Intergenerational Connection Program

For the initial run of the Intergenerational Connection Program, students from Bobby’s Run School in Lumberton were partnered with residents from The Roosevelt senior living community in Mount Laurel from April through June 2025. Throughout the duration of the pilot program, the students and residents conducted bi-weekly virtual visits with one another, which included a variety of fun, yet intentional bonding activities:

• “Two Truths and A Lie” Icebreaker
• Show and Tell – students and senior residents showcased items and shared stories about why they selected that particular item.
• TikTok Dance Activity – students shared their favorite trend dances with residents and inviting them to participate/get involved in the social media trend with them.
• Student Lesson – students taught a lesson to the residents of something they learned over the course of the past year.

The pilot program then culminated with the celebratory picnic, where residents from The Roosevelt and Bobby’s Run students gathered together to meet each other in person.

As one of the first organizations in the country to launch programs designed to address and reduce social isolation and loneliness, Samaritan convened the Social Isolation, Loneliness and Connection Collaborative (SILCC), a coalition of major health systems and 40+ nonprofits, which addresses the physical and mental toll of social isolation. The Intergenerational Connection Program is the direct result of SILCC’s strategic vision and planning.