The West Liberty Intergenerational Service Learning Project is an innovative program of the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. It involves faculty and students from the University of Iowa with elders, community organizations, and programs from the West Liberty community. This project gives students the opportunity to learn about the strengths and assets of rural communities, about the process of aging in rural communities, and about services for elders in rural areas.

Service learning is an experiential educational experience in which students apply what they learn in the classroom to real life situations in the community and engage in reflection and discussion on what they are learning. Intergenerational service learning is a particular type of service learning in which students interact with older adults. For more information about intergenerational service learning, visit Generations Together at http://www.gt.pitt.edu/.

The first intergenerational service learning project at the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa was developed in 2000 with a grant from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) and Generations Together at the University of Pittsburgh. Over a period of five semesters, the service learning experience was available to students in an introductory gerontology course called Basic Aspects of Aging. It was cross listed in social work, aging studies, and other departments at the University of Iowa such as Health, Leisure, Sport, and Physical Studies, and Nursing. Students registered for this class could participate in the service-learning option by registering for one additional hour of academic credit under Fieldwork in Gerontology (153:190). The students were divided into two teams, one of which visited elders in the skilled nursing and assisted living and independent living facilities at the West Liberty Retirement Community. The other team visited with elders at the congregate meal site in West Liberty. Both groups visited with elders and interviewed them to obtain oral histories of their lives. Each team participated in four visits on alternate weeks and attended a celebration with the elders at the end of the semester.

As a result of the Hartford GeroRich initiative, beginning in fall 2002 the service learning opportunity has been made available to undergraduate and graduate social work students in association with two required foundation course. In this way we have made service learning more accessible to all students in our social work program. During the fall semester undergraduate and graduate students in Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) (042:140) may choose to participate in the service-learning option by registering for one hour of academic credit in Fieldwork in Gerontology (042:190). Two teams travel to West Liberty, one on alternate weeks on a weekday and the other one on alternate Saturday mornings. Students spend approximately three hours on each visit including travel time. Each student makes five visits with the elders and also attends a special event celebrating the program. Rather than collecting oral histories, students engage in a variety of activities with the elders including assisting the elders to write letters to elementary school Pen Pals, playing cards, reminiscing, socializing, and delivering meals to home bound elders.

A similar service learning opportunity is available in spring semester for graduate students registered for the foundation class Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups (042:150). As space allows, we may also make the opportunity available to undergraduate students registered for the Fundamentals of Social Work class (042:141) during spring semester.

One of the unique aspects of our intergenerational service-learning program is the formation of teams that visit the nursing home and independent living center together. The teams have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their experiences as a group during the van ride van to and from West Liberty as well as in various small group discussions on campus and in West Liberty. The doctoral students who facilitate the teams do an excellent job of building supportive teams and encouraging thoughtful discussion and reflection.

West Liberty is a rural Midwestern community with a population of about 3,300 located about 15 miles from Iowa City. In addition to a population of Western European origin that has been there for many years, there is a population of Latinos from Mexico and central and South America, many of whom moved there recently. In addition, there is a small population from Southeast Asia who arrived as refugees sponsored by one of the local churches. In 1990, fifteen percent of the population was aged 65 or older.

In West Liberty, programs for elders in include:

• The Simpson Memorial Home, a sixty-bed nursing home, locally owned and run by a community board.
• The Heath Manor, an independent living facility with apartments also locally owned by the same community board as the Simpson Home.
• The Senior Congregate Meal Site, which provides social activities and meals three days a week at the new West Liberty Community Center; this program also provides home delivered meals for home bound seniors which are delivered by volunteers.
• Activities for seniors and outreach administered by Senior Resources of Muscatine County.
• Two subsidized housing complexes offering rental apartments for eligible seniors at subsidized rates.