Engagement Checklist

Have the higher education and community site partners met to begin planning for the program?

Community site could be senior center, lifelong learning program, community organization, senior village, retirement or senior living community, library.

Is there an established need for technology assistance among older adults at the community site?

The established need could be a stated need from staff or potential older adult learners, existing programs that are overwhelmed, survey of technology needs, or data that support community need for technology assistance.

Have you decided what goals and objectives the program will work to meet?

This could be learning or social well-being outcomes for students and older adult learners. SEE APPENDIX – Program Goals and Objectives

Have higher education and community site partners met to decide program details?

Details could include securing incentives for participation, number of hours required for students, maximum number of students/older adult learners, meeting day, time, matching strategies, cultural and language context, internet access, and anti-ageism training. SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Have students and older adult learners been included in deciding program details?

For example, a needs assessment of content desired by older adult learners or desired student skills from course instructors/intern supervisors. SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Did you decide what types of devices can be used based on older adults’ device access and students’ comfort levels?

Device decisions could be Apple products, Android devices, or any type of technology older adult learners own or have access to.

Can you achieve approximately a 1:1 ratio between older adult learners and student mentors who speak the same languages?

This could be pairs or small groups of older adult learners and students working together, one student who meets with multiple older adult learners (one at a time), or larger groups of older adults and students with a facilitator available.

Do you have a plan for the types of technology lessons that will be covered?

Lessons could be technology basics, social media, health focus, community resources, or any questions older adult learners have about their personal or communal technology devices. SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Have you identified ways to plan meetings so participants can build relationships over time?

This could be once a week throughout the semester, a few times a semester, or a one-time offering with potential to schedule follow-up appointments.

If meeting in person, do you have a physical location identified?

This could be a table with chairs in a meeting room or quiet location or tables/chairs for small or large groups. With groups, there is need to ensure people can hear one another when talking.

Have you considered transportation needs for student mentors and older adult learners?

For those without transportation, public transportation, carpooling, or alternative student assignments may be an option.

Have you identified students to serve as mentors for the program?

Students could be enrolled in a specific class, be enrolled in a program or type of credit, have a service-learning option, or have a paid or unpaid internship/position.

Have the students’ motivation levels and/or qualifications been taken into account?

Things to consider: if students are seeking gerontology or clinical experience, if they have little or extensive experience working with older adults, if they are in an elective or required course.

Have you detailed the number of required hours expected of students in needed outlets/publications?

Examples include: course registration systems, course marketing materials, syllabi, internship/job recruitment sites. SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Have you included university/college faculty or staff in the planning process?

Individuals could be: service-learning office or instructors, department chair or dean, other faculty/staff, academic advisors, or other individuals with knowledge of campus policies and liability for off-site learning or for community members coming to campus.

Have you considered the needs of people with abilities, different levels of literacy or technology ability, language preferences, and sensory/cognitive diversity?

This could be done by incorporating information into student training, including information on marketing materials, or ensuring training lessons incorporate this information.

Have you considered including participant leaders (i.e., student or older adult learners) to assist with decision-making, tasks, research, or other issues?

For example, student leaders could be paid as graduate research/teaching assistants, hourly workers, or receive independent study credit.

Did you use digital means of promotion and outreach to recruit older adult learners?

This could be social media, newsletters, message boards, community email groups, online newsletters, being sure to consider appropriate languages of the audience. SEE APPENDIX – Promotional Materials

Did you use non-digital means of promotion and outreach to recruit older adult learners?

This could be flyers, mailings, phone calls, announcements at community center, newsletters/newspaper ads, being sure to consider appropriate languages of the audience. SEE APPENDIX – Promotional Materials

Were all pertinent details on the marketing materials, and were staff trained to answer questions?

Details to consider: goals of the program; intergenerational relationship intent; how to access the program; time commitment; program schedule/duration; transportation/parking; contact information for questions; languages participants can speak; program inclusivity related to education, race, class, gender identity/sexual orientation.

Do you have a process for registering older adult learners for the program once they show interest?

