What happens when intergenerational oral storytelling, art, and a pandemic meet? Social and emotional learning unfolds.
InterGeneration is a creative documentary that follows a group of Boston teens in an after-school program as they connect with elders in the community. Filmed during the early stages of the pandemic, InterGeneration is a glimpse into an educational process beautifully visualized through the teens' hand-made, stop-motion animation. The film shows the power of cross-generational storytelling to build community in a time of crisis.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy identifies loneliness and youth mental health as two urgent public health crises in our country. What would happen if our schools addressed this by shifting from competitive testing to science-backed, culturally responsive teaching that utilized the wisdom and expertise of the elders in the community?
InterGeneration documents the power of social and emotional learning —not just in our schools, but in the wider community. The film gives agency to teens and elders as they wrestle with issues of identity and belonging. It shows that strong intergenerational relationships are essential to our individual and communal health.
InterGeneration models how we can create multicultural, multi-age social connection in our shifting and uncertain world.
A participatory environment inspired by the film installed at MassArt’s Art Education Arnheim Gallery from October 28th to Nov. 8th.
