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Spring 1996 Vol. 10 No.3Continuance is a quarterly newsletter funded by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. It is a collaborative project of the 32 Higher Education Cooperation Act partners in Illinois Contents
Front PageElementary school student sparks partnership meetingThe Illinois Intergenerational Initiative Partnership Meeting was enriched by the comments of Kay T. Norris, a 4th grade student from Baldwin School in Quincy. She spoke about the importance of getting to know nursing home residents and the talents they can share. Dick Kinch, Senior Program Specialist from the Johnson Foundation in Racine, WI congratulated KayT on her leadership and challenged the group to be concerned about the future of children. Kinch's realistic vision of the coming decade gave many good reasons for collaborative efforts among the group representing educational and aging organizations and state agencies. Thirty of the 32 partners attended the March 7 meeting in Springfield. John Haller, VP for Academic Affairs, SIU; Ivan Lach, Deputy Director, IL Community College Board, and Shawn Jeffers, Associate Director, Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities, welcomed the group. Joan Wood, Pekin Public Library and Carla Gosney, John Wood C.C. spoke about coalitions that work. Jeanne Bradner, IL Commission for Community Service chaired the meeting. C.J. Sizemore, MHDD, was host. More on page 7. Rummage Sale for Mentoring ProgramWhen it looked like the mentoring program at Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago might have to end, the mentees, mentors, and parents resolved they would do something about it. Their answer was a rummage sale. Senior citizens, students, and community residents gathered times, baked, and priced the items. According to Dee Spiech, Director of the Program, "Volunteers, parents, and youth were the biggest buyers; they worked hard and had fun." The good news is that they were successful in raising money so that the program will continue. Page TwoIllinois R.E.A.D.S. continues expansionThe Illinois R.E.A.D.S. (Retirees Educating and Assisting in the Development of Students), a program created by First Lady Brenda Edgar, is growing by leaps and bounds. Mary Selinski, Project Director, said they have been working closely with Project Success to expand intergenerational efforts in schools throughout the state. If you are interested in beginning a READS program, a video, guidebook, and technical assistance are available. Call 1-800-252-8966, Voice and TDD. Community Spruce-UpStudents and adult volunteers teamed up to help older residents in an intergenerational Spring Community Spruce-Up in Arlington Heights and surrounding communities. The Spruce-Up is sponsored by the Resource Center for the Elderly in cooperation with area schools and community clubs throughout the northwest suburban area. Each Spruce-Up "team" was made up on one or more adults and several area students, who helped with yard work, prepared flower beds, cleaned windows, installed smoke alarms, and other small projects. Contact Linda O'Leary, Resource Center for the Elderly, 847-577-7070. Variety of Intergenerational ProgramsReading, aging awareness, dancing, potlucks, theatre, planting trees, and more are found in classrooms and communities up and down the state. In fact, nothing seems to limit the creativity of teachers, students, and older adults when planning intergenerational activities together. "That's how I know my grandpa loves me""When my grandpa was teaching me how to fish I accidentally hooked his lip with the hook. He never yelled at me and didn't get mad. That's how I know he loves me." Troy Woodard, a fifth grader from Holy Angels School in Aurora, wrote these words that accompanied a computer drawn picture of the two fishing together. He was the winner of the Art and Essay Contest called Connecting the Generations, according to Connie Kobitter, Community relations manager for the Northeastern Illinois Area Agency in Aging. Many young people entered the contest and saw their work displayed on May 3rd and 4th at the Senior Lifestyle Expo in Westmont. Kobitter was enthusiastic about the event bringing old and young together. "Teachers called and said how thankful they were because the writing and drawing about grandparents opened up a dialogue on aging. The students found many rewards in doing this assignment." Contact Connie Kobitter, NIAAA, 708-293-5990. Service and LearningStudents from Chaddock School joined residents of the Veterans Home in Quincy to blow up balloons, decorate tables and prepare entertainment for St. Patrick's Day. Bill Martin, the teacher who coordinates the service program, says he is a strong proponent of service and learning programs because they help students develop leadership skills, become more confident, and learn about responsibility. The residents enjoy the students and the merriment they bring, but they also enjoy answering questions and telling stories about history and times past. Bill Martin, Chaddock School, 217-222-0034. Page ThreeOlder Adults on CampusOne of the best kept secrets about universities and community colleges is the involvement of older adults on their campuses. Most community colleges actively reach out to older adults as students through senior programming and lifelong learning. Universities also involve senior citizens through gerontology programs and other organizations often initiated by retired faculty. The following are three examples. Generations ConnectNorthern Illinois University hosted a Generations Connect meeting according to John Stolte, Director, NIU's Gerontology Program. Twelve members of a Stillman