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Essential

Intergenerational Community Building for Civic Engagement

Avatar: Yumin Yumin
Idea Submission for The People's Money:
Our project is a community program designed to build meaningful connections between older-generation immigrants and younger immigrants while encouraging civic and political engagement on both sides. The program would take place in a community center and create a welcoming space where participants can support each other, share experiences, and learn together. Younger immigrants can help older or ESL community members with English, technology, or navigating local systems, while older participants contribute cultural knowledge, life experience, and perspectives on community needs. The initiative would include workshops, inclusive discussion groups about current events and community issues, social activities, shared meals, and occasional trips, aimed at making civic engagement feel accessible, social, and relevant. By focusing on relationships first and learning second, the program helps residents feel more connected, confident, and motivated to participate in improving their neighborhoods.
What is the problem your idea aims to address?
Immigrant communities face higher barriers to basic resources due to language challenges, administrative stress, and limited integration into their neighborhoods, especially for newer arrivals. Many older immigrants also experience social isolation, while younger immigrants often feel disconnected from older generations because of cultural differences between growing up in the U.S. and growing up in their home countries. This generational and cultural divide makes it harder for families and communities to support one another. At the same time, civic engagement is low among many immigrant communities, and younger people in particular may feel unsure of how to get involved or why it matters. In New York City, most residents come from immigrant families, and these issues create isolation, limit access to resources, and reduce participation in local civic life. As a result, New York itself has become increasingly isolated and disconnected.
Which groups does your idea focus on? Select all that apply
Youth (under 24)
Older Adults (65 +)
Limited English Speakers
Immigrants / Migrants
Parents

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