How can generations grow together? Intergenerational Learning in Early Childhood Settings
Places to Grow’s (P2G)* hosted its latest online Collective learning event during The Global Intergenerational Week (24–30 April), an annual worldwide campaign encouraging everyone to embrace intergenerational practice and relationships. The event introduced intergenerational learning (IGL) to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) practitioners and NGO staff. If you missed the event, you can watch the recording here.
This event was a valuable opportunity for those new to and interested in intergenerational learning to become acquainted with this strategy through two experts in the field, Giulia Cortellesi and Margaret Kernan from International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI), international coordinators of Together Old and Young (TOY) for Inclusion and the TOY Project. TOY is a knowledge platform about intergenerational learning involving young children (0–10 years) and older adults.
To set the stage, Cortellesi provided us with a short background on IGL, the TOY programme and the five goals of IGL. She defines IGL as “involv[ing] people of different generations becoming engaged in learning from each other and learning together” (European Network for Intergenerational Learning, 2012, p.27).
She emphasises that IGL is about mutual learning and co-creation and must be a “two-directional relationship.”
She shared a short clip as an example of how IGL activities can be simple yet successful in fostering collaboration and happiness across generations. With this context, Cortellesi described how TOY aims to improve the well-being and health of both old and young populations through this pedagogical strategy.
At TOY, they have been researching IGL since 2012 and have determined that it responds to vital societal concerns, including addressing age segregation, increasing global ageing populations, and building social cohesion and solidarity in diverse cultures.
Intergenerational learning activities in TOY are friendly and informal social encounters where children and adults can equally partake as the learner and the teacher. Such learning can occur in various non-formal and formal ECEC settings, such as play and learning hubs, family centres, kindergartens, primary schools, libraries and community centres.
After Cortellesi’s presentation, Kernan presented Anne Fitzpatrick’s handbook, “Generations Growing Together,” and described why IGL is important in ECEC. This handbook offers practical support and guidance for educators on implementing tested IGL practices rooted in research. Kernan identified that this handbook highlights critical concepts about what it means in practice to bring these generations together and the essential role of the educator in planning and implementing these pedagogical strategies. Additionally, the handbook emphasises the value of evaluating practices and identifying the challenges and limitations of IGL.
Lastly, Kernan explained the value of IGL in ECEC. Children learn best through nurturing relationships, and IGL creates consistent relationship-building opportunities between older adults and children. Ultimately, this fosters learning and development, establishing connections between children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth and enhancing active listening, perspective-taking, and boundary-setting. It also aids in regulating their behaviour, nurturing respect and empathy, and contributes to a stronger sense of identity and community connectedness.
“By its very nature, intergenerational learning is interdisciplinary but also cross-sectoral and requires working with other professionals. So it’s a required skill for anybody who wants to work intergenerationally. […] So it’s not just about the children building relationships with older adults and giving time for that. It’s also about building relationships with other services in your locality” — Margaret Kernan
As usual, for the Places to Grow peer-learning events format, a Q&A session and breakout rooms followed the presentations. Participants could choose one of the two sessions to delve deeper into the topic: How IGL contributes to social inclusion in community settings: insights from Play Hubs in Hungary (Eva Deak and Ivett Kovacs, Partners Hungary. Foundation) and what is the role of the educator in planning and implementing IGL (Margaret Kernan, ICDI). During the breakout rooms, participants discussed the cultural variations and challenges in implementing IGL. Participants underscored the importance of creating supportive environments for successful IGL, sharing personal anecdotes, and exploring approaches such as story-sharing sessions and arts-based interactions. Lastly, the participants discussed the significance of recognising existing intergenerational practices and supporting educators in leveraging these experiences.
Would you like to join the next discussion? Our next event will be co-hosted with the organization International Step by Step (ISSA) titled, Harnessing networks for collaborative impact in early childhood development on Thursday, 23rd May, from 09:00 to 10:30am CEST. Follow us to stay in the loop about future Collective learning events!
*Places to Grow is a catalyst for excellence in early childhood development in Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary. It strengthens relationships between organisations active in social services, education, advocacy, and research. Our mission is to create a collaborative community united by a single vision: to help every child realise their potential to contribute to society in the future.
