How do you demonstrate the impact of your intergenerational program to participants, funders and partners? How do you know what is working well and what can be improved?
Golden Connections was a one-off, three-session Gold Coast intergenerational program that brought older adults living in aged care and high school students together, to engage in conversation, music and storytelling. This short article describes how the evaluator used observations, interviews and surveys to understand how older and younger people experienced the program. The evaluation provided insights into what worked well and what could be done a little differently next time to enhance program outcomes.
What changed? (Impact):
Older people and high school students were asked to use five words to describe each other before meeting and another five words to describe each other after the program ended. Words chosen by older adults to describe students before they met were mixed with some older adults expressing hesitancy, while students were positive. Words chosen by older adults at the end reflected a positive shift, with both older and younger participants choosing words, that illustrated appreciation of each other.
Observations over the three sessions also demonstrated change. At the start some participants appeared shy and/or reserved but over the three sessions rapport between older people and younger people grew. By the third session all participants appeared to be feeling more confident and connected with each other. This was demonstrated through positive behaviours such as steady eye contact, attentive listening and shared conversation.
Survey and interview feedback indicated that students enjoyed the sessions and the opportunity to connect with older people. Older adults also shared that the sessions were enjoyable and noted that the confidence of students increased over time. Some older adults who were initially hesitant about participating in the program described it as a happy and uplifting experience at the end. Overall, this program fostered genuine connection between older people and high school students, creating opportunities for shared conversation and learning.
Insights & opportunities to enhance intergenerational practice
- Ensure people are aware of the purpose of the program to establish expectations and reduce any uncertainty prior to the start. Â Â
- Include an activity at the start of the program to help ‘break the ice’ and support rapport building. This may be particularly helpful for younger people as they navigate a new social situation.
- Small group format (3-4 people) rather than breaking into pairs, may help conversations to flow more easily, particularly as older and younger people are getting to know each other.
If you are interested in learning more about evaluation, you may like to consider enrolling in JOY 3: Evaluating Intergenerational Programs. For more information click here The AIIP would like to thank and acknowledge the work of Nupur Parekh, Griffith University student evaluator, for her evaluation of Golden Connections.