of being lifelong activists.”
— Chris Mee, teacher, Hyde Park, MA
“An Encore Democracy Coach helped me type a letter to my senator. I was struggling to try to put it in my own words, and she encouraged me to keep going and find my voice.”
— Student participant in Gen2Gen pilot with Generation Citizen
A student group working with Encore Democracy Coaches to find solutions to gang violence won Generation Citizen’s Collaboration and Diversity Award. The students encouraged legislators to pass H1229, a bill that would establish an Office of Youth Development to connect youth to jobs and afterschool programs.