Valley senior citizens group developed an interesting dialog with five young energetic student leaders. The lively discussion touched on a wide variety of topics including perceptions of intergenerational changes in the family, the economy and job market, values, character, and style. The elders conveyed many interesting historical insights (e.g. what it was like to live during the WWII years, and how dealing with grandchildren differs from one's own children). university students and older adults discussed health issues and how one can have an impact on the aging process. Contact John Stolte, 815-753-0031. Films bring a lively dialogPeople used to dress up on Sunday and go to the airport to watch planes take off. It was a big deal! This was an interesting perspective for students who were born after we were regularly sending humans into space, and happened as students and retirees discussed the movie "The Right Stuff." High school students who attend summer classes at Northwestern University join older adults from the Northwestern University Institute for Learning in Retirement to watch films together and then discuss them. Each screening is followed by a pizza and salad supper. Four teenagers and 4 older adults at each table facilitate the discussion. The goals of this program are several. First, to create informal dialogs between people of different generations and thus broaden their perceptions. Since nearly everyone likes films and food, this is a pretty natural meeting place. The thinking of older adults is stretched by keeping them in touch with young people and young people grow when they are exposed to real personal histories. The Film Festival also offers an opportunity to get students out of their books and into the art of conversation and everyone has a great time. Contact Beth Hart, Northwestern University, 847-491-7724. Senior Professional Mentorship ProgramRetired professional share career advice and technical experiences with a student. In turn, the student shares insights into college life, the concerns of those soon to go into the work force, and the enthusiasm of youth and friendship. How does this happen? The Senior Professional Mentorship Program begins with a sandwich supper on a Sunday evening in early September where mentors and mentees meet each other and paired. What do they do? Conversation over lunch is very popular as well as dinners in seniors' homes and meals in college residences. Mentors familiarize the mentees with the community and introduce the mentee to others in their chosen field of work. Jay Edmonson, a Senior Professional, help his mentee, Rachel Liles make valuable contacts (to pg 7) Page FourIntergenerational IssuesThis new column is proving to be very popular because it gives new views of other populations and the similarities and differences of their organizational agendas. This issue portrays some disturbing statistics about children, and, at the same time describes the positive view of many that things can be better. The discussion from higher education is the notion of P*Q*P*, that is, the goal to make higher education more accountable and a more productive system. The next topic is the importance of support systems in the lives of older adults, and last, the notion of competent kids and how parents need to show their true priorities. Origin and Framework of P*Q*P* InitiativeIn October 1991, The Board of Higher Education Chairman Arthur Quern sent a letter to the Illinois higher education community that said, "Acting on priorities means that we put our support behind those things most important to our mission. Those things that are not as important to our mission and which we do not do well should be eliminated. The funds for building the future will not come from digging deeper into pockets already emptied but from making choices on what we must stop funding in order to pay for those things which we cannot allow to be under-funded." This letter provided the framework for the P*Q*P* initiative. Chairman Quern requested the entire Illinois higher education community to work to improve the quality of Illinois higher education by focusing on statewide, governing board, and campus priorities and making decisions to reinvest resources from low priority programs and activities to high priority programs and activities. The goals of the initiative are: *to provide accountability by demonstrating the high quality and productivity of Illinois higher education, *to focus statewide, governing board, and campus efforts on the highest priority state and campus programs and activities, and *to assist institutions in securing additional resources for high priority needs through reinvestment and to provide a mechanism for institutions to take charge of their future. Children and Families: The Good News and The Bad NewsQuite recently, the Hart Research Associates conducted a survey for the Chicago Community Trust. Their findings revealed that many adults, over 40% statewide and as many as 58% in Chicago, consider at least 50% of our children at risk of serious harm from drugs and substance abuse, pregnancy, violence, inadequate education and lack of parental support, (to pg 5) Competent KidsSome people believe that children today are more competent--that is, mare savvy and able to deal with the harsh realities of life--than children used to be. David Elkind says that's a myth invented by adults who need children to be competent. Elkind, professor of child study at Tufts University and author of Ties the Stress: The New Family Imbalance, says adults over-estimate the ability of children to cope. In a interview in Educational Leadership (April, 1996) Elkind says: "As I travel and lecture across the country, teachers