- $1,445 RAISED OF $5,000 GOAL
- 15 DONORS
- 11 DAYS REMAINING
HONOR ROLL
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Zhenmei Zhang $100.00
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Suzanne Swan $100.00
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Philip Alt $500.00
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Rachel Wilson $50.00
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Lisa Richey $100.00
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Anonymous $25.00
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Anonymous $100.00
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Miles McNall $50.00
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Erin Filipich $50.00
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Linda Strom $25.00
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Linda Strom $25.00
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Jeremy Ravitz $20.00
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Katherine Hanson $100.00
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Heather Picotte $100.00
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Lori Strom $100.00
MSU AgeAlive, “Generations Connect: Campus-Community Friendships”
MSU AgeAlive is a program within the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine. The program is dedicated to building a university-wide aging unit, focused on research, teaching, service, lifelong learning and initiatives with campus and community partnerships. One of the signature initiatives is “Generations Connect,” formerly known as the Senior Ambassadors Program (SAP), that pairs MSU students with local older adults in meaningful relationships.
As the U.S. population ages rapidly, the effects are felt across various aspects of society, including healthcare, economics, labor markets, housing, transportation and community life. Programs like Generations Connect aim to enhance wellbeing and quality of life while addressing issues such as isolation, loneliness and ageism for both students and older adults in the community.
We hope to enhance the Generations Connect program by expanding the number of student ambassador/senior host pairs and support the mutually rewarding relationships through learning and social engagement.
Your Support Will Make a Big Difference
The Generations Connect program has demonstrated AgeAlive’s focus on a holistic definition of good health and wellbeing by creating intergenerational experiences. Participants have a sincere interest in one another and enjoy meeting weekly and sharing their life experiences. Both parties benefit from the genuine friendships that are formed through Generations Connect. Students currently involved in the program have stated that these experiences have been among the best they’ve had at MSU.
Students love the opportunity to hear perspectives and ideas from the older adults. The conversations between these two groups bridge the gap. Some students have reported feeling more comfortable engaging with their own grandparents after participating in Generation Connect. But mostly, some students are lonely, especially when they are thousands of miles away from home. Generations Connect provides students with just one more safety net to reassure them that people in the East Lansing community care.
Project Budget
Donations will be used for internships and to purchase necessary supplies for educational sessions and social events that promote lifelong learning for MSU students and seniors.
Provide a scholarship for a student intern responsible for managing and coordination efforts during Fall and Spring semesters.- Cover the cost of the Fall Get-Together and Spring events for pairs.
- Fund the cost of entrance fees to campus performances and educational sessions attended by pairs.
- Cover the cost of background checks and pairing to ensure successful connection.
Who Are We
Co-sponsored by the MSU Social Science Scholars Program and the City of East Lansing Prime Time Seniors program, AgeAlive and Generations Connect envision a world in which there is respect and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.
The Generations Connect Student Leadership Team runs the project that coordinates and leads the intergenerational activities. The team is comprised of volunteer Social Science Scholars under the direction of a lead scholarship-supported student scholar intern. There is also a large leadership team made up of students, MSU staff (AgeAlive and Social Science Scholar Advisors) and community members of all ages (East Lansing Prime Time). The AgeAlive Leadership Council is also comprised of MSU retirees and community members.
Help create meaningful opportunities for MSU students and older adults!
Make a Gift by Mail:
University Advancement
Spartan Way
535 Chestnut Road, Room 300
East Lansing, MI 48824
*Make check payable to Michigan State University and write “Appeal 25OOPCF1GTAAGC” in the note section.