• Red Cross-Valladolid
• Neighbourhood Association of Barrio Belén

The priority challenge of action was identified through coordination meetings and interviews with Key Informants such as the Technician responsible for the Intergenerational Outreach Program of the University of Valladolid, the Directorate of the Citizen Participation Service of the City of Valladolid, the Technician responsible for the project “Promotion of the social network and healthy ageing” of the Red Cross-Valladolid and the Neighborhood Association of Barrio Belén, as well as through the organization of a Discussion Group and the compilation and documentary analysis. 

Community partners participated in identifying priorities, defining the focus of the intervention, facilitating contacts with older adults and neighbourhood stakeholders, and contributing to the design, implementation and evaluation of the intergenerational activities. Older adults and community organisations benefit from opportunities for meaningful intergenerational interaction, increased social participation and practical resources to promote sustainable community development. Students, in turn, gain first-hand experience of community engagement, challenge age-based stereotypes and develop democratic, relational and socio-educational competences through reciprocal learning and shared action.

The project is integrated into the Social Psychology course in the first year of the BA in Social Education and into Master’s Final Projects focused on Applied Educational Research.

• To understand the psychosocial dimensions of ageing and intergenerational relationships.
• To develop competences for community participation, dialogue and collaborative action
• To analyse and challenge ageist stereotypes and discrimination. 
• To design educational interventions promoting sustainable community development and social cohesion. 
• To develop empathy, critical reflection and democratic citizenship through engagement with community partners. 

Service activities: The purpose of the project was to foster intergenerational relationships between university youth and older people who facilitate the creation of networks of cooperative and neighbourhood participation in the neighbourhoods of the city of Valladolid, as a means to achieve sustainable socio-community development and the promotion of sustainable social and social development. To this end, it is established as a service to be offered to the community the elaboration of a Guide-compilation of intergenerational actions contextualized in the environment of the riverside neighborhoods of the Esgueva in the city of Valladolid.

Learning activities:

• Facilitate intergenerational dialogue between university students and staff user of the Red Cross Senior Citizens Program, sharing meetingstraining around the energized educational workshops.
• Provide a cooperative climate that facilitates well-being and the breaking down of barriersor ageist stereotypes, as well as greater mutual knowledge and empathy betweengenerations.
• Participate together, creating initiatives that motivate and contribute, initially, to community development in the neighborhoods of the banks of the Esgueva, to to extend them, later, to other areas of the city of Valladolid. 

Students actively participate in all stages of the project, including analysing community needs, co-designing workshop activities, facilitating intergenerational encounters, proposing community initiatives and contributing to the preparation of the Educational Guide. They therefore act as co-creators of both the service and the learning process.

Reflection enables students to critically examine their own perceptions of ageing and intergenerational relationships, analyse the impact of stereotypes and discrimination, and connect theoretical concepts from social psychology with real experiences of community participation. Reflection also supports the development of empathy, civic responsibility and awareness of sustainable community development. The reflection takes place before, during and after the service activity.

Values

• Valuing human dignity & human rights

Attitudes

• Respect
• Responsibility

Skills

• Co-operation skills
• Empathy

Students and older adults participate in shared workshops, dialogue activities and collaborative initiatives aimed at improving community life in their neighbourhoods. Through direct intergenerational interaction, co-creation and collective reflection, students challenge age-based stereotypes, develop empathy and mutual understanding, and experience participation, cooperation and social responsibility as fundamental dimensions of democratic citizenship.

• Improved understanding of ageing and intergenerational relationships.
• Reduced ageist stereotypes and greater empathy towards older adults.  
• Development of communication, cooperation and community engagement skills.  
• Increased awareness of democratic participation and social cohesion.  
• Enhanced capacity to design educational interventions for sustainable community development. 

The project strengthened intergenerational relationships and promoted opportunities for dialogue, cooperation and neighbourhood participation between younger and older generations. It contributed to reducing age-based stereotypes, increasing community cohesion and generating practical resources for sustainable community development through the Educational Guide and the promotion of intergenerational initiatives.

Building sustainable intergenerational relationships requires time, continuity and coordination among multiple stakeholders. Challenges also included maintaining long-term community participation and ensuring that intergenerational initiatives remained active beyond the duration of the academic project.

• committed community partners
• opportunities for meaningful interaction between generations
• institutional support for service-learning
• sufficient time for dialogue, reflection and co-creation