Can Talking to Older Adults Make Students Better Citizens?

Can Talking to Older Adults Make Students Better Citizens?

From MindShift Podcast by KQED

September 9, 2025 · 23 min · Season 10 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode explores the benefits of intergenerational programs in schools and strategies for enhancing student interactions with older adults.

Interacting with people from different generations has been shown to accelerate students’ social skills, improve literacy, and provide valuable lessons about history and culture. However, many students have limited opportunities to engage with older generations. And when these interactions do happen, they often remain one-sided or surface-level. In this episode, MindShift explores intergenerational programs at two schools, highlighting their benefits and uncovering research-backed strategies for creating impactful and enriching experiences for all involved.

Topics covered

  • intergenerational programs
  • social skills
  • literacy
  • history
  • culture
  • education

Keywords

  • intergenerational
  • students
  • social skills
  • literacy
  • education
  • history
  • culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MindShift, KQED

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