Programs
Empowering Youth, Honoring Older Adults, and Building Community
Sages & Seekers offers intergenerational collaboration between older adults (60+), the Sages, and students (12-24), the Seekers. During our programs, Sages have an opportunity to share their life experiences with an interested listener, engaging them in life review and generativity. Seekers have a nonjudgmental listener they can talk to about what is happening in their lives while also gaining listening, interviewing, writing and public speaking skills. Our curriculum fosters open communication and creates forums in which to discover commonalities between generations. This shattering of stereotypes helps to diminish ageism.
Online & In-Person Programs
Sages & Seekers runs a variety of online and in-person programs. Our Signature Program is 7 or 8-weeks long, and new sessions begin in September, January and April. To see our schedule of current or upcoming programs, check out our enrollment page.
Below you will find more information about each of our program types. Programs are offered online and/or in-person in the Los Angeles area. If you live outside of the LA area, an in-person program may be available through one of our licensed partners.
8-Week Signature Program
Our award-winning, 8-Week Signature Program is offered online on Zoom or in-person at a school, senior center, or other facility. This is a 75-minute weekly program (60 minutes for online programs) with group interaction as well as one-on-one time. The program begins with a series of fun and thought-provoking discussion questions designed to break the ice and assist participants in getting to know each other’s worlds. During the 1st or 2nd session, the Seekers choose their Sage partner through a rapid chat rotation process. Teens interact with other seniors through breakout activities, but remain primarily with their matched Sage throughout the program.
During the remaining weeks, each Sage & Seeker pair engages in meaningful conversations about their lives. The program facilitator provides suggested discussion questions each week around a particular topic, such as happiness, curiosity, belonging or honesty. Each pair may choose to discuss those topics during their one-on-one time, but the questions are optional. Pairs are free to discuss whatever they want about their lives as one important goal of the program is for Seekers to learn how to engage in an organic, authentic conversation.
The weeks of discussion sessions culminate in a tribute written by each Seeker, which they read out loud in front of the group. In these tributes, or reflections, Seekers talk about the impact their Sage had on their life— the life lessons and advice they gleaned from their conversations.
Because each week builds on the week before, participants must commit to all eight weeks.
Our online programs are open to all high school and college students. Students in middle school, high school, and college participate in the in-person signature programs.
One-Day Events
One-Day Events provide an intergenerational learning experience for schools and organizations that cannot commit to a multiweek program. Participants engage in a combination of facilitated group discussions and one-on-one conversations that encourage cross-generational learning. Each program is led by a Sages & Seekers facilitator, who provides guided discussion questions for each pair and concludes with a group reflection on the experience. While most often offered at middle schools, One-Day Events can also be customized for multigenerational groups with a shared interest, such as churches, synagogues, or community organizations.
Aging Together: A Multigenerational Discussion Group
This group brings together participants of all ages to explore aging and the experiences that shape our lives across the lifespan. Weekly online discussions explore topics such as family and legacy, health and well-being, communication, technology, and creating a more age-inclusive future through the unique lenses of participants’ ages, life experiences, and generations. Through shared stories and guided dialogue, participants gain a deeper understanding of how our views evolve over time while fostering empathy, challenging age-related stereotypes, and discovering both the differences and commonalities that connect us across generations. Offered in partnership with Sage-ing International.
4-Week Intensive Program
The 4-Week Intensive Program is a condensed version of our signature 8-week intergenerational program, designed for participants who are unable to commit to the full eight-week experience. The program follows the same model, pairing each older adult with a student for meaningful one-on-one conversations. The program meets online once a week for four weeks.
Men-Only Program
This program was developed in partnership with MenLiving as an adaptation of the Sages & Seekers signature 8-week intergenerational program. Designed exclusively for male Sages and Seekers, it explores topics related to identity, relationships, and the shared experiences of men across generations. The program meets online once a week for eight weeks.
Sage-Only Programs
Telling Our Stories and Sage Community Connections are facilitated discussion groups designed exclusively for older adults. Through storytelling and meaningful conversation, participants have a welcoming space to reflect on life experiences, share personal perspectives, and connect with peers who have navigated many of the same milestones and transitions. Through authentic conversation, participants build meaningful relationships while fostering a sense of community, belonging, and mutual support. Programs are led by a Sages & Seekers facilitator and are open to adults ages 60 and older. Sage Community Connections meets online, while Telling Our Stories meets in person at the ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center in Reseda, California.
