INTERGENERATIONAL BENEFITS OF EXPERIENCE CORPS: IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS

美国社会老龄化和美国儿童的教育需求得不到满足是当前面临的两个问题。 处于国家地方和国家政策议程的前列。一个解决这两个问题的创新计划， 名为体验团(EC)的组织将老年志愿者安置在影响较大的公立小学， 旨在帮助满足学校需求并提高身体、认知和社交能力的生成性角色 志愿者的活动。巴尔的摩市6所学校的试点随机试验的最新结果支持 该计划有可能改善老龄化人口的健康状况，同时改善 儿童和学校的教育成果。我们现在建议进行随机的、受控的、 欧共体计划的社区参与性试验，对48所学校和1046所较老的学校进行双重随机抽样 巴尔的摩的志愿者。我们有一个独特和及时的机会与纽约市市长合作 巴尔的摩、学校系统和市老龄委员会在全国范围内扩大EC计划 并对其对老年人健康和功能的影响进行随机试验，学校 和孩子，还有社会。项目2的总体目标是研究儿童的结果，通过 标准化考试和学习成绩数据，以及它们作为所提供的社会资本的功能的改善 由老龄化社会造成的。我们还试图了解这种社会资本对教师的潜在好处。 留校率和学校氛围，以及这些重要的社会利益之间的互惠关系 老年人的贡献和对老年人的幸福和结果的积极反馈。 参加欧共体对儿童和学校的假设好处预计将产生于核心 欧共体计划的特点包括在学校安置足够数量的训练有素的志愿者，拥有 他们履行有意义的角色，以满足学校的需要，要求每周承诺15小时，并提供 奖励报销。具体目标包括检验有关学习成绩提高的假设 并准备好学习，因为学校里有足够多的EC志愿者[目标1]。AIM 2考试 欧共体在学习所必需的行为方面的改进。目标3是检查对学校的影响 气候以及教师留任和缺勤的影响。最后，目标4(与项目1和4合作) 考察了学业成绩、行为和在校出勤率的改善与 志愿者保留率、计划满意度和有效性。这项提议代表着对 人类健康，因为它应该导致进一步发展和实施代际 旨在同时影响老年人的健康和福祉以及教育的计划 儿童的需要。预计扩大规模将提供证据，证明对老年人和 并强调老龄化社会在满足关键社会需求方面的生产潜力。

The aging of American society and the unmet educational needs of America's children are two issues at the forefront of the nation's local and national policy agenda. An innovative program addressing both issues, called the Experience Corps (EC), places older volunteers in public elementary schools in high-impact, generative roles designed to help meet schools' needs and increase the physical, cognitive, and social activity of the volunteers. Recent results from a pilot randomized trial in 6 Baltimore City schools support the potential of the program to improve health in the aging population and simultaneously improve educational outcomes for children and schools. We now propose to conduct a randomized, controlled, community-based participatory trial of the EC program, with dual randomization of 48 schools and 1046 older volunteers in Baltimore. We have a unique and timely opportunity to partner with the Mayor of the City of Baltimore, the school system, and the City Commission on Aging to scale up the EC program across Baltimore City and to conduct a randomized trial of its impact on older adults' health and function, schools and children, and society. The overall goal of Project 2 is to study the child outcomes, as measured by standardized tests and school record data, and their improvement as a function of the social capital offered by an aging society. We also seek to understand the potential benefits of such social capital for teacher retention and school climate, and the reciprocity between these important societal benefits from the contributions of older adults and positive feedback onto the older adults' wellbeing and outcomes. Hypothesized benefits of EC participation for children and schools are expected to result from the core features of the EC program which include placing a critical mass of trained volunteers in schools, having them fulfill meaningful roles to meet school needs, requiring a commitment of 15 hours/week, and providing an incentive reimbursement. Specific aims include testing hypotheses about gains in academic performance and readiness-to-learn from having a critical mass of EC volunteers in the school [Aim 1]. Aim 2 examines improvements in behavior essential to learning resulting from the EC. Aim 3 is to examine effects on school climate and on teacher retention and absenteeism. Finally, Aim 4 (in collaboration with Projects 1 & 4) examines the association of improved academic performance, behavior, and attendance in schools, with volunteer retention, program satisfaction, and efficacy. This proposal represents a direct contribution to human health in that it should result in further development and implementation of an intergenerational program designed to simultaneously impact health and well-being of older adults as well as educational needs of children. It is expected that scaling up will provide evidence for broader impact on older adults and children, and highlight the generative potential of an aging society for meeting critical social needs.