Why “Intergenerational?”

It’s not just our name.

It’s the heart of our model.

When our founders welcomed the first multi-age class of kindergarteners, first- and second-graders in 2000, they were realizing a vision for a new approach to elementary education that built on research about how people learn best and connect most meaningfully to others, from their youngest years to late in life.

A quarter centurly later, that vision continues to define who we are. The word “intergenerational” captures our belief that everyone, regardless of age, has something valuable to teach and something meaningful to learn, and that fostering community across generations helps people develop and nurture a lifelong love of learning that serves them well beyond school. Intergenerational doesn’t just mean bringing young and old together, it means taking away the traditional age/grade-based separation of students. Small classes have an array of ages/grades and students learn to work with their younger and older peers as well as other community members.

From weekly visits with community Learning Partners to regular trips to senior centers and partnerships with organizations serving older adults, our students experience firsthand that learning doesn’t stop at any age, and that building relationships across generations makes everyone’s life richer.