Connecting youth with socially isolated seniors
A community of practice is a group of people who share a passion, interact regularly and learn from each other. This community of practice was formed in 2020 to bring people and communities together and to develop programs connecting youth with socially isolated seniors. The Intergenerational Linkages Community of Practice is a group on the Collaborative Online Resources and Education (CORE) Alberta platform. It’s a knowledge hub for community-based seniors serving organizations and is intended to be a forum to build the following:
Awareness around issues seniors and youth face
Connections between seniors and youth
Skills to create and deliver programs focused on reducing social isolation across generations
When COVID-19 forced us into our homes and amplified the community challenges of finding ways to reduce social isolation in older adults and promote youth community connection, I knew we had a responsibility to support our local communities. The Intergenerational Linkages Community of Practice was launched to increase inclusion and give seniors and youth a sense of purpose—improving physical and mental health outcomes.”