Service-learning is increasingly becoming an avenue used in a variety of disciplines to provide students with real-life experience regarding aging and older adults. Developing and implementing meaningful service-learning experiences, however, requires consideration both of the discipline-specific content to be addressed, as well as the varied backgrounds (educational and personal) and levels (freshman to graduate) of the students who will be participating. Intergenerational service-learning is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Drawing on the experiences of intergenerational service-learning programs at three institutions (representing three disciplines-Gerontology, Nursing, and Occupational Therapy), this paper focuses on the discipline-specific challenges of building a quality intergenerational service-learning program, as well as the associated challenges of developing appropriate intergenerational service-learning experiences for a range of student levels with varied backgrounds.

The protocol used in the course is very extensive and might not be practical in a busy practice setting. An alternative, 4-point assessment is provided.

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