Bridge Builders

Team members: Derrek Pugh, Erika Kirby, Teresa Ervin, Hammond Edwards, Bob Morgan, Mike Gula, Tamara King, Molly Fortune, Kathleen Muthig, Stephen Legault.

“The key is pairing great potential with great experience.” Susan Curnan, Brandeis professor and Executive Director, Center for Youth and Communities

A recent study from NORC at the University of Chicago found that 76% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennial respondents say they wish they had more opportunities to work across generations for change.

Evidence suggests that intergenerational programs can improve socioemotional learning and depressive symptoms for kids and teens and decrease loneliness and social isolation for older volunteers. The research shows that bridging the generational divide increases connection and collaboration for everyone involved.

Project BRIDGE Aims to Close the Gap

Project Bridge is an intergenerational program designed to Build Relationships while Inspiring Leadership through Diversity and Generational Experience. The team-building project will collaborate with the American Leadership Academy in Lexington, S.C., Big Red Barn Retreat, Fort Jackson and veterans’ organizations to develop a mentorship program and curriculum. The program will foster camaraderie through a day of activities and challenges designed to promote unity among participants.

This initiative seeks to showcase that despite their different backgrounds, students and veterans can learn from each other, and through collaboration, achieve remarkable outcomes. The experience also emphasizes the importance of cultivating healthy relationships that build stronger, more inclusive communities.

The one-day pilot project will take place in the fall of 2024 at the Big Red Barn Retreat in Blythewood, S.C. Based upon the success of the program, partners will continue the effort with plans to expand.