The intergenerational contact has been one of the main goals for the European policy during the last years, which aimed to increase the cultural and economical wealth in Europe. This increased the motivation of voluntary organizations from different European countries to collaborate with each other in order to reach a common object, like the enhancement of intergenerational relationships. The project SMILE involved organizations from Germany, Poland and Turkey. Its main objective was to create a senior mentoring program that promotes the intergenerational contact between different European countries and plans to involve both retired people and still working seniors interested in participating in a volunteering activity at a European scale.
The project lasted over two years and was divided in four meetings organized in the three countries involved. During these meetings the participants discussed the procedures needed to promote intergenerational relationships, taking in consideration the different levels of awareness in regards to the topic in the respective countries. These aspects appear in the guideline, which is a summary of the subjects discussed by the European partners during the Study Visits.
The guideline includes cultural, generational and organizational factors, fundraising opportunities, and training for the mentors, as well as recommendations regarding PR work. The goal of this guideline is to create a tool kit for managers of mentoring and partnership projects focusing on improving the skills of young people. The kit contains materials and information you need to start or maintain a quality intergenerational project, with a wide collection of good practices of voluntary mentoring and partnership programs across Europe.
the Guideline in PDF version is available at: http://gemeinsam-in-europa.de/files/smile/Guideline_SMILE_final_englisch.pdf