The Eisner Foundation to Honor Bridge Meadows and the Intergenerational Schools as Winners of the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 13, 2014 -- This month, The Eisner Foundation will honor two exceptional organizations, Bridge Meadows of Portland, Oregon, and the Intergenerational Schools of Cleveland, Ohio, with The Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence, a $100,000 prize that recognizes an individual or a non-profit organization for efforts to unite multiple generations – especially seniors and youth – and bring about positive, lasting changes in their communities. The Prizes will be awarded at the Encore.org National Conference in Tempe, Arizona on October 29, 2014.
“It is our honor and privilege to present this year’s Eisner Prizes for Intergenerational Excellence to these two amazing organizations,” said Michael Eisner. “The Prizes allow us to honor organizations that share our mission nationwide, with the hope that the good work being done can be replicated in Southern California. Both Bridge Meadows and the Intergenerational Schools are doing a remarkable job of bringing together people of multiple generations for the betterment of all involved. We thank them for their efforts to make their communities better places to live, especially for vulnerable children and elders.”
The Eisner Foundation is honoring Bridge Meadows for “Innovation in Intergenerational Solutions.” Bridge Meadows is a unique multi-generational community (located in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland, OR) where adoptive parents, foster children, and low-income elders –those over 55 – find a true home built with love and the shared vision of a better tomorrow.
“We are extremely honored and quite humbled to be awarded The Eisner Prize,” said Dr. Derenda Schubert, Executive Director of Bridge Meadows. “It is a privilege to see firsthand the impact of the Bridge Meadows community in the lives of our residents in just three short years – our former foster youth are reaching & exceeding their personal and academic potential, families are interrupting the cycle of generational poverty and all three generations are demonstrating improved interpersonal connectedness, improved health and wellness. We feel a grand sense of urgency in this work and believe that this prestigious prize from The Eisner Foundation will raise the national exposure to the power of permanence, place and purpose in ways we could never have achieved on our own.”
The second winner of this year’s Eisner Prize, for “Lifetime Achievement in Intergenerational Advocacy” is the Intergenerational Schools in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded by Drs. Peter and Catherine Whitehouse 14 years ago, the Intergenerational Schools bring together youth and elders in one-of-a-kind learning environments that not only support academic excellence for the young students but also promote life skills for students as well as lifelong learning for elders with physical or cognitive limitations. The schools connect the entire community in a meaningful way. Elder mentors help in the classroom with academic skills and students visit local assisted living centers.
“The Eisner Prize will allow us to strengthen our intergenerational model through working more broadly globally and more deeply locally,” said Dr. Peter Whitehouse. “Newly emerging schools need expanded programming and our lead school will develop new intergenerative ways of creating impactful stories of multi age relationships and learning.”
“The Eisner Prize brings the subject of intergenerational programming, and its benefits, into a national conversation,” said Trent Stamp, Executive Director of The Eisner Foundation. “Highlighting programs across the country that bring seniors and youth together to enhance their communities is an important component of what The Eisner Foundation does. These two organizations are true leaders in this field, and we’re proud to find a way to honor and celebrate their innovative commitments to children and seniors.”
About The Eisner Foundation
Founded in 1996 by Michael and Jane Eisner and their family, The Eisner Foundation exists to provide access and opportunity for children and the aging in Los Angeles County. The Foundation gives philanthropic support and counsel to exceptionally-run non-profit organizations working to create lasting, positive changes in the lives of at-risk and disadvantaged seniors and children in the Los Angeles community. By making grants of over $7 million annually, the goal of The Eisner Foundation is simply to help Los Angeles be a place that protects and nurtures the region's most vulnerable citizens. To learn more about The Eisner Foundation, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.eisnerfoundation.org, as well as https://www.facebook.com/EisnerFoundation, https://twitter.com/EisnerFound, http://www.youtube.com/user/TheEisnerFoundation, and http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-eisner-foundation.
About The Intergenerational Schools
For 14 years the Intergenerational Schools (TIS) have been a transformative model of lifelong learning, positively impacting costs and outcomes associated with educating children and engaging older adults, including those with dementia. Based on its success and community interest, there are now three Intergenerational Schools operating in Cleveland, providing a free public education to over 500 young learners. The Intergenerational Schools feature an innovative kindergarten through 8th grade developmental curriculum that is proven to foster student achievement. Modeled on building relationships of reciprocal respect and learning, multi-age classrooms give every child the opportunity to serve as both teacher and learner. Classes have a range of ages (spanning 3-4 years) and abilities, creating a dynamic and individualized learning environment. Additionally, students learn with a lifespan perspective and benefit from daily interactions with a diverse group of adults and elders who participate fully in the school community as mentors, tutor, and co-learners. TIS actively partners with Judson Smart Living and Case Western Reserve University not only to deliver their programs, but also to document and study them for potential future replication. To learn more, please visit http://www.tisonline.org.
About Bridge Meadows
Bridge Meadows is a unique multi-generational community (located in the Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland, OR) where adoptive parents, foster children, and low-income elders –those over 55 – find a true home built with love and the shared vision of a better tomorrow. Children move from the instability of foster care placements to permanent homes and families. Adoptive families receive essential resources and guidance, and low-income elders each volunteer 100 hours/quarter in service to the community. To learn more, visit http://www.bridgemeadows.org.
Contact:
Trent Stamp, Executive Director
The Eisner Foundation
trent.stamp(at)eisnerfoundation(dot)org
310-228-6808
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Trent Stamp, The Eisner Foundation, http://www.eisnerfoundation.org, +1 3102286808, [email protected]
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