How one Prince George's County community is gaining strength through the intergenerational connections it creates.
John Bailey remembers that lightbulb moment back in 2012 when the concept for
Arch of Knowledge first hit him. His community was hosting a neighborhood cleanup when he saw an older woman having a conversation with a young man in middle school on a break. They seemed to really be enjoying each other’s company and John thought, “this needs to happen more often.”
That moment stayed with him for years. During those years, he was keenly aware of how the older and younger generations communicated in his community. While he saw plenty of positive interactions, there were also some negative stereotypes that were shared on both sides about the other. So in 2018 he started Arch of Knowledge with the goal of strengthening connections between youth and seniors in the Camp Springs Community of Prince George’s County.
When speaking of the value of intergenerational connections, Bailey explains, “It was a basis of our society years ago." He noted that the distance between the generations has only gotten worse since COVID, and added, "I believe that what you are not familiar with, you are sometimes afraid of.”
Arch of Knowledge aims to bridge those gaps by providing a variety of social, civic, and educational opportunities to bring generations together. They host shred events, school supply and food collection drives, and a range of educational workshops on topics such as financial and computer literacy, fitness, and health. It’s a great way to get different generations to come together over a common cause, and make connections in an authentic way.
But even as the program curriculum is expanding, Bailey remains steadfast to the underlying goal of providing opportunities for younger and older generations to simply have a conversation.
“They have to learn from each other,” Bailey said. “We put the issues on the table, work those issues out, and through those dialogs, they see they are more alike than anything.
And they see that they need each other.”
Arch of Knowledge recently engaged in a six-week program between a local senior living community and youth in foster care. The get-togethers included social visits, guided discussions, brunch, games, and many conversations around shared interests and concerns. He recalls there were plenty of discussions that ended in tears and laughter.
“Once you have that kind of dialog with intergenerations, it’s amazing because the youth actually see what our seniors have gone through, and then our seniors are learning what our youth are going through today.”
Looking ahead, Bailey has big plans for Arch of Knowledge. A partnership with MedStar Health has become a popular forum for exchanging intergenerational health-related concerns. “Mental health is one of the biggest challenges we have now,” he explains. And a new agricultural program aims to bring generations together to plant and cultivate healthy food in their community.
But as the personal enrichment programs continue to expand, Bailey insists that the more rewarding underlying goal is when personal relationships emerge from the connections made.
“If we bind together, I believe we can walk forward as a community, stronger,” Bailey declares. “No one in front, no one lagging, no one feeling left out. All of us walking together.”
If you want to learn more about Arch of Knowledge, visit their
YouTube page where much of their programming is posted.
