Past events
Intergenerational Living, Learning, and Community Building
April 12th, Milner Library Second floor (Speaker’s Corner)
The focus of this presentation is on the role of the physical environment (natural, built, and virtual) on intergenerational program planning, processes, and outcomes. This will be done through introducing the Intergenerational Contact Zones (ICZ) conceptual framework and its potential for stimulating new ways of thinking, planning, and practice regarding the design, sustainability, and evolution of intergenerationally enriched environments. ICZs are spatial focal points for different generations to meet, interact, build relationships (e.g., trust and friendships), and, if desired, work together to address issues of local concern. Examples will be provided for how this conceptual framework can be used to broaden the range of intergenerational activity possibilities in diverse community settings, including parks and playgrounds, retirement communities, schools, multi-service community centers, even bus stops.
About our Guest Speaker
Dr. Matt Kaplan is a Professor of Intergenerational Programs and Aging at Penn State University. In this position, he conducts research, develops curricular resources, and provides leadership in the development and evaluation of intergenerational programs. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology (from CUNY Graduate Center, 1991) and was a Visiting fellow at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing (2015) and a Senior Fulbright Scholar (1994-95), studying intergenerational initiatives in Japan. He has published several books highlighting intergenerational strategies for community planning and development, including Intergenerational Pathways to a Sustainable Society (with Sanchez and Hoffman, 2017) and Intergenerational Contact Zones: Place-based Strategies for Promoting Social Inclusion and Belonging (with Thang, Sanchez and Hoffman, 2020). Dr. Kaplan is an affiliate member of the Penn State Center for Healthy Aging and core faculty member of the Comparative and International Education Dual-Title Graduate Degree Program at Penn State.
Sponsored by:
Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS)
Department of Agriculture
Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment
