ABSTRACT The Flame Tree teachings unfolded a culturally grounded journey that transformed the removal of a tree deemed unsafe into an exploration of intergenerational connection, storytelling, and reciprocity. By moving beyond institutional compliance, the project nourished a collaboration between Indigenous and Western knowledge systems. Situated within scholarship on Indigenous methodologies, more-than-human geographies, and Country-centered approaches, this paper examines how ceremony and embodied learning track a tree’s transformation into cultural practice and ecological renewal. Key themes include reciprocal relationships between knowledge systems, intergenerational continuity and reciprocity, imagination as perception, the responsibilities of protocol and permission, embodied learning through ceremony, spatial and cultural representation, and story as living. The study demonstrates how moments of loss can facilitate care and teaching, illustrating that caring for Country is carried through lived relationships. Flame Tree still gives through clapsticks, sculptures, and the reach of young saplings, creating new life and teachings for generations to come.

ABSTRACT In this article, drawing upon my personal journey, I aimed to present a framework for research-based art practices that foster inclusive and meaningful intergenerational relationships, strengthen bonds, and support learning across generations. In my research, I adopted the a/r/tography methodology, which transforms the processes of making, creating, and learning into a form of “living inquiry” by integrating them with the sensory and reflective nature of art. Building upon my personal narrative conveyed through visual and textual narratives, I explored the effects of migration that distanced me from my roots, the cultural ruptures arising from this separation, and the consequent weakening of intergenerational bonds. Accordingly, the research was structured around three main axes: personal inquiries conducted through my own story, the meanings that emerged from these inquiries, and the pedagogical proposals developed within the framework of these meanings. Each axis enabled a dynamic dialogue between experience, reflection, and practice.

ABSTRACT Research on intergenerational programs (IGPs) has documented cognitive, physical, and social benefits for older adults, and positive effects for children’s confidence, empathy, and attitudes toward aging. However, less is known about the specific practices and interactions that support the well-being and engagement of both participant groups. Adopting social capital as the theoretical framework, this mixed methods study explores the practices that support relationships between young children and older adults in a co-located IGP. Observations of children and older adults were conducted using three validated observational measures: the Leuven scale, the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being Scale, and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Pre-K). Findings demonstrate that the well-being and engagement of children and older adults were supported across a range of intergenerational activities. Moreover, CLASS findings highlight that when a multimodal activity was effectively facilitated, meaningful intergenerational interactions and positive impacts to children’s learning could be achieved.

ABSTRACT This study examines how intergenerational marketing can strengthen connections between skipped generations, particularly young adults, and older consumers. Using qualitative interviews with cohorts of young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults, it explores perceptions of marketing narratives aimed at aging consumers. Findings highlight both opportunities and challenges in leveraging marketing to foster respect, understanding, and shared identity across age groups. By framing marketing as a relational practice rather than a transactional tool, the study contributes to intergenerational theory. It offers practical guidance for brands and policymakers seeking to promote solidarity across generations. It underscores the importance of recognizing diverse perspectives within and between generational groups, positioning older consumers not simply as market segments but as active participants in intergenerational relationships. These insights inform the design of inclusive marketing strategies that reinforce connection and belonging across familial and societal contexts.

ABSTRACT This pilot study explores the feasibility of a novel intergenerational program bringing preschool children and community-dwelling older adults together. This paper reports the acceptability of this program and the feasibility of collecting empirically robust assessment measures. Using a non-randomized wait-listed controlled trial design, 20 children were recruited across two preschools, with one preschool assigned to the intervention group (n = 10) and the other to the control group (n = 10). The intervention group received 10 weekly 2-hr intergenerational sessions, while the control group continued with their usual routine and received the same intergenerational program after the 10-week control period. Study outcomes supported the acceptability of the program to children and their families, with sustained child recruitment targets (Mean weekly attendance = 80%). The collection of empirically valid assessments, including Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-3), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-5) and the Measure of Empathy in Early Childhood (MEEC) proved feasible for most children (>70%).

ABSTRACT Generations in Shape (fr: Générations en Forme) is an intergenerational physical activity programme piloted in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, aiming to improve health, social cohesion, and well-being among older adults. The seven-week programme engaged children, adults, and senior participants in shared physical activities in urban parks. Within the scope of a broader aging strategy (Vieillir2030 policy), a mixed-methods feasibility study compared Generations in Shape with an established seniors-only programme and a control group. Findings showed significant improvements in physical activity level and muscle strength and a trend toward reduced loneliness in Generations in Shape, increased motivation in seniors-only programme and no meaningful changes in the control group. Qualitative data highlighted the value of interaction, playfulness, and social cohesion. This article details the programme’s key design components and preliminary outcomes, contributing evidence on the potential of intergenerational programmes to reach less active seniors and promote healthy aging.

ABSTRACT This study explores transformative impact of intergenerational choral singing in fostering empathy, enhancing emotional well-being, and bridging generational and cultural divides among older adults. Grounded in Intergroup Contact Theory and Intergenerational Learning, the research analyzes interviews from a multicultural choral singing. Findings reveal five key themes: (1)Music as the Ultimate Icebreaker: Breaking Stereotypes, (2)Fostering Deep Empathy Beyond the Lyrics: Development of Empathy and Understanding, (3)Revitalization through Intergenerational Bonds, (4)Learning Contemporary Social and Cultural Trends Beyond Just Singing the Right Notes, and (5)Building a Social Community Beyond Singing Together. Older adults gained insights into contemporary trends while sharing traditional wisdom, fostering mutual respect and adaptability. Music as a universal medium with structured musical activities’ role helps promote inclusivity and cross-generational connections. This study presents a replicable model for multicultural engagement, demonstrating music’s ability to transcend barriers, cultivate belonging, and address social isolation among older adults, supporting societal cohesion and intergenerational harmony.

ABSTRACT In this editorial, we briefly introduce the authors’ shared contributions to the theme of intergenerational changes during the pandemic by displaying their ecological, socio-critical, and dynamic analyses. Then, we present each paper’s contents and its specific contributions. While each text is singular, it contributes to general trends that make this Special Issue a dynamic horizon of intergenerationality during the pandemic in reference to change (processes).

ABSTRACT This theoretical essay examines the relationships between age groups in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil, a period of high uncertainty. We integrate in a complementary fashion the contributions of sociocultural psychology and sociology, enabling a socio-historical-cultural analysis of discourses on older people across ecological layers and amidst a temporal tension between continuity and discontinuity. Empirically, we conclude from analyzing meme actions of greater control and supervision over older people that socially they have been reduced to a risk group and stigmatized, while the youngest were considered immune to COVID-19. We state that the addition of the health crisis to other crises and historical social inequalities amplified the existing problems. We also propose that the temporal continuity associated with the social notion of a risk group has reedited and deepened disputes between the youngest and the oldest, challenging intergenerational solidarity in Brazil.

ABSTRACT Practitioners are vital for effective intergenerational practice, but they are often unsupported, untrained, or under-resourced. This paper explores the Care Home Friends and Neighbours (Care Home FaNs) Intergenerational Linking project’s “broker model” as a novel approach to supporting intergenerational practitioners. Between 2019 and 2022, “local community brokers,” or “brokers,” helped link schools, youth groups, and care homes in 11 low socio-economic areas across England. Connecting over 4000 young people (aged 5–14) and 2000 adult social care residents, this represents one of the largest initiatives of this kind in England to date. This paper focuses on a subset of data from a wider study of the project, drawing upon object interviews and observations to explore brokers’ facilitatory role. We highlight brokering as a more-than-(just)human activity involving national and regional guidance, COVID-19 policies, inter-organizational relationships, staff turnover, and resource (un)availability. We suggest that brokering reveals intergenerational practice sustainability as a non-linear process of nurturing.