Community Projects
As a social psychologist, I am interested in increasing interactions and communication, and decreasing bias and stereotyping between generations. My community and education projects focus on building bridges and removing barriers to intergenerational conflict, bias, and stereotypes, with the goal of ameliorating bi-directional ageism.
I believe intergenerational interaction and communication are critical to understanding and relationship building. See below for community and educational examples of intergenerational projects aimed at this goal.
Women's Wisdom Circle
The Women's Wisdom Circle (WWC) is sponsored by Tucson Medical Center's Senior Center. I facilitate group discussions and projects aimed at tapping into "elder wisdom" and creatively sharing it with young people. With the help of internship students from the University of Arizona, the first project was the creation of a "Wisdom Recipe Book." In it, the older adults communicated their life experience and wisdom to share with others. Below is a link to the online Wisdom Recipe book, and a few example pages. The next WWC project was a "Words of Wisdom Quilt" that will be displayed in the U of A Psychology department.
Wisdom Keepers Wisdom Givers
Wisdom Keepers and Wisdom Givers is a course I teach in the Fall and Spring to older adult students at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute through the University of Arizona. In the class, students discuss topics surrounding wisdom research, and practical wisdom-related content (e.g. life lessons, current events). During the course, older adult students write letters to U of A students sharing life experience and related wisdom.
Psychology of Wisdom course
"Wisdom in the Real World"
In an effort to bring intergenerational learning to the University, I have developed a class based on an empirical framework reflecting wisdom research. The framework is called the Collaborative Intergenerational Learning Environment (CIGLE), and it is used to teach a Psychology of Wisdom course at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Undergraduate intern students join the older adults to learn about wisdom concepts, and apply them to discuss current issues that affect all generations (e.g. climate change, AI, human ecology). At the conclusion of the course, University students give presentations on their experience, adding to their professional portfolio, and personal experience.
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Below is part of a reflection from an undergraduate intern describing her experience:
"Getting to know people at different stages in their adult lives was extremely fascinating. I had several thoughts of where I would be in my older age. Talking to people and learning about their lives and what they chose to do with it was amazing. As people explained their professions, hobbies and lifestyles I felt relief wash over me, I thought most people in the room had to have some sort of uncertainty within their futures but now figured it out and are currently in the position of actively going out into the world and looking for new experiences and knowledge to indulge in. Just by listening to people talk I was able to be easier on myself and really get a chance to learn about myself, others and even the world around me before I was born.
Overall, I’m glad I got to experience this internship with Trish. She is an amazing instructor who is kind, understanding, and incredibly down to earth. She creates a comfortable environment for those around her and is not afraid to show that she cares. This was my very first internship and I feel so grateful to have had a wonderful experience."
Click the button below for more information on CIGLE.
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