Creating intergenerational connections
Before the pandemic, YSOP introduced youth to volunteer service by placing young people to serve in soup kitchens, food pantries and other agencies serving people neglected by society. Our focus was on helping youth put a human face to a serious problem through direct, hands-on service. Unfortunately, COVID-19 made it impossible to continue that work safely.
To adapt to our new world, YSOP launched a new program called YSOP Connex that facilitates virtual meetings between young people and senior citizens from anywhere in the country. Connex brings students and seniors together in small groups to connect, converse, and learn through virtual conversations and in-person service projects. YSOP is committed to providing safe, shared spaces for intergenerational participants to share their thoughts and feelings and to learn from each other. We feel that crossing generational lines provides invaluable access to new perspectives and knowledge that we have seen can change lives in small and unexpected ways.
There are two program models. One allows for entirely virtual conversations so that participants can join from around the country in their own spaces. These programs include three one-hour sessions on Zoom, one hour each week for three weeks. The other is in-person and gathers volunteers to collaborate on projects such as making blankets or celebration boxes for children experiencing homelessness. Both models keep groups small to promote safety and engaging conversation.
These programs are free to all participants.
YSOP Connex provides youth participants with orientation to promote safety, clarify expectations, and deepen understanding. A YSOP Connex trained staff member facilitates and monitors each meeting and helps provide direction and guidance as needed. The staff member ensures that all participants have time for reflection, which we believe is critical to the overall meaning of the immersion experience and its relation to people’s everyday lives.
For more information, please email us at edoty@ysop.org.
