Our Philosophy

At the Bethlehem Intergenerational Center (BIC) we believe in the individuality of every person. We believe in nurturing the unique gifts of all. An intergenerational program at BIC provides our friends, both young and old, an opportunity to share those unique gifts while building meaningful relationships. We believe in providing a program that meets the individual needs of every person we serve to the best of our ability.

BIC believes in providing a sense of safety, security and order, physical comfort, enjoyment, meaningful activity, relationships, functional competence, dignity, privacy, individuality, autonomy and choice, and spiritual well-being for our friends. With a goal of reducing depression in older adults, our elder friends at BIC are provided an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of children by teaching them important life skills, acting as mentors, helping children develop emotional and social skills, while instilling confidence and self-esteem into their young minds. Our elder friends always have the choice about whether they participate. Participation and relationship building are highly encouraged.

BIC believes in providing children the opportunity to make choices about what, how, and with whom, they want to play. This approach enables children to initiate and direct their own play with the support of interested and responsive adults. We believe that children learn through play, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them. Teachers foster children’s growth and development by building on children’s interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. An intergenerational session ensures that a child can choose from a variety of activities. The teachers need to support the child in their choice and encourage their interactions.

An intergenerational program is a planned intentional interaction of different age groups, infant to elderly, in a variety of situations at a level that provides close communication, sharing of feelings and ideas and co-operative activity in meaningful tasks.