Generation Exchange Information

Generation Exchange is a 2 hour long free workshop held every 3 weeks in Boulder, Colorado that pairs digital native, college-student volunteers with curious adults (50+) who are looking to learn about and further understand their personal technology devices. Any question about any device is welcome. No curriculum and no agenda. We believe that technology should be easy and accessible for everyone, no exceptions. But our rapid technological evolution has created a generation gap, to the detriment of all age groups. While this gap disempowers and isolates older generations, it in turn creates barriers for students to connect with the wealth of insight and experience that older generations have to offer. While older participants in the Generation Exchange have been delighted with their new-found tech confidence and abilities, younger participants find a missing dimension; having repeatedly expressed their appreciation for new levels of connection to their partners in the program, and ultimately the older generations in their own personal lives. Technology is the bridge between generations. That’s why it is called the Generation Exchange. Technology is just the vehicle. The differences between generations actually make them fit perfectly together. While the mentors have ample knowledge of technology, they lack wisdom and life experience. It’s a mutually beneficial interaction that leaves both groups empowered. And it’s beautiful. The one-on-one interactions in the Generation Exchange workshops are mutually beneficial: they challenge the perceptions that separate generations. Participants at both ends of the age spectrum have so much to exchange and learn from each other, specifically when it comes to technology, outlook, perspective, and new ways for all of us to love our lives even more.