Inter-Generational Wisdom Hub: Enhancing inter-generational encounters & learning

Background

Mamer municipality has proven to be very active in organizing different activities for the people of different age groups as well as for stimulating the neighborhood get togethers. However, we have noticed that inter-generational exchanges are not as prominent given the large number of older population and many kindergartens in the area. Taking into consideration that there is a special facility next to the park Brill housing a large number of old people and that nearby kindergartens bring often kids to play in the park we have thought of facilitating the encounters between these two groups. In our opinion, and based on the vast research in the field both the young and the oldies may greatly benefit from these exchanges between the “life wisdom” and the “life energy & curiosity.” Having also many expat children in the municipality who do not have a possibility to see their grandparents as often as they would like to meeting their grandparents’ generation here in Luxembourg may be additionally beneficial for them.

Project Goal

Overall goal: improving the sense of wellbeing of the entire community!

Objectives:

• Enabling meeting of different generation groups
• Sharing knowledge, experience, ideas, wisdom
• Promoting diversity, inclusion, community bonding & togetherness
• Instilling the sense of purpose and agency among the community members
• Expanding social support network for the expat families

Project Activities

Project would be open to all community members through an open invitation to get involved in bringing together different generation groups. The specific call for interest in taking part in the project would be sent to Mamer based preschools and kindergartens, the house of youth, and the retirement home based in the park Brill Mamer. All interested parties will get together in the space provided for by the municipality for the brainstorming of the ideas and selecting the final themes of the get-together encounters.

The plan is to have intergenerational meetings once a month in the course of one year period either in the retirement home, the park open space, municipality space or in one of the kindergartens depending on the activity proposed. The envisaged activities may be as different as is the experience and knowledge of the group members. For example, if there is one or a few retired artists interested in showing the kids one of the techniques of painting the workshop may be organized in which they will teach the kids what they know. Likewise, if there are historians or simply persons passionate about history who may share with kids interesting stories from their youth related to the history of Luxembourg the session will be on that topic. Those passionate about cooking may share and demonstrate how to prepare one of their favorite dishes etc. Weather permitting the groups can meet in the park where the grandparents generation may show the kids the games they used to play when they were little transferring not only traditions but giving them more ideas of how to spend screen free time. The latest research in the field is clearly showing the benefits of the play based rather than the phone based childhood. Vice versa, the kids may also show the initiative wanting to teach and share what they have been learning on discovering in their lives so far.

The encounters will last one hour allowing all groups to be able to follow the rest of their daily routine. After each session there will be a possibility to give feedback in order to improve the experience for all. At each stage of the project realization the new interested citizens may take part either to facilitate the sessions or to assist with accompanying participants to their respective locations. The maximum number of participants in the sessions will depend on the topics chosen and the space available for that particular encounter. Therefore, the project is envisaged as a completely participatory from its onset, until the very end, offering flexibility to accommodate for different needs that may arise in the course of the project realization.

The definite plan of the activities / workshops/ sessions  that will take place will be defined during the first meeting of stakeholders envisaging also an alternative solution for each agreed upon activity in case of unexpected circumstances related to people, material, facility etc.

Project Timeline

Ideally the project would take place from June 2025 to June 2026.

Project Budget

Overall estimated cost: 9000 EUR

Given that the activities of the project are to be determined with the project beneficiaries it is difficult at this point to predict the necessary budget knowing that it may involve buying books, art materials, cooking kit and or ingredients, sewing or construction kit, etc. Maybe the municipality, the kindergartens and the retirement home will provide some of the materials bringing down the overall cost. For each monthly encounter there will be snacks and drinks provided, the cost of which will be calculated based on the number of participants.

Project Sustainability

This project can continue at no cost if all the stakeholders are interested to continue mutually beneficial collaboration. It may live on both institutional and personal/family level. The former, through official memorandum of agreements signed between the local kindergartens, retirement home, the house of the youth and municipality. The letter through local families continuing to visit the old people their kids became fond of during the joint activity sessions.