Appendix – Older Adult Registration

Have you considered offering incentives for older adult learners and/or students who participate or for certain aspects of participation (such as a research component)?

This could be gift cards, certificates, transportation vouchers, refreshments, meals, etc.

Have you considered the needs of people with disabilities, different levels of literacy or technology ability, various language preferences, and sensory/cognitive diversity?

This could be done by incorporating information into student training, including information on marketing materials, or ensuring training lessons incorporate this information.

Have you considered including participant leaders (i.e., student or older adult learners) to assist with decision-making, recruitment, tasks, research, or other issues?

For example, older adult leaders could be paid, on an advisory board, or emeritus faculty with institutional/community knowledge.

Did you consider if students or older adult learners will need to complete background checks or vaccinations to participate in the program?

Considerations include: community context, expectations, and limitations.

Have you identified a way to track attendance and engagement or have student mentors submit a time sheet?

SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Do you have plans for what will count for hours?

Take into account how to count no-shows, transportation time, assignment completion, and planning time.

Do you have a system for how the student mentors and older adult learners will schedule time together?

Pairs can schedule their own appointments based on availability. SEE APPENDIX – Scheduling Timeline

Did you consider how to pair student mentors and older adult learners to ensure that intergenerational relationships will be fostered over time?

This could be done by matching them ahead of time or encouraging pairs to schedule multiple appointments after the first meeting.

Did you consider student mentor and older adult learner schedules when planning the programs?

Both schedules need to align.

Have you ensured that program procedures are aligned with program goals/objectives?

This can help with decision-making and prioritizing.

Do you have plans for assessing and evaluating program-based outcomes for students and older adult learners?

Consider pre/post surveys, post-only surveys, written feedback, informed consent, submission to IRB, use of Jarrott (2019) evaluation toolkit. SEE APPENDIX – Measures for Evaluation

Did you consider having students complete online training modules provided by Cyber-Seniors or other relevant organizations?

Training could include best practices for working with older adults, anti-ageism training, being culturally responsive, adapting to meet individual needs, understanding cognitive diversity. Intergenerational Resources.

Have you considered guidelines for navigating issues that come up during programming?

This could include hosting an onboarding orientation session, ensuring students are prepared for varied devices used by older learners, setting communication boundaries, students not being technology experts or employees, not providing monetary gifts, not going to personal homes or residences, addressing gender identity questions, not discussing personal names or identifying information with others, not sharing social media posts about experiences, only taking pictures if both parties agree.

Is there an expectation that the students and older adult learners will establish a personal connection when they first meet?

They could discuss families, travel, career interests and expertise, hobbies, or fun things they do with technology.

Do you have a way to monitor attendance and engagement?

This could be done electronically or hard copy. SEE APPENDIX – Program Structure and Participant Expectations

Is there a plan to remind student mentors and older adult learners of their scheduled appointments?

Site volunteers or student leaders could make reminder calls.

Is there a staff person available on-site to help with scheduling of appointments, finding rooms for meeting, and assisting as needed for emergency/unexpected situations?

This is ideally a regular staff person able to help trouble-shoot.

Do you have someone to check in with student mentors or older adult learners who don’t attend or miss their meetings?

This could be a student leader or community site volunteer.

Is there a plan for higher education and community site partners to check-in and troubleshoot throughout the semester?

This could be done through in-person meetings, phone calls, or emails.

Do you have a system for obtaining feedback from key collaborators at the end of the program?

This could be follow-up emails, surveys, phone calls, or site visits.

Do you have plans for how you will analyze any program-based outcome data that was collected?

Considerations: Sample size, power analysis.

Is there a plan for how you will make adjustments towards expansion/sustainability based on what worked and did not work?

This helps with relationship building for community site and higher education partners. SEE APPENDIX – Measures for Evaluation

Have university/college and community site partners discussed plans for program sustainability?

If the program works well, community site partners will have continued demand from older adults. It can be important to communicate future plans to older adult learners.

Have you considered how to sustain the program due to any leadership transitions that may occur?