In This Issue

- AGE to age Overview

- June Regional Summit

- Community Project Update

10 AGE to age Communities

• Bois Forte Reservation

• Chisholm

• Cloquet

• Floodwood

• Fond du Lac Reservation

• Grand Portage Reservation

• Itasca Area

• McGregor

• Moose Lake

• Proctor

AGE to age funding support
has been provided by

an initiative for U.S. community foundations from the
Atlantic Philanthropies

Bringing Together Generations and Communities!

AGE to age Builds Relationships to Strengthen Rural Communities

AGE to age: bringing generations together is the newest member of the Northland Foundation’s KIDS PLUS family of programs. Through this exciting initiative, elders, adults, and youth explore how their generations are alike and how they are different; strengthen relationships among all ages; and offer older adults and young people a chance to work together to serve their communities.

“When youth and elders are encouraged to bridge the age gap and come together for the common good, everyone wins,” states Lynn Haglin, Northland Foundation’s Vice President and KIDS PLUS Director. “If communities are intentional in nurturing intergenerational relationships, the mutual respect that develops between the young and not-so-young is tremendous.”

Ten AGE to age sites across northeastern Minnesota are part of this exciting initiative that taps creativity, wisdom, experience, and sense of civic engagement.

The Northland Foundation has facilitated a series of planning meetings in each community to help residents organize this multi-generational effort.

AGE to age empowers older and younger community members with an equal voice in identifying local needs and working together to devise their own grassroots solutions. Each site will develop an individualized three-year Program Plan to enhance their community in a way that is uniquely suited to their culture, needs, talents, and resources. Participation and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive so far.

Jeanine Whiteman, the AGE to age Coordinator for Bois Forte Reservation, expressed her delight in the process. She explained that the Reservation is made up of two communities located 60 miles from each other. “This program has brought our two communities together as a single community in a way that I have never before seen,” said Whiteman.

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Participant Feedback

A sampling of participants' comments shared on their evaluation forms attests to the valuable lessons learned through Craig Hillier's dynamic presentation.

“We need each type of leader to get the job done.”

“It will help me to be more understanding and work better with others.”

“Committees should have equal representation of not only ages but styles.”

“Being innovative, not just more of the same approach.”

“Valuing all types of people and seeing how people can be different.”

“Being able to work together is the most important thing to remember.”

“Connecting the Generations” Regional Summit

Training Draws 75 from AGE to age Communities to Share and Learn

Proctor was rocking in June! The room was abuzz with excitement as 75 people representing AGE to age communities gathered to learn, share, explore, and inspire.

The AGE to age Regional Summit, held on June 9th in Proctor, Minnesota, brought together 7-10 individuals from participating AGE to age sites for a high-energy training opportunity that also included progress reports from each site and highlighted more ideas and resources to help communities continue on the successes they have achieved so far.

At the Summit, people of all ages had a chance to interact not only within their own community groups but also with other AGE to age teams from around the region.

Nationally known trainer and presenter Craig Hillier presented “Break Through Phase II – Team Skills”. With Hillier’s guidance, attendees engaged in fun team-building exercises, and explored the qualities of successful teams, the challenges of teams, how to balance team relationships and tasks, and the stages of a team.

Participants then took the T.E.A.M. Dynamics Personality Profile. Once profile results were tabulated, Hillier split everyone into their similar groups and talked about the different characteristics of Togetherness, Enterpriser, Analyzer, and Motivator, as well as the unique challenges, motivating factors, and areas of improvement for each category.

Take-aways from the Summit included long lists of potential projects, categorized as either “quick and easy” or “need more time and planning” – everything from arts and cultural opportunities, to health and wellness actitivies, to friendship and mentoring, to community beautification.

“Looking around the room at the Summit, it was very apparent that each community has embraced the AGE to age concept and made it their own, learning and growing together along the way,” said Lynn Haglin, of the Northland Foundation.

