When we first began planning the CoGen Voices Fellowship, we knew we'd face a few challenges. The group of 21 community changemakers was intentionally diverse — by age (15 to 81!), race, location, work, experience, and more. We'd have to meet many different needs and...
At CoGenerate, we believe in the power of cogeneration: a strategy to bring older and younger people together to forge bonds across differences, combat polarization and ageism, and help solve today’s toughest problems. If you’re involved or interested in cogeneration,...
https://youtu.be/OedAsZVTm9U?si=q20TIH8zuwPEhE0a Today in the US, more than 2.4 million children whose parents are unable to care for them live in grandfamilies, where they are raised by grandparents or other loved ones. Until recently, their experiences have been all...
Ernie, 80 and Cedar, 13, show off the rocks they decorated with symbols based on their conversation.Last month, I traveled to Chautauqua, a 150-year-old institute in western New York that brings thousands of people together for summer programs focused on lifelong...
In these divided and difficult times, we wanted to know what Americans think about cogeneration — a strategy to bring older and younger people together to solve problems and bridge divides.
So we commissioned NORC at the University of Chicago to survey a nationally representative group of 1,549 American adults, aged 18 to 94, online and by phone, in March 2022.
The results are cause for optimism.
We found powerful and widespread enthusiasm about working across generations for change. We also found notable, and in some cases surprising, differences in perspective by generation and race. We found challenges and roadblocks, too.
Today we released our report, Cogeneration: Is America Ready to Unleash a Multigenerational Force for Good? Here are the five key findings:
Want to learn more?
Check out this discussion of the findings, hosted by Encore.org Co-CEOs Marc Freedman and Eunice Lin Nichols, and Boston College professor Cal Halvorsen.
“The overarching message from this study is clear,” write Encore.org Co-CEOs Marc Freedman and Eunice Lin Nichols. “America’s growing age diversity represents an extraordinary opportunity to come together in joy, understanding and action. Let’s seize it.”
Encore.org acknowledges the generous support of AmeriCorps Seniors, the M Center for Excellence, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation for their support of this research. Thanks also to the Eisner Foundation, the May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, RRF Foundation for Aging, New Pluralists, and MacKenzie Scott for their support of Encore’s work bringing generations together.