The Eisner Journal

The Eisner Foundation Awards Over $1.5 Million in Grants to Initiate and Expand Innovative Intergenerational Programs

January 8, 2016

At the last quarterly Board meeting of 2015 on December 11, The Eisner Foundation Board of Directors approved over $1.5 million in grants to a total of ten organizations.  Grants this quarter reflect the Foundation’s willingness to invest in new and expanded efforts throughout Los Angeles County to bring innovative solutions to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations.

In particular, for the first time in its history, The Eisner Foundation will be working with KCRW, a National Public Radio member station based in Santa Monica to produce a year-long reporting project called Broadway Stories.  This multimedia reporting project will focus on communities along Broadway Avenue in downtown Los Angeles, exploring the lives of older adult residents and their rapidly changing environment.

“We are honored to partner with The Eisner Foundation in its change-making efforts to challenge our community’s perceptions of older adults in Los Angeles and address the impacts of aging on young and old alike,” said KCRW President Jennifer Ferro. “There’s something so personal about hearing the voices of members of our community that are navigating what it is truly like to go gray in LA. We could not be more grateful for this partnership.”

Another new and significant partnership will be with UCLA Division of Geriatrics to support three intergenerational programs that are in various stages. These include (1) adding two schools to the Los Angeles Generation Xchange (Gen X) Project, which trains and places older volunteers in K-3rd grade classrooms where they work with students to improve academic skills and address behavioral issues; (2) expanding the  UCLA TimeOut  program, which builds intergenerational mentoring relationships between UCLA students and seniors with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia; and (3) enhancing support for adult children of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia who are enrolled in the  UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care  program. The Eisner Foundation support will also include an evaluation of the effectiveness of each of these programs.

 “The Eisner Foundation’s investment in intergenerational programs at UCLA will be transformative,” said Dr. David Reuben, Director of Multicampus Programs in UCLA Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. “These programs have benefits for both the younger and older generations. The young learn from older persons who, in turn, give back lifetimes of experience and wisdom. And in the process, all gain appreciation and respect for the value of other generations. In addition to being effective, these programs are heartwarming.”

 For more information on our grantees, please visit the Recent Grants page.