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AGE to age Community Project Update

Summit Participants Showcase the Exciting Strides Being Made

Nine of the ten AGE to age sites have completed their community organizing, visioning, and project brainstorming process. They are now beginning to plan and implement small, manageable projects that give group members the chance to take a project from idea to action. The Grand Portage Reservation has held an initial meeting and next steps are being determined.

At the Summit in June, representatives from each site presented brief updates about how AGE to age is coming to life in their community.

Bois Forte Reservation
Bois Forte Reservation’s Anishanaabayoong: Past, Present, Future connects the generations and preserves native language and culture through American Indian traditions such as beading and ricing. Part of the plan includes helping all participants to learn the Ojibwe language. Regular gatherings bring youth and elders together from Nett Lake and Vermilion, two reservation communities that are 60 miles apart and that traditionally have had few opportunities to work together.

Fond du Lac Reservation
Fond du Lac Reservation’s Anishanaabe L.I.F.E. (Learning, Involvement, Foundation, and Enjoyment) includes traditional activities such as ricing, sugarbushing, and gathering plants and berries. Elders also connect with youth to pass down and preserve stories through monthly elders’ luncheons and an elders’ journal.  Also planned: adding an intergenerational component to Wisdom Steps, a model health and wellness prevention program on the Reservation. Blandin Community Leadership Program participants are actively involved in AGE to age at Fond du Lac.

Itasca Area
Itasca Area’s AGES – All Generations Energized in Stewardship has three main components: Arts, Food & Nurtrition,and Environment that will be implemented through a variety of volunteer and social/recreational and opportunities. Plans include volunteering at the food shelf, community café, and homeless shelter; making pottery for the empty bowl fundraiser; visiting seniors at the nursing home; and gardening and other community beautification efforts.

Cloquet
Cloquet’s Friendship Through the Ages is a multifaceted effort that includes social and recreational activities such as game nights, intergenerational dances, picnics, and community beautification projects, as well as regular visits to the local nursing homes and assisted living facilities by youth and adult volunteers.

Chisholm
Chisholm’s G Force: Pulling the Generations Together offers a variety of intergenerational activities to help older adults and youth develop relationships while learning new skills. Elements of the project include fitness – from snowshoeing to polka dancing, music, cooking and baking, and woodworking. Members plan to participate as a team in community events including the Great River Energy Bike Ride.

Floodwood
Floodwood’s Ageless Great Endeavors (AGES) will undertake a community technology project in which young people help older adults learn skills such as Internet use, digital photography, and various software programs. Young people will serve as teachers and mentors. Additional plans include active living opportunities that connect generations such as dances and walk-a-thons.

McGregor
McGregor’s Ageless Friendship kicked-off their initiative with a community-wide dinner, intergenerational activities, and concert in which 250 people of all ages participated. Project components include a wide array of monthly opportunities to meet the diverse needs of young people and older adults including a community garden, beautification projects, a reading program, and community theater.

Moose Lake
Moose Lake’s HUGs (Helping Unite Generations) is focused on increasing older adults’ engagement in the after-school KIDS PLUS program, as well as creating social and recreational opportunities and community beautification projects. They are bringing generations together to improve their town with paint, murals, a sign welcoming people to Moose Lake, and picnic tables. Retired volunteers help out and provide after school classes to young people such as building cribbage boards and playing cribbage, making fleece blankets, and cooking, to name just a few.

Proctor
Proctor’s G3 – Gathering Generations for Greatness will offer monthly activities to connect the generations, including game nights and service projects. For example, the July event will feature bingo, a Wii tournament, bocci ball, lawn darts, and croquet along with a barbeque. Proctor is also exploring the creation of an intergenerational community theater program and a community garden.  Activities will take place at the Proctor Area Community Center which is also the site of the senior center, youth center, and historical society.

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Northland Foundation • 610 Sellwood Building • 202 W. Superior St. • Duluth, MN 55802 • (218) 723-4040
info@northlandfdn.org • www.northlandfdn.org

AGE to age funding support has been provided by
Community Experience Partnership, an initiative for U.S. community foundations from the Atlantic Philanthropies