Troubleshooting

i2i Intergenerational Society will try to answer potential questions you might have, and anticipate potential challenges you may experience as you plan, implement, and assess your IG projects.

 How does IG work interface with government mandated curriculum, budget, liability, and evaluation?

Boards of Education, Administrators, Parents and Teachers generally have four concerns: curriculum coverage, budget, liability, evaluation.

When the BC Intergenerational Toolkit is released at the end of May 2009 it will have curriculum matches written by the BC Ministry of Education. These are easily transferable to other Canadian mandated curriculum. Teacher flexibility on the timing of units so that they match the care facility setting, is key.

When budgetting, for which we will provide further details later, schools and care facilities must take into consideration staff planning time. The only other outstanding cost would be transportation. This could be covered by successful application to a service club, request to the bussing service for a discounted rate, building fund raisers into the project to accrue funding. Sometimes care facilities are in a position to use their care home bus for occasional transport of the children.

Liability is something each Board of Education and School, and each Care Facility must deal with individually using due diligence. In most cases, ‘informed consent’ of participating parties and families is the most important aspect. Liability is nothing to be taken lightly, and proposed projects should look into this early in the planning. Watch for a checklist coming in the IG Toolkit when it is released late in May.

Evaluation of the full immersion, Meadows School Project™ is underway right now with a research grant at the University of Victoria, BC, CA. This information will be available later this year. Any evaluation of a program or project, based in a social context, must run dual tracked evaluation for both seniors and youth/children. One aspect is the empirical (number) data, and the other is anecdotal, testimonial, photographic evidence, etc.
We are not well versed in how to measure social change. However, if we spend another 125 years studying that method of evaluation, just as we have the other traditional methodologies, we are certain to ‘get it right’.

 Finding funds to support IG work

1. Funding requirements usually are related to Transportation.
2. Walking – part of fitness regime?
3. Care or recreation facility – own bus available to use and/or share?
4. Request reduced rate on public transportation?
5. Charter a bus – what’s the cost?

**Check liability and safety issues with administration

Fundraising:

1. DONATIONS- “Every little bit counts”
2. Service clubs, church groups, and local foundations

• Offer to do a presentation at their meeting
• After, send a letter requesting funding for specific expense
• Report back with another presentation to sustain their support

1. Private donations

• Newspaper article about the project followed by a  request

2. FUNDRAISERS – “Think about the environment”
3. Sell a service people need

• Seasonal window painting

One project organizer was purchasing a new mattress in November, and in the course of the conversation told the manager about the intergenerational project upon which her class was embarking. He was just about  hire someone to paint the store’s front windows for Christmas, and he was planning to pay $200. He wondered if the teacher would like to bring down 6 or 7 children one Saturday morning to paint the windows, giving a wonderful child-like touch to his storefront, and he would pay them the $200 towards their project. She did, they did, he did! And the children helped towards their bus fare.

HINT: Use plastic protection on floor area, outline images with black felt pen, paint with thick consistency acrylic paints, round and flat school quality brushes, washes off with Windex product.  Internet gives good ideas for simple window painting effects.

1. White Elephant Sale

• Excellent intergenerational fundraising opportunity

1. Project Calendar

• Take photos of the project participants in the autumn
• Get media releases from everyone
• Print the photos in black and white in calendar format
• Sell by the first of December
• Project Calendar:  Meadows School Project Calendar 2009 2.61 Mb

CHECK BACK FOR HELPFUL BITS OF INFORMATION DEALING WITH EVERYTHING FROM

How to find a suitable space for an IG activity to…

…where to find words to songs everyone can sing.