UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In collaboration with mid-Atlantic organizations working to create and sustain meaningful connections across generations, Penn State will host the Mid-Atlantic Intergenerational Conference July 10-12 at the Holiday Inn in Lancaster. Organizers said attendees and presenters from all states are welcome.

The two and a half day conference will feature keynote presentations, workshops, poster sessions, group activities and pre- and postconference events. The program is centered around impactful intergenerational strategies across five key areas: education and lifelong learning; health and wellness; community planning and development; arts, culture and recreation; and support for kinship care families.

“We tend to segregate people by age — schools for the young, senior centers for the old,” said organizer Matt Kaplan, professor of intergenerational programs and aging in Penn State’s Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education, part of the College of Agricultural Sciences. “We need programs and places where people of different generations can interact, learn from and with one another and work together to improve community quality of life for all.”

The conference will convene a diverse group of intergenerational practitioners, scholars, volunteers, advocates and intergenerationally engaged students and thought leaders from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. With more than 30 workshops, sessions and networking opportunities planned, it promises to be a significant and memorable event for all attendees, Kaplan noted.

“These sessions are for everyone, whether you’re new to the field or have extensive experience,” Kaplan said. “We have excellent speakers, such as Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, who will talk about promoting unity across generations and strategies for bridging divides.”

Nancy Henkin, founder and former executive director of the Intergenerational Center at Temple University and current senior fellow at Generations United, and Steve Lindsey, chief executive officer of Garden Spot Communities in New Holland, will deliver additional keynote addresses.

Renowned conductor Rob Kapilow will kick off the conference with an interactive session titled “The Power of Music: Creating Intergenerational Harmony.” He will share video footage and insights from his latest large-scale choral/orchestral composition, “We Came to America,” which transforms intergenerational immigrant stories into music.

Lancaster was chosen for its strategic mid-Atlantic location and its commitment to intergenerational living values and innovative methods, evident in Lancaster County Community Foundation’s Next Generation grant program, lifelong learning initiatives and comprehensive planning processes.

“We are excited to have experts in intergenerational programs, multigenerational families and urban planning that connects people of all ages coming to Lancaster this summer,” said Christine Kennedy, founder of Age2Age. As part of the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-friendly Cities, Kennedy guided the development of Lancaster’s five-year action plan to enhance lives and foster connections. She has organized a preconference symposium on the American Planning Association’s 2023 report, “Intergenerational Community Planning and Placemaking.”

“Connecting generations is not just how we do social programs, but how we build our city to encourage intergenerational connections,” Kennedy said. “If you don’t connect with people of different ages, cultures or ethnicities, then you don’t know them and oftentimes can develop stereotypes that keep you from wanting to know them.”

To combat these types of stereotypes, the Penn State Intergenerational Program, which is rooted in Penn State Extension but inclusive of a broader base of scholars and practitioners, undertakes exploratory analyses and develops curricular resources and training programs aimed at facilitating understanding and breaking down barriers across generations and cultures.

Cynthia Pollich, food, families and communities extension educator, noted Penn State Extension’s contributions to the conference across multiple program areas.

Pollich and her colleagues in the Relatives as Parents extension program have organized a preconference symposium, “Support for Kinship Care Families: Issues and Initiatives.” The session will commence with a presentation titled “Promoting the Emotional Well-Being of Kincare Families” by Deborah Langosch, a clinical social worker, trainer, psychotherapist and consultant in Brooklyn, New York. Short presentations and roundtable discussions will follow on mental health support, educational programs and opportunities, researcher-practitioner partnerships and kinship navigator systems.

The conference will conclude with an Intergenerational Fun Mini-Festival, bringing together local residents and visitors of all ages for art, storytelling, music, dancing and other activities.

“This event will feature interactive exhibits and events planned by local organizations and Penn State Extension, aimed at fostering intergenerational communication, learning and living throughout the Lancaster area,” Pollich said.

Kaplan emphasized that the overall conference will underscore the broad significance of intergenerational connections in people’s lives.

“This theme is encapsulated in the conference subtitle: ‘Intergenerational Approaches for Living, Learning, and Growing in the Mid-Atlantic Region,’” he said.

Conference sponsors include the Brookdale Foundation Group, Lancaster County Community Foundation, Volunteer Centre County, Garden Spot Communities, Penn State Center for Healthy Aging and AARP.

More information about the conference and registration is available online.