Intergenerational Changemakers - Building on the pillars of co-op and innovation

Waterloo’s strengths in work-integrated learning and innovation set the foundation for new programming that brings generations together to solve problems for social good.

Participate in our survey to share your perspective and shape Waterloo's work in leveraging collaboration across our generations of alumni to impact our community.

Co-operative and Experiential Education, Youth Innovation Project and GreenHouse United are exploring how to bring generations together as changemakers who can create social impact while providing personal benefit to the participants. As we think about how to prepare students for the increasingly volatile and complex world of work they will enter after graduation, how can working on problems with other generations help them develop skills critical to their success and the success of their future organizations?

To an extent, this happens every day in workplaces where supervisors share their wisdom and knowledge with their co-op students or early career professionals, but it’s one way. Under what circumstances and for what benefit, could a shift in the dynamic between the emerging and experienced talent be co-generative and offer bi-directional learning?

We are currently testing different ways to re-engage mid- to later-career professionals and connecting them with current students to solve social problems and help them explore what’s meaningful to them and how they would like to engage in social change.

You can help by participating in our survey to share your perspectives on the potential value of intergenerational collaboration, at whatever career stage you are at. This study will lead to insights that we can share with our students, faculty and broader community, and set priorities for future programming. By participating, you have the opportunity to be entered in a draw for one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.

To learn more about the work going on in this area, reach out to Judene Pretti, Director of the Strategic Enablement Team for Co-operative and Experiential Education.