The Four-Year Journey
A structured research journey across three phases — listening, hearing, and building — documented here as it happens.
Listening to Elders
The first year is about showing up and listening. Visiting care homes and community centers, sitting with older adults, and asking open questions about their lives — not about aging programs, but about what their days feel like, what they miss, and what they wish younger people understood.
Hearing Youth
The second year turns to the other side of the gap. Visiting middle and high schools to interview students about their grandparents' generation. Exploring what they know, what they assume, what surprises them — and what barriers (geographic, emotional, practical) stand between them and real connection.
Building Bridges
With both sides heard, the third year focuses on designing real-world bridge experiments. Small, testable ideas built from what was actually said — not from assumptions about what would be "good" for each group. Some will fail interestingly. All will teach something.
Documenting & Sharing
The final year compiles the complete record: the voices, the data, the patterns, the failures, and the unexpected joys. The goal is a documented body of work that others — educators, community organizers, families — can actually use.