Bridging Generations: An Intergenerational Learning and Storytelling Project

In 2026, Photoville and PhotoWings are embarking on a collaborative, intergenerational photography project. Bridging Generations is a year-long initiative in two locations—New York City and the Bay Area—that centers on intergenerational exchange, oral history, community storytelling, and creative collaboration.

At an organized Intergenerational Learning Day at Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, the initiative brought together high school students and local older adults who participated in a two-way learning model. Each participant brought a personal photograph and a story to share with their partner. Through sharing lived experiences, oral history interviews, and a collaborative art project creating cyanotype images, participants fostered new, intergenerational connections. Participants had their portraits taken together and reflected upon their experiences both in group exercises and through video recordings.

The next Intergenerational Learning Day will take place in the Bay Area this fall. In addition to the photo exhibit, a companion video featuring conversations between students and older adults will be shared online. Bridging Generations aims to create empathy, trust, and mutual respect, and hopes it inspires others to seek intergenerational sharing in their own communities.