For most of my career, I have had the opportunity to work in and around schools developing programs that boost family engagement and student success. I've seen several generations of parents and students rise through the K-12 education system. Most recently, I was overseeing family and volunteer engagement for Scholastic Book Fairs. Scholastic relies on over 2.5 million, mostly Millennial parent volunteers to run literacy access programs in their schools. In that role, I star

What is Intergenerational Engagement?

Gen Z or iGens represent 100 percent of the students in our nation's schools. They will represent 40% of the population by 2020. Research from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America revealed 80 percent of Gen Z experiences mild to moderate depression, and anxiety. Less than 20 percent are diagnosed and getting help. I write about this challenge in the Gen Z chapter of my book, Intergenerational Engagement: Understanding the Five Generations in Today's Economy. If y

Like every partent, teen, and American, I am extremely sadened by the cowardly act of violence which led to the death of seventeen high school students yesterday on South Florida. I just watched Florida Gov. Scott address yesterday's high school shooting. He says "People who are mentally ill should not be able to buy guns." Sounds good when you say it fast but...80% of teens indicate that they suffer from mild to moderate anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. Of th

Intergenerational Engagement is the New 21st Century Skill.

For the first time in history, there are five generations active in the workforce. Smart and forward-thinking companies are benefiting from a new kind of diversity, Age Diversity. While Age Diversity can bring a lot of unique viewpoints and management styles to your organization, it can also present a host of challenges especially around management, motivation, and communications. I will talk about generational management and communications preferences in a future post. For t

For the first time in our history, there are five generations active in the workforce. Smart and forward-thinking companies are benefiting from a new kind of diversity, Age Diversity. While Age Diversity can bring a lot of unique viewpoints and management styles to your organization, it can also present a host of challenges especially around management, motivation, and communications. I will talk about generational management and communications preferences in a future post. F

For the first time in history, there are five generations active in the workforce. Smart and forward-thinking companies are benefiting from a new kind of diversity, Age Diversity. While Age Diversity can bring a lot of unique viewpoints and management styles to your organization, it can also present a host of challenges especially around management, motivation, and communications. I will talk about generational management and communications preferences in a future post. For t

For the first time in history, there are five generations active in the workforce. Smart and forward-thinking companies are benefiting from a new kind of diversity, Age Diversity. While Age Diversity can bring a lot of unique viewpoints and management styles to your organization, it can also present a host of challenges especially around management, motivation, and communications. I will talk about generational management and communications preferences in a future post. For t

Millennials have been getting hammered by the media and their older counterparts for years and it really needs to STOP! I am a Gen X – Boomer cusper, meaning I was born on the year someone decided to change the names. I supposedly possess characteristics from Generation X as well as the Baby Boomers. It is supposed to cause me great anxiety as I plow through life with one foot on each side of the generational line. I guess there is a little truth to that but it is not as blac

So, who do you think said the following?… “The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” When I show this quote and ask audiences