The project described in this paper was designed for an undergraduate course titled the "Psychology of Adulthood and Aging". This course, capped at 20 students, is typically comprised of psychology, pre-nursing, and family studies students. The student learning objectives (SLO's) for the course are: (1) to understand and apply current…

This paper discusses the infusion of aging into the service learning of bachelor of social work (BSW) students. A model for training generalist practitioner BSW students to adopt a life span developmental approach to working with older adult kinship caregivers is discussed. The paper focuses on a review of the significance of the grandparent…

The aging of society is an inescapable trend that some neighborhoods, municipalities, and counties are admitting needs their attention. As the extent of the changes required to become senior friendly, let alone sustainable, are being realized, many communities are experiencing pushback from voters, old-guard city and county staff, and even elected…

Although the title of the course, Combating Loneliness among Older People in Contemporary Society, states a clear goal, our service-learning class was shaped by five guiding parameters. By avoiding certain things, we allowed the course to self-organize and evolve into a learning experience beyond the one originally envisioned. This paper…

Service learning has focused on elementary-secondary and higher education, but not older adults due to a lack of adult education program experience, resources, or interest. Programs such as Elderhostel, Senior Service Corps, Institutes for Learning in Retirement, and Life Options Centers show how elders can benefit from service learning. (Contains…

Nursing home programs committed to providing quality care need to investigate innovative ways to meet today's budget challenges. The purpose of this article is to describe a creative collaboration between a nonprofit nursing home facility and a suburban university. Through service-learning, undergraduate students planned and implemented…

Historically, American institutions of higher learning have embraced community service as a necessary component of students' learning experiences. Recent initiatives through the Corporation for National and Community Service emphasize the idea that civic responsibility is an important element of an adequate education at all levels of learning. In…

This service-learning project provided a venue for university students majoring in business administration to learn about the successful aging process while contributing to a positive quality of life for retirees living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC). The project provided the retirees an opportunity to learn computer skills that…

Gerontology and research are two areas that are often resisted by undergraduate social-work students: "Why do you need to know how to do research as a social-work practitioner?" "Why would anyone want to work with older, sick and frail individuals when it is impossible to make a difference in their situation or in their lives?" These statements…

High school, undergraduate, and graduate students conducted ethnographic research on the quality of older adults' environments through service learning and community development projects. Students gained understanding of elders' daily experiences as well as knowledge of research methods. (Contains 42 references.) (SK)

The older adult population in America will significantly increase in the future. Older adults have important needs for recreation and leisure services (Beland, 2002). The author taught a class titled "Leisure Services for Older Adults" for over 24 years at the University of Florida. He has taught gerontology and recreation by teaching about life…

Senior to Senior: Living Lessons is a program created to provide meaningful horticulture therapy activities for community minority elders (60 years of age and older) and senior college students (20 years of age and older) from an Historically Black University. The program's objectives were to promote positive intergenerational relationships and to…

Describes three community-based service-learning activities developed by the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Services. The interdisciplinary program provides field experience for medical and graduate students as well as community medical services for the elderly. Objectives and evaluations of the programs are presented. (Author/JAC)

This article describes a service-learning collaboration between a research center at a graduate school of social work and a community college. While the goal of the collaboration was to conduct a community needs assessment of the older population of Bermuda, the project offered a unique opportunity to connect community service, teaching, and…