Licensing Our Program
Our 8-week Program Manual & Training is available to license for your community use. A one-time fee allows you to produce our evidence-based SEL program as many times as needed for years to come. Our detailed manual takes you step-by-step from recruiting the participants, facilitating the 8-week program, and managing any dropout or enrollment problems. When purchasing our manual, you also receive several hours of free consultations with Sages & Seekers staff. If you are interested in licensing our manual, please contact Rachel Shader, Program Director, at rachel@sagesandseekers.org.
We have licensed our 8-week program to schools, universities, senior facilities, and libraries across the country, including:
Senior Facilities
- Brandeis OLLI
- CSU San Bernardino OLLI
- Connections Volunteer Center
- Duxbury Council on Aging
- Madison Senior Center
- ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center
- University of Dayton OLLI
- Vanderbilt University OLLI
- Windy Hill Senior Center
Schools
- Connecticut College
- Int’l School of Boston
- James Clemens High School
- Keefe Technical School
- Lake Champlain Waldorf School
- Natick High School
- The Rivers School
- R.W. Traip Academy HS
- Wayland High School
- Wellesley High School
Libraries
- Denver Library
- Marshall Library
- Park City Library
- Wasatch County Library
Licensee Success Stories
Wasatch County Library (Heber, Utah)
The Wasatch County Library has demonstrated how successfully Sages & Seekers can thrive in a library setting. Since licensing the program manual in fall 2024, the library has established the program as a valued community offering, bringing local students and older adults together to build meaningful relationships. In partnership with the Live Like Sam Foundation, the library now hosts two 8-week programs each year. The program’s impact has earned local media recognition, including coverage in the Park Record and on KPCW. Read the stories: Park Record | KPCW.
James Clemens High School (Madison, Alabama)
Sages & Seekers came to the Madison, Alabama, community in 2025 thanks to the vision and determination of Chris Cruz, a social sciences teacher at James Clemens High School. Chris built support within the school and partnered with the nearby Madison City Senior Center to bring the program to life. Students join the Sages & Seekers club through an application process that includes a teacher recommendation, creating a dedicated and engaged group of Seekers. The program meets during the school day during an extended lunch period and designated club time. Its success was recently recognized in Madison Living Magazine.
For Senior Facilities
Both teens and older adults are searching for meaning and relevance in life and facing issues around independence and self-determination. These two generations are also confronting social isolation and loneliness, a public health crisis that grew significantly during the pandemic. Social isolation, loneliness and ageism are not just mental health issues but also physical ones. According to a meta-analysis, a lack of social connection heightens health risks as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. * The US Surgeon General recently brought attention to this public health crisis, detailing in his report the physical consequences of social isolation and loneliness:
The physical health consequences of poor or insufficient connection include a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. Additionally, lacking social connection increases risk of premature death by more than 60%.
Intergenerational programming, like Sages & Seekers, provides older adults an alternative to isolation: a sense of purpose and a connection to the larger picture of society and the world.
Why bring Sages & Seekers to your community?
Our programs are unique as we offer both community and one-on-one connection. Older adults in our program:
- Forge meaningful relationships with youth and other seniors
- Regain a sense of purpose, self-worth and relevance
- Transfer knowledge, skills and values to the next generation
- Improve cognitive abilities
- Enhance self-esteem by sharing life experiences
Sages & Seekers has partnered with numerous organizations and facilities servicing older adults, including senior centers, lifelong learning programs, libraries, and senior villages. We can help you bring Sages & Seekers to your community members, in-person at your facility, partnering with a nearby school or online.
* Generations United “Making the Case for Intergen. Programs”- Levy, B. R., Slade, M. D., Chang, E. S., Kannoth, S., & Wang, S.Y. (2020). Ageism amplifies cost & prevalence of health conditions. The Gerontologist, 60(1), 174-181. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gny131
** Generations United and The Eisner Foundation (2018). All in together: Creating places where young and old thrive.
FAQ
About us
Sages & Seekers is a program of ONEgeneration. Sages & Seekers offers intergenerational collaboration between older adults, the Sages, and students, the Seekers. ONEgeneration is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and all donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
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