Intergenerational Living, Learning, and Community Building

In the beginning of the autumn 2023 semester, I was approached by a faculty member at ISU who asked if I could join an Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS) grant she and another faculty member were writing. This was a process which was new to me but I was super interested in rolling up my sleeves and jumping right into the process! The goal of the research grant was to increase engagement of students and faculty in the built environment. During the length of the autumn semester, other faculty researchers were added to include a total of six  faculty and one other graduate research assistant. 

In the months since the research grant was awarded, the team has been working to establish a presence on campus. The creation of a new center, the Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments (CIIE) is the result of this work. In addition to the wealth of experience and research the individual tenured faculty bring to this center, the center is also collaborating with decision makers across campus to enact change within the ISU community. 

The CIIE team is planning their first community event this spring and is pleased to announce a very special guest, Dr. Matt Kaplan! 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.