As John Gardner observed years ago, “We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.”
One such opportunity—unprecedented in human history—presents itself in the form of baby boomers who have entered and are about to enter what is customarily called "the retirement years," for they are blessed with as many as ten to twenty productive years ahead of them. Put them to work as part-time volunteers, or hire them as independent contractors and consultants. Support them with a cohort of young adults just starting out in life, and we’ve created a new paradigm for change, what Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, calls a “pattern changing idea.”
Harnessing the dormant power of older adults. Who better to take the lead in overcoming childhood adversity than teams of older adults? They form an unusually large cohort that is eager to be of service and seek meaningful and purposeful activities on a part-time basis close to where they live. They also bring with them the collective potential for a long-term commitment as they “age in place.”
They possess the very analytic tools that younger people have yet to master. They bring a deep reservoir of experience and wisdom, knowledge and insight. They can make creative connections, they can see how overarching systems influence individual events and phenomena; they are unusually adept at reconciling contradictions, resolving conflicts and bringing together a variety of resources to solve problems. In brief, older people can be extraordinary innovators.
Drawing on the energy and drive of young adults. Young adults bring a passion for justice and social change and an ability to work “24-7” for a cause they can embrace. They posses what older people may have lost: the ability directly relate to the culture of youth. They also bring considerable technological skills. “Just give us our first opportunity to join the workforce,” they ask.
Synergy. Together, older adults and young adults bring with them the potential to unleash an untapped source of innovation: two undervalued and underutilized sets of human resources combining forces to bring out the best in each other and form a highly productive and cost–effective team. Each generation can guide the other—younger folks instructing their elders in the ways of new technology and older folks offering their perspective and wisdom. This synergy is a form of “reciprocal mentoring.”
The result: a “win-win-win.” While there are major hurdles in putting this first cohort of aging boomers to work (e.g., persistent ageism and nagging health issues, among others) it’s a win for them, by giving them new opportunities for living a healthy and productive life well into the traditional retirement years. It’s a win for young adults, especially in launching them into the world of work and giving them the opportunity to work older folks. And, most important of all, it’s a potentially transformational win for low-income students themselves and their families.
One such opportunity—unprecedented in human history—presents itself in the form of baby boomers who have entered and are about to enter what is customarily called "the retirement years," for they are blessed with as many as ten to twenty productive years ahead of them. Put them to work as part-time volunteers, or hire them as independent contractors and consultants. Support them with a cohort of young adults just starting out in life, and we’ve created a new paradigm for change, what Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, calls a “pattern changing idea.”
Harnessing the dormant power of older adults. Who better to take the lead in overcoming childhood adversity than teams of older adults? They form an unusually large cohort that is eager to be of service and seek meaningful and purposeful activities on a part-time basis close to where they live. They also bring with them the collective potential for a long-term commitment as they “age in place.”
They possess the very analytic tools that younger people have yet to master. They bring a deep reservoir of experience and wisdom, knowledge and insight. They can make creative connections, they can see how overarching systems influence individual events and phenomena; they are unusually adept at reconciling contradictions, resolving conflicts and bringing together a variety of resources to solve problems. In brief, older people can be extraordinary innovators.
Drawing on the energy and drive of young adults. Young adults bring a passion for justice and social change and an ability to work “24-7” for a cause they can embrace. They posses what older people may have lost: the ability directly relate to the culture of youth. They also bring considerable technological skills. “Just give us our first opportunity to join the workforce,” they ask.
Synergy. Together, older adults and young adults bring with them the potential to unleash an untapped source of innovation: two undervalued and underutilized sets of human resources combining forces to bring out the best in each other and form a highly productive and cost–effective team. Each generation can guide the other—younger folks instructing their elders in the ways of new technology and older folks offering their perspective and wisdom. This synergy is a form of “reciprocal mentoring.”
The result: a “win-win-win.” While there are major hurdles in putting this first cohort of aging boomers to work (e.g., persistent ageism and nagging health issues, among others) it’s a win for them, by giving them new opportunities for living a healthy and productive life well into the traditional retirement years. It’s a win for young adults, especially in launching them into the world of work and giving them the opportunity to work older folks. And, most important of all, it’s a potentially transformational win for low-income students themselves and their families.