Working together across generations

By AIDA KARIM
news@readthereporter.com

Each generation has something to learn and something to teach.

The Carmel Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Senior Living invites any and all community members to the Intergenerational Day for Seniors: Connecting Generations, Enriching Lives conference on Friday, Oct. 16.

The full-day event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at University High School, 2825 W. 116^th St., Carmel.

The Reporter spoke with Carol Applegate, co-chairperson of the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Senior Living. As part of her responsibilities on the commission, Applegate has served as the key organizer of the conference for the past four years.

According to Applegate, community members can expect a keynote from Dr. Carolyn Goerner of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Bloomington.

“Her message is going to focus on the power of collaboration across generations and what happens when generations work together in our community,” Applegate said.

Applegate told The Reporter speakers and activities will focus on a variety of community issues like housing for the elderly, leaving a legacy, AI usage, and combatting loneliness.

She said the conference strongly encourages volunteerism, with the commission inviting a retired fireman who is still giving back to the community through his service.

“There are always things to volunteer for because Carmel is such an active community,” Applegate said.

According to Applegate, her interest in intergenerational connection started during a national mentorship program.

For the program, Applegate connected with a young man, meeting over Zoom to talk each week. She said her pupil explored deep personal struggles with her, sharing how his experience in an active school shooting affected him.

“After that six-week period, the young man wrote me a letter about what he learned from me,” Applegate said. “And I found that experience to be really touching for me because at first I thought, ‘I’m much older and he’s younger … his life looks a lot different.’ But we really connected.”

As Applegate’s grandchildren grow older and start college, she said her experiences with young people continue to deeply resonate with her.

“We need to pay attention to intergenerational connections,” she said. “It’s a really big part of growing older and becoming a senior, looking at our own mortality and what have we done to affect the world around us.”

Applegate said she hopes the intergenerational connection in the conference will remind the seniors to not only make their own lives richer, but enrich the lives of young people.

“Our younger generations are the ones who are going to carry through for us,” Applegate said. “So problem solving with our younger generation is how we make Carmel become a community where generations don’t simply live together, but we truly know each other and make each other feel safe.”

This event is free and open to the public. You can register online at intergenerationaldayforse.rsvpify.com.