A Co-mentoring Project: An Intergenerational Service-Learning Experience

Abstract

Intergenerational service-learning between college students and older adults is a commonly used in educational gerontology. Service-learning is believed to enhance student learning through an equivalent focus on service and learning, reflection, and linking course content with the service experience. This article describes a comentoring project (CMP), an intergenerational service-learning program that links older adult volunteers and students enrolled in an undergraduate lifespan developmental psychology course. The researcher conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the project's impact on students, including a pre- and post-assessment using the Facts on Aging Quiz ([FAQ1]; Palmore, 1998), structured project evaluation feedback, and qualitative data analysis. Results indicated students were more knowledgeable about older adults after the service-learning experience. Consistent with previous service-learning literature, students often reported intrapersonal development and establishment of a deep relationship with their partners. Students admired their partners, felt inspired by them, and viewed them as rolemodels.