tell me routinely that they see much more aggressive behavior and much more hostility on the playgrounds. We see many more learning problems. We see much more depression in children. These are all the stress symptoms of kids who are expected to be more (to pg 5) Page Five(from children pg 4)and youth at risk are those whom we believe face poverty, child abuse, malnutrition or other serious problems. We do not believe they will grow up to be healthy and productive members of our society. These are the children we fear will become parents too soon, will drop out of school and will die too soon. They are the subjects of TV news shows and newspaper headlines. These children and their parents are often singles out for negative attention and abuse; we seldom spend time working to provide strong community supports to help them to help themselves.Over 67% of Illinois adults believe that the problems of families and children at risk can be solved. They reject the idea that problems are so big and complex that we cannot martial the resources and the will power to solve them. In Illinois, we believe, as did Abraham Lincoln, that: "Our children will stand where we stand and do what we do." They are our future. (from competent pg 4) competent in handling all sorts of experiences than they really are." What do children need? According to Elking, the same things they've always needed: to know that they are important to their parents. "We talk a lot about quality time. Real quality time is when parents say, 'Look I know I have this meeting, but you are more important and I am going to come to your recital." Support Systems for Health and IndependenceAs an individual ages support systems become increasingly important. Some individuals are well connected and have ongoing support systems through family, churches, or friends. Others may have only themselves. Take the example of an 80-year-old who still drives and is independent. She has children who check on her daily by calling and asking "How are you?" "Is everything OK?" They also give her the opportunity to talk about security and her fears. The important thing is that she can stay in her home because of this support system. For others, the system may be provided by senior centers, park districts, and communities. But support systems are essential and generally available. Support systems are best when they maximize the potential of older adults to stay involved and independent, taking responsibility for as much of their lives as they can. Last week, I passed a park and noticed a group of 70 and 80-year-olds playing tennis. This is a great example of successful aging! Unfortunately many older adults become sedentary, get stuck in the scope of themselves, and don't reach out to programs that could help them. They become passive. The challenge for senior centers, park districts, and communities is to help older individuals stay involved. A fruit salad coalitionThe Pekin intergenerational Network was compared to a fruit salad as each member brought some fruit and added it to the bowl. When everyone had added their fruit, pudding was added to represent the thickening that holds it together. Such was the beginning of a very successful networking session bringing community organizations together to discuss how community needs could be met through their cooperative efforts. The events were funded through the Illinois State Library to promote intergenerational collaboration in communities. Joan Wood, the coordinator of the event, gave an overview of some of the activities planned including an (to pg 6) Page SixIntergenerational AchievementCongratulations to Mary Walsh who has just completed her Masters Degree in Gerontology from Northeastern Illinois University. Mary's thesis was a study of the attitudes of older adults regarding children in an Intergenerational program. Mary is a member of the Bridging Generations Coalition, representing the Illinois Association of School Boards. Congratulations on the degree and the intergenerational research! Congratulations to John Conyers on his article that appeared in Educational Leadership. A short excerpt follows. Building Bridges Between GenerationsDr. John Conyers, Superintendent, District 15, Palatine I was a fortunate child. Growing up, I was surrounded by the love and attention of my parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. They shared their knowledge and their life experiences. As a child, I took my family for granted. Looking back, however, I now appreciate their positive and lasting influence on me--especially when I see so many children who lack the support and frame of reference only a family can provide. Several years ago, Community Consolidated School District 15, which serves 12,000 students in seven suburbs in and around Palatine, began a concerted effort to reach out to seniors. Although we had a strong school volunteer program that involved many seniors, we decided to target them more directly. At the invitation of the Intergenerational Initiative of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, one of our elementary schools hosted a roundtable in which students and seniors shared their feelings about their life needs. The discussion showed that the two groups have many things in common: loneliness, the constant need for reassurance (Will I be liked?), and the fear of failure in their relationships. These findings, which became part of the final report to the White House Conference on Aging, strengthened our commitment to build bridges between school children and seniors. What better catalyst than the schools? Congratulationsto Illinoisans who attended Stand For The Children in Washington and to those who effectively organized the