Meaningful intergenerational connections and social-emotional well-being: a pre-registered and community-engaged daily diary investigation of the intergenerational classroom (iGen)

Meaningful connections between people of similar (i.e. intragenerational) and different generations (i.e. intergenerational) are essential to well-being. Intergenerational programs (IPs) may forge meaningful inter- and intragenerational connections, and in turn, promote social-emotional well-being – yet past work is sparse, limited, and inconclusive. We conducted a pre-registered and community-engaged multi-wave daily diary study with a representative IP called iGen, wherein sixth-grade students connect daily with long-term care residents (‘Elders’) over the school year. Across the start and end of the school year, iGen students, staff, and Elders completed up to 20 daily diaries (N = 622) capturing the meaning of their interactions and various social-emotional outcomes (e.g. happiness). Although meaningful connections and socio-emotional well-being did not increase over the school year, having more meaningful inter- and intra-generational connections related to greater social-emotional outcomes, especially at the end of iGen. This work offers insight to the potential of intergenerational programs like iGen.