2022

An older man sitting at a table offers a high five to an enthusiastic toddler.   ONEgeneration logo

On December 8, 2022, The Eisner Foundation named ONEgeneration the winner of the 2022 Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. The prize comes with a $250,000 award in recognition of ONEgeneration’s intergenerational work that includes a shared-site Preschool and Adult Day Care program, Grandparents as Parents Kinship Care program, a teen-led tech training support program for older adults, and more. On December 14, 2022, The Eisner Foundation will formally honor ONEgeneration at the closing session of the Stanford University’s Century Summit.
 
Founded in 1978, ONEgeneration began as a senior center founded and operated by volunteers, and over time, expanded their services to meet the needs of local older adults through their nationally accredited Senior Enrichment Center, Adult Day Care Health Center, and Home-Based Case Management support. In 1994, ONEgeneration added a childcare program, which today serves children aged six months to six years old. Throughout the day, ONEgeneration’s older adults and children come together for activities including crafts, gardening, and games, giving older adults a sense of purpose and joy while younger children benefit from relationships with diverse older role models – building mutual respect and a sense of community for all. 
 
Other intergenerational efforts include the Grandparents as Parents Kinship Care program, which supports grandparents who have assumed primary care of their grandchildren or other minor relatives. Grandparents in this position are disproportionately low-income and face a range of challenges accessing the material and emotional support they need. Experts in this program help grandparents navigate the complex child welfare system, get them necessary supplies, and host opportunities for connection and restoration. ONEgeneration also welcomes high school and college students into its programming. At the Senior Enrichment Center, students offer tech training to older adults to help them maximize their use of smartphones and computers, building relationships while empowering older adults to access online activities and resources.

Watch a video about ONEgeneration here.

2021

  United Neighborhood Houses logo

On November 10, 2021, The Eisner Foundation awarded the Institute for Empowered Aging at United Neighborhood Houses of New York the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. The Institute for Empowered Aging at UNH develops innovative practices, advocacy campaigns, research, and tools that promote neighborhood initiatives centered on and powered by older people. With the understanding that, today, there are more than 46 million people age 65 and older living in the U.S—a number that is expected to grow to almost 90 million by 2050—the Institute works to co-create environments where older community members can identify and address local issues they care about in partnership with community members of all ages. The result is a society in which older people flourish, organizations maximize their human capital, and neighborhoods thrive.

Watch a video about the Institute for Empowered Aging here.

United Neighborhood Houses is a policy and social change organization representing 45 New York neighborhood settlement houses. UNH mobilizes its members and their communities to advocate for good public policies and promote strong organizations and practices that keep neighborhoods resilient and thriving for all New Yorkers. For more information, visit http://www.unhny.org/.

2020

On October 7, 2020, The Eisner Foundation awarded The Recreational and Educational Community Association of Barrio Mariana de Humacao, or ARECMA, the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. ARECMA focuses on community self-management, cooperation and solidarity, and individual and collective social responsibility across generations. It serves the residents of the Mariana neighborhood in Humacao, Puerto Rico, by providing services and facilities that bring residents of all ages together. Their 38-year legacy shows how intergenerational solutions create connected, resilient communities that can mitigate the effects of natural disasters and other challenges – including Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Watch a video about ARECMA here.

 

2018


Georgia Eisner, Marc Freedman, Trent Stamp, and Jane Eisner pose with the Eisner Prize.

Encore.org logo
On November 13, 2018, the Eisner Prize  was awarded to Marc Freedman and Encore.org at their 20th  Anniversary Summit in Los Angeles. Marc Freedman founded Encore.org in 1998, and over the past 20 years has sought to reframe later life as an “encore” – an opportunity to leverage experience to improve society at all levels. Encore.org has pioneered several projects that activate older adults in the service of others, including: Experience Corps, bringing older volunteers into classrooms (now operated by AARP); Encore Fellowships, placing seasoned professionals in high-impact positions at social purpose organizations; and the Generation to Generation campaign, mobilizing older adults to work, in paid and volunteer positions, on behalf of children and youth. Since its founding, Encore.org has activated tens of thousands of adults nationwide through these intergenerational efforts.

Watch a video on Encore.org here.

2017

DOROT logo

On May 16, 2017, The Eisner Foundation awarded the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence to DOROT. For four decades, DOROT has provided services to seniors in New York City to combat isolation and the associated health consequences. With a name meaning “generations” in Hebrew, DOROT’s creative intergenerational programs activate younger generations to ensure that their clients have access to the resources they need to age with dignity, independence, and grace.

The event took place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Also at the event, Generations United and The Eisner Foundation released survey findings in the new report I Need You, You Need Me: The Young, the Old, and What We Can Achieve Togetherwhich featured DOROT as an exemplary intergenerational organization.

Watch a video on DOROT here.

2015

gu_logo_292px_test2 LA Kitchen Social Media Logo Black

In 2015, The Eisner Foundation awarded two organizations with The Eisner Prize. Generations United in Washington, D.C. won The Eisner Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Intergenerational Advocacy. Generations United helps improve the lives of children, youth and older adults through intergenerational collaboration, public policies, and programs.

L.A. Kitchen in Los Angeles. California won The Eisner Prize for Innovation in Intergenerational Solutions. L.A. Kitchen provides young adults aging out of foster care and older adults recently released from prison with culinary job training in a 20,000 square foot kitchen.

The Eisner Prizes were awarded on February 10, 2016 in San Francisco, CA.

Here’s a short film on Generations United

Here’s a short film on L.A. Kitchen

2011

The inaugural Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence was awarded to Temple University’s Intergenerational Center and its Founder and Executive Director, Nancy Henkin, PhD. Since 1979, The Intergenerational Center has strengthened communities by bringing generations together to address critical concerns and created opportunities for lifelong civic engagement.

The Eisner Prize was awarded on October 27 in McLean, Virginia.

2012

The Eisner Prize was awarded to AARP Experience Corps in 2012. The organization provides opportunities for adults aged 50 and up to help improve literacy skills among students in kindergarten through third grade in 19 communities across the United States. AARP Experience Corps is an evidence-based intervention, with students achieving increased literacy skills and volunteers demonstrating improved health outcomes.

The Eisner Prize was awarded on October 25 in Cleveland, OH.

2013

The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) Media Center won The Eisner Prize for its model of senior engagement that marries creativity with technology, incorporating the involvement of multiple generations. Channel 22, a program of MPTF’s Media Center, pairs older adults with high school and college volunteers who share their diverse film experience spanning generations to create meaningful content together.

The Eisner Prize was awarded on October 9 in Los Angeles, CA.

2014

Logo_Bridgemeadows Logo_Intergenerational_Schools

In 2014, The Eisner Foundation awarded two organizations with The Eisner Prize. Bridge Meadows in Portland, Oregon won The Eisner Prize for Innovation in Intergenerational Solutions. Bridge Meadows is a unique housing community intentionally designed for parents, foster children and low-income older adults.

The Intergenerational Schools in Cleveland, Ohio won The Eisner Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Intergenerational Advocacy. Drs. Peter and Catherine Whitehouse accepted the award on behalf of the school they founded 14 years ago with the goal of connecting elder mentors and students in the classroom and the community.

The Eisner Prizes were awarded on October 29 in Tempe, AZ.