CITRA’s Building a Community Legacy Together (BCLT) Program is an intergenerational program for youth and older adults. The BCLT Program involves having youth interview elders about their general advice for living. Older adults are an underutilized resource in communities who have a wealth of knowledge to share, and youth, in particular, can benefit from their life lessons. The BCLT model is based on decades of experience developing intergenerational programs at Cornell University, including on elder wisdom and advice-giving by elders to young people. In particular, the BCLT Program stems from the work of CITRA’s Legacy Project.
In addition to gaining wisdom from elders, the BCLT Program helps youth develop specific skill sets that will be useful to them in the future (e.g., interviewing and research techniques). For older adults, the program allows them to make meaningful connections and pass on their knowledge to younger generations. This may, in turn, decrease their sense of social isolation and increase their self-esteem and sense of purpose.
Youth & Older Adults
Training:
Youth – 8-hour training (broken up into 4 two-hour sessions)
Older Adults – 1 hour training before interviews
Free
BCLT Training Manual
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact Ginger Williams, Colorado State University, ginger.williams@colostate.edu.