Grandmother Action Projects

The Grandmother Collective supports grassroots grandmother-led models for community development and social connection. We find local partners who help us create grandmother-led community projects. These projects support older women to recognize their unique social roles, define their leadership potential and local assets, design uniquely tailored programs, and work together to co-lead change in their communities. The projects focus on nurturing the next generation, community unity, or environmental protection and enable us to ignite grandmother powered change and develop deeper evidence of the impact that grandmothers’ participation makes in social change.

Grandmother Action Projects are designed by grandmothers who are intrinsically and intuitively aware of programming gaps and where support is needed for their community.

Advancing Community Cohesion in Chicago with Grandmothers

With JPA Chicago, the Grandmother Collective has supported the development of a Grandmother's Project. We provided trainings and grandmother-led models to help JPA introduce grandmother-led programming into schools in North Lawndale in Chicago where the organization currently works. Grandmother leaders from the neighborhood led the process of a designing a project that met a need -- to help kids feel more local pride and to use intergenerational teamwork to build greater community cohesion. This contributes to the mission set forth over 120 years ago by JPA's founder, Jane Addams, to improve the social and emotional well-being and functioning of vulnerable children so they can reach their fullest potential at home, in school, and in their communities.

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After the storm: Grandmothers working to repair the social fabric of an Appalachian community

Grandmothers connected to Hemphill Community Center in Jackhorn, KY have designed and launched two grandmother action projects. With our partner, we brought together grandmothers in a region of Central Appalachia that is navigating the compounding challenges of opioid addiction, the decline of the coal industry, an aftermath of a historic flood, and population decline. After an initial grandmother leader training, they decided to focus on the mental health and economic advancement of young girls in the region. Inspired by Zimbabwe’s Friendship Bench they are creating a basic training in counseling and mental health support to provide open office hours for community youth to seek support. They are also creating a lunch and learn program with a local middle school to create new rites of passage and serve as role models for adolescent girls. In addition, they will host a career series with local women speakers to open up the teen’s horizons. We are supporting this project to grow through its first year.

Educational Outreach

Unlocking Community Potential: Changing Cultural Systems with The Grandmother Collective

With ASU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, we will facilitate a 1-hour session with the Grandmother Collective to help participants consider how to unlock your personal and community potential. Drawing inspiration from global grandmother and older adult changemakers, participants explore how changing our cultural, community and family systems can be critical to making a long-term impact.

To suggest a pilot or training program, please email us at info@grandmothercollective.org.

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