INTERGENERATIONAL BENEFITS OF EXPERIENCE CORPS: CHILDREN

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The aging of American society and the unmet educational needs of America's children are two issues at the[unreadable] forefront of the nation's local and national policy agenda. An innovative program addressing both issues,[unreadable] called the Experience Corps (EC), places older volunteers in public elementary schools in high-impact,[unreadable] generative roles designed to help meet schools' needs and increase the physical, cognitive, and social[unreadable] activity of the volunteers. Recent results from a pilot randomized trial in 6 Baltimore City schools support[unreadable] the potential of the program to improve health in the aging population and simultaneously improve[unreadable] educational outcomes for children and schools. We now propose to conduct a randomized, controlled,[unreadable] community-based participatory trial of the EC program, with dual randomization of 48 schools and 1046 older[unreadable] volunteers in Baltimore. We have a unique and timely opportunity to partner with the Mayor of the City of[unreadable] Baltimore, the school system, and the City Commission on Aging to scale up the EC program across[unreadable] Baltimore City and to conduct a randomized trial of its impact on older adults' health and function, schools[unreadable] and children, and society. The overall goal of Project 2 is to study the child outcomes, as measured by[unreadable] standardized tests and school record data, and their improvement as a function of the social capital offered[unreadable] by an aging society. We also seek to understand the potential benefits of such social capital for teacher[unreadable] retention and school climate, and the reciprocity between these important societal benefits from the[unreadable] contributions of older adults and positive feedback onto the older adults' wellbeing and outcomes.[unreadable] Hypothesized benefits of EC participation for children and schools are expected to result from the core[unreadable] features of the EC program which include placing a critical mass of trained volunteers in schools, having[unreadable] them fulfill meaningful roles to meet school needs, requiring a commitment of 15 hours/week, and providing[unreadable] an incentive reimbursement. Specific aims include testing hypotheses about gains in academic performance[unreadable] and readiness-to-learn from having a critical mass of EC volunteers in the school [Aim 1]. Aim 2 examines[unreadable] improvements in behavior essential to learning resulting from the EC. Aim 3 is to examine effects on school[unreadable] climate and on teacher retention and absenteeism. Finally, Aim 4 (in collaboration with Projects 1 & 4)[unreadable] examines the association of improved academic performance, behavior, and attendance in schools, with[unreadable] volunteer retention, program satisfaction, and efficacy. This proposal represents a direct contribution to[unreadable] human health in that it should result in further development and implementation of an intergenerational[unreadable] program designed to simultaneously impact health and well-being of older adults as well as educational[unreadable] needs of children. It is expected that scaling up will provide evidence for broader impact on older adults and[unreadable] children, and highlight the generative potential of an aging society for meeting critical social needs.[unreadable]