Today, the Honourable Paul Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development, launched an engagement process to inform the development of an Intergenerational Program Guide to encourage and support positive and meaningful interactions between younger and older generations.
Intergenerational programs and activities can have a positive impact on participants’ well-being. Interactions between children, youth and young adults, and older adults help challenge ageism, support physical and mental health and foster cross-generational empathy and understanding.
Once complete, the Intergenerational Program Guide will highlight the benefits of encouraging deliberate and meaningful intergenerational interaction for individuals and groups working with seniors and/or youth, and provide ideas and resources to support such activities.
The engagement process will provide individuals and community stakeholders with an opportunity to share their insights and perspectives to help inform development of the guide.
Several options will be available to provide input including an online questionnaire through EngageNL. There will be an opportunity to make written submissions to the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development via mail or email. There will also be targeted engagement sessions with individuals and organizations that work closely with specific age groups.
For more information and to participate in the engagement process, please visit engageNL.ca or email aging-and-seniors@gov.nl.ca. You can also call 709-729-1382. The engagement process will close on February 29, 2024.
Quotes
“Our government is committed to supporting intergenerational initiatives that bring children, youth and seniors together to encourage the sharing of skills, knowledge and experiences that foster understanding and respect. Today, I am pleased to announce the engagement process that will help inform the development of an Intergenerational Program Guide, which will further support intergenerational initiatives in the province. I encourage everyone to participate in this process and join our collective efforts to build a healthy, inclusive and age-friendly province.”
Honourable Paul Pike
Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development
“Our 50-plus club recently completed an intergenerational baking project with club members and children from the community through funding provided through the Seniors’ Social Inclusion Initiative. It was so much fun to bring everybody together and work on a common goal. We can all learn from each other and I think development of a guide will encourage more activities like this and bring new ideas that we can all benefit from.”
Yvonne Roul
President, Lawn Golden Age 50-plus Club
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Learn more
www.engagenl.ca
Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development
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