effort. Illinois was well represented with busloads of children's advocates--young and old. COMING:Networking Session LifeLong: Service and Learning in Community Colleges. When: June 11, 1996, 10 a.m. Where: Illinois Valley College, Oglesby. Contact: James Kafka, 815-244-8720. Chicago Intergenerational Network Presents "Chicago Congregations Link Generations." When: June 13, 1996, 1-2:15. Brown Bag 12:00-2 p.m. Where: Laboure House, 3938 N. Leavitt, Chicago. (from fruit pg 5)an after school program, a painting project, a picnic, and games, landscaping and continued activities with veterans in schools. Jane Angelis provided the keynote for the meeting and commended the group for their cutting edge approach to coalition building. Contact Joan Wood, 309-347-7111. Page Seven(mentors from pg 3) in the field of church camping. Jay, a retired business executive, lives near two camps. He introduced Rachel to the managers of both camps and provided a real life insight into the camping business.Another Senior Professional, Richard Stewart, a former CEO of a manufacturing company, mentored Ryan Koehl. Koehl, as student body president, led an effort to pass a student referendum that allowed a $42 million Campus Enhancement Project. Contact Norma Ashbrook, ISU, 309-438-2160. Presentation to the Illinois Association of School Boards"Intergenerational efforts will not move the earth buy you will be sitting on top of the world," was the theme of a presentation to the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of School boards. Mary Walsh and Jane Angelis gave an overview of the benefits to education and communities and how older adults can play an important role in school activities. Members of the board cited programs in their districts including a computer program, a reading program, visiting nursing homes, and more. The Illinois Association of School Boards was a founding member of the Illinois Intergenerational Initiative. The collaborative spirit started in 1986 and has continued for 10 years stemming from the leadership of Wayne Sampson, Executive Director. Bridging Generations CoalitionThe Aging and Education Coalition has changed its name to Bridging Generations--more closely representing the mission and activities of the coalition. Other business during the May 1 meeting, included information-sharing about issues regarding education, aging, and the volunteer sector as well as a preview of coming events. Some of the new resources available include a safety brochure from the State Board of Education, a new video in honor if the 100th anniversary of PTA, and AARP information centers in communities to attract baby boomers. The Anthology from Intergenerational Week, has been printed and is being disseminated by the Illinois State Library who will also notify the winners. Illinois Intergenerational Initiative HECA Partnership Meeting RecommendationsHigher EducationIdentify the intergenerational models for higher education. Publicize the benefits of intergenerational programs through conferences, regional consortia, telecommunications, resource book, internet, an WWW page. Foster relationships between people of different ages and break down misconceptions about older adults and students. Dovetail college land university activities in the areas of recruitment, retention, and public relations. State AgenciesConduct a public relations campaign to bring more attention to intergenerational activities. Foster interactive events that integrate families, community members, kids, and everyone to attend and participate. Find out what is in your community and help individuals understand what is available. Funding is nice but unnecessary in most situations. Lever-age resources that exist and are available. Share information at all levels from the state down to the community. Encourage staff to attend training sessions. Community and Education OrganizationsAdd an intergenerational component to the mission statements of education, community, and aging organizations. Use intergenerational examples in publications, brochures, and news releases as a way of publicizing the benefits of intergenerational programs. Share what we are doing with other organizations and develop collaborative ventures. Involve intergenerational programs in panels on conference agendas, exhibits, and workshops. Encourage the development of networks and coalitions in communities. Back PageComingA day for learning and sharing information on intergenerational programs. You will find everything you need to begin an intergenerational program or enrich an existing program. Intergenerational experts from all over the State will present a day jam-packed with ideas. The conference theme, Hand in Hand: Connecting Individuals and Communities, will high-light sessions such as tutoring and mentoring, model programs, school to work, building community partnerships, recruiting, fundraising, and more. Margaret Dixon, National President of AARP will provide the keynote. A resource showcase will feature "take with you" information on every intergenerational topic imaginable as well as a bountiful harvest of programming ideas. What: Intergenerational Gathering. When: September 13, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Where: Governors State University, South of Chicago at University Park. Is your program listed in the Illinois Intergenerational Directory?If you aren't certain, contact the Illinois Intergenerational Initiative for a form. Those who send information on their programs will receive a directory when it is completed this summer. To obtain a Directory form, contact Jane Angelis, Illinois Intergenerational Initiative, Mailcode 4341, SIU, Carbondale, IL 62901, or 618-453-1813 or FAX 618-453-4295. |