Course Description
This free online course aims to bridge generational gaps and harness the collective wisdom of elders and the vibrant energy of youth to drive meaningful social change. "Youth and Elders Together" provides a unique platform for individuals and organizations seeking innovative tools and strategies to foster collaboration between generations. Tailored for community practitioners, activists, and anyone passionate about building inclusive initiatives, this course emphasizes the power of intergenerational partnerships in addressing contemporary social challenges. Through facilitated online learning sessions, participants will gain practical guidance, inspiration, and a comprehensive understanding of how grandmothers, with their wealth of experience, can be strategically included in diverse social change projects.
Key Course Objectives
In this course, participants will:
Explore Opportunities for Intergenerational Collaboration: Understand the potential for innovative projects that bridge the generational gap between youth and elders in various fields. Learn strategies to break down generational silos and foster effective collaboration across age groups.
Build Meaningful Connections Across Generations: Create essential networks with individuals engaged in intergenerational projects, including youth, elders and community leaders. Develop relationships with innovators and practitioners who have successfully facilitated collaboration between youth and elders.
Enhance Knowledge through Interactive Sessions: Participate in discussions, group activities, and readings that focus on the dynamics of intergenerational collaboration. Gain insights into effective strategies for involving both youth and elders in meaningful projects.
Recognize Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities for Impact: Assess the strengths and unique contributions that both youth and elders bring to collaborative efforts. Identify potential challenges and develop strategies to leverage opportunities for increased impact in intergenerational projects
Application Details
The application will be open from Monday, January 29th to Wednesday, February 28th, 2024. Apply early! Spaces are limited to ensure age-inclusivity, and we want to keep class sizes small to guarantee that everyone can contribute and participate effectively. We anticipate that spots will fill up quickly*.
While our course platform supports multiple languages, facilitated sessions will be conducted in English. Basic English proficiency is required.
Application decisions will be announced no later than March 4th. If you have any immediate questions, please contact us at info@grandmothercollective.org.
*This course is part of our commitment to addressing age-segregation around the world, therefore the course aims to represent a broad range of people from different backgrounds, ages, and locations, with preference for participants in the Global South.
Who Should Apply
Community practitioners, activists, and anyone passionate about building inclusive initiatives across generations
Anyone 18 years or older is welcome to apply and we will be balancing the cohort to represent all age groups
Preference for this course will be given to those residing in and working in the Global South. Depending on demand we will likely run this course again this year.
Learning Methodology
The entire course is delivered online with a minimum time commitment of two hours a week. The course is designed to be highly interactive and social, but we also work hard to ensure that the majority of the content can be experienced in a self-paced manner. In order to accommodate busy schedules of people from around the world, we’ve set up a learning environment where participants have plenty of options to explore content that is most relevant to them through live content and interactions, discussion boards, readings, and videos. Students will earn a certificate after completing activities and attending in person sessions (every Wednesday of the course at 11am Eastern US Time) for all six weeks.
Cost
We are offering this course free of charge. If you are selected, you may consider contributing a donation to help defray costs and help us build more programs to support grandmothers and changemakers to design culturally-centered, sustainable and innovative solutions for a better world.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED