A great challenge for Australian society is to mitigate the separation of generations that affects the quality of life for our seniors and the engagement of our youth. Senior living facilities and education campuses are often designed in a way that maintains this isolation and deepens the divide.

Recognising the need for new ideas to support participation and social interaction led to the establishment of the GrandSchools Project, a federally funded project exploring solutions for intergenerational learning and living campuses across urban and regional Australia.

Members of U3As are invited to participate in a hands-on design session, exploring what an inclusive inter-generational learning and living campus might look like. The session will start with brief presentations outlining best practice in the design of senior living and describing the Grandschools model: a campus that integrates senior living and secondary education in the one physical environment, one that promotes intergenerational inclusivity, active living and learning. The design solution would have benefits in the psychological health and wellbeing of participants of all ages.

The second half of the session concentrates on ‘design imaginings’, known as a design charette, to develop ideas of how an intergenerational learning space can benefit marginalised youth and people with unique life experiences.

Participants would be guided to work in groups, to share their ideas for creating intergenerational spaces.

The session forms part of the Grandschools project and participants will be asked to sign a consent form to allow their contributions to be used for research purposes. A research information sheet and consent form will be sent to all participants before the session, and can also be found here if you wish to view them before reserving your event ticket.

Information Sheet and Consent Form

If you would like to be part of re-imagining how we might live, work and play into the future, you are  invited to be part of the conversation!

Go to the GrandSchools website here for more information, and to get tickets to the event at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at Southbank go to the Event Registration Page here and click on Get Tickets.