Empowering People of All Ages by Promoting Positive Views of Aging Among K-12 Students
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Beliefs about aging and older adults form early in life and can be difficult to change. People who hold positive views of aging rather than internalized ageism live, on average, 7.5 years longer. Communities and societies in which older adults retain meaningful engagement and are respected experience greater longevity and better social and physical well-being among people of all ages. Those who have positive interactions with older adults are more likely to pursue careers working with older people. Promoting positive, accurate views of aging benefits individuals (of all ages) but is most effective when implemented early in life. Children, however, are rarely intentionally taught about aging and learn primarily negative stereotypes through media such as cartoons, books, and fairy tales. In this symposium, presenters will share projects aimed at disrupting the perpetuation of ageist stereotypes through intentional work with young children to promote positive views of aging. Laura Donorfio will present an aging education project developed for the Connecticut school system via an Administration on Aging grant. Next, Elizabeth Bergman will present three intergenerational case study projects involving elementary school-aged children, college students, and elders. Edward Miller will then the describe and sharing findings from an ongoing intergenerational tutoring intervention, begun during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein older adults provide free, online evidence-based tutoring to bi-lingual kindergarteners. Finally, Tina Newsham and Cynthia Hancock will share research on a toolkit developed for preschool-2nd grade teachers to introduce information about aging and centenarians as a way to celebrate the 100th day of school.
