Looking for community service opportunities for your constituents?
When you partner with GENuine Connections at DOROT, the older adults in your community will create powerful intergenerational communities through free, virtual (on Zoom), small-group workshops. We connect vetted adults (65+) with teens from our partnered high schools in workshop series led by DOROT facilitators. Everyone comes away having learned from one another and having made genuine connections.
GENuine Connections succeeds because of our rich partnerships across a variety of sectors serving adults 65+. Whether with a community center, retirement association, NORC, worship community, or library, we build partnerships focused on achieving meaningful intergenerational friendships.
Bring more connection to the people in your community by partnering with us.
Ready to Discuss What's Possible?
Please fill out the form below, or email us at GENuineConnections@DOROTusa.org.
Become a Partner
What does it mean to become a partner?
It's easy! There are three main ways to bring GENuine Connections to the older adults in your community:
- Share information about this intergenerational program with your constituents.
- Help adults (65+) register for the best upcoming multi-session workshop for them. We offer support to help your constituents through the registration process including how to use Zoom.
- Make an impact on your community with a customized program. We'll work with you to design a one-time event or a workshop series that speaks to your mission and participants' interest. Then we'll recruit the teens who will join for the expertly facilitated sessions.
Once you're signed on as one of our partners, we'll feature your organization's logo on our website.
GENuine Connections is meant to complement the other programs and communities’ older adults are a part of, extending your impact through virtual programming. Our sessions start between 4-7 pm ET, when many older adults are home.
Tell Us About Your Community
To discuss the best option to engage the older adults and/or teens in your community, please fill out the form below, or email us at GENuineConnections@DOROTusa.org.
“What I enjoy the most is the surprise and discovery that happens almost every time we meet. Who knew we’d learn so much from each other?” Denise M. (Older Adult Volunteer)
The GENuine Connections process for Adults 65+:
- Interested older adults (65+) register to be a part of GENuine Connections.
- Then participants attend an orientation*, where we warmly welcome them into the GENuine Connections community, explain how the program works, and answer any questions (including Zoom-literacy questions) they may have.
- Once participants have attended an orientation, they can sign-up for one or more weekly workshops.
- Since this intergenerational community includes minors, every adult participant agrees to a quick background check (at no cost to them).
- Participants’ program registration is confirmed after their background check is completed.
- Each semester, they're invited back to reconnect with former participants and to meet peers and teens!
*We can create orientations for just your community at times convenient to them.
“This was such a fun and enlightening experience. I feel I have gained so much knowledge about others, the world, and myself.” — GENuine Connections Older Adult Participant 2022
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
Welcome to GENuine Connections. We are an online community devoted to making genuine connections between older adults and high school students. What’s special about this community is the people, the conversation and the bonds that are formed when people of different generations come together and find common ground.
GENuine Connections has four semesters (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), each for four to eight weeks depending on the term. Teens and older adults meet over Zoom in small groups to talk and participate in activities ranging from creative writing, chess, art, current events and so much more, leading to the discovery of new and shared perspectives. (Click here to see more.)
Have questions? Email us at GENuineConnections@DOROTusa.org.
