Mentoring Between and Within “Generations” of Gerontology Students

Abstract

This article examines the use of mentoring during the implementation of an intergenerational service-learning project. An intergenerational mentoring model was developed to include the students in two required courses in the undergraduate model, with the assistance of a student from the MA in Gerontology program. Students were asked to work together in designing and implementing a program focused on melding learning with meeting community needs. Three kinds of mentoring roles were identified in both group and individual mentoring. These include the roles of “door openers,” “information providers,” and “role models.” This paper discusses the value of mentoring to engage undergraduates in gerontology, to provide a measure of advanced undergraduates' competence and ability to use ge-rontological knowledge, and to extend unpaid faculty resources in a gerontology program.