29 min

Episode 5:2 Eric Peterson & Professor Jason Powell Share How Seniors4Seniors Brings Generations Together Glowing Older

    • Health & Fitness

Seniors4Seniors is a non-profit that makes meaningful connections across generations by matching high school seniors to older people in the context of service. High school senior volunteer community service hours, while “olders” provide much-needed mentorship at a critical time. A true win-win!

About Eric

Eric Peterson is the CEO and Founder of Seniors4Seniors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Seniors4Seniors engages in the reduction of isolation, loneliness, and depression in our youth and older adults. As a caregiver in a senior community, Eric was aware of these challenges which the senior residents he cared for were facing daily. He also became aware that our youth, especially those in their high school years, were also having these same challenges and he decided to act. Eric developed Seniors4Seniors, a program which brings together the older adults and youth in our communities, enabling enriching, real human connections. This program establishes connections between individuals with shared interests, with a focus on career aspirations of the youth that correspond to career backgrounds of the older adults. This is a unique approach that enables relationships that truly touch the human heart and mind.

About Jason

Professor Jason Powell PhD, FCMI is Senior Vice President of Seniors4Seniors. He is proud to facilitate the vision of its Founder/CEO Eric Peterson, whose transformational leadership is to make meaningful connections across intergenerational groups by providing service to one another. The program provides the unique conditions to address loneliness and reconstruct such adverse experiences through reciprocity, wellbeing, and community leadership. Currently, Jason is Provost at the Manchester Institute of Learning and Excellence and Visiting Professor at The University of Chester and an elected Academician of The Academy of Urbanism. Recently, Jason became Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health because of his lifetime contribution to research on aging. According to Google Scholar, Jason is the most cited researcher of all time for his research on ‘care’ and ‘age’.

Key Takeaways


Seniors4Seniors makes meaningful connections that enhance quality of life for older people while proving transformational education to younger people.
There is a lack of intergenerational trust—Seniors4Seniors breaks down barriers and provides an alternative vision about what is possible.
Bringing these two groups together with the common bond and learning from each other attacks the foundations of ageism. Ageism goes both ways.
Mentorship and lessons from history help high school seniors develop self-confidence and self-esteem capacity and relationship-building skills as they are going out into the world. It’s an especially poignant time to connect with mentors.

Seniors4Seniors is a non-profit that makes meaningful connections across generations by matching high school seniors to older people in the context of service. High school senior volunteer community service hours, while “olders” provide much-needed mentorship at a critical time. A true win-win!

About Eric

Eric Peterson is the CEO and Founder of Seniors4Seniors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Seniors4Seniors engages in the reduction of isolation, loneliness, and depression in our youth and older adults. As a caregiver in a senior community, Eric was aware of these challenges which the senior residents he cared for were facing daily. He also became aware that our youth, especially those in their high school years, were also having these same challenges and he decided to act. Eric developed Seniors4Seniors, a program which brings together the older adults and youth in our communities, enabling enriching, real human connections. This program establishes connections between individuals with shared interests, with a focus on career aspirations of the youth that correspond to career backgrounds of the older adults. This is a unique approach that enables relationships that truly touch the human heart and mind.

About Jason

Professor Jason Powell PhD, FCMI is Senior Vice President of Seniors4Seniors. He is proud to facilitate the vision of its Founder/CEO Eric Peterson, whose transformational leadership is to make meaningful connections across intergenerational groups by providing service to one another. The program provides the unique conditions to address loneliness and reconstruct such adverse experiences through reciprocity, wellbeing, and community leadership. Currently, Jason is Provost at the Manchester Institute of Learning and Excellence and Visiting Professor at The University of Chester and an elected Academician of The Academy of Urbanism. Recently, Jason became Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health because of his lifetime contribution to research on aging. According to Google Scholar, Jason is the most cited researcher of all time for his research on ‘care’ and ‘age’.

Key Takeaways


Seniors4Seniors makes meaningful connections that enhance quality of life for older people while proving transformational education to younger people.
There is a lack of intergenerational trust—Seniors4Seniors breaks down barriers and provides an alternative vision about what is possible.
Bringing these two groups together with the common bond and learning from each other attacks the foundations of ageism. Ageism goes both ways.
Mentorship and lessons from history help high school seniors develop self-confidence and self-esteem capacity and relationship-building skills as they are going out into the world. It’s an especially poignant time to connect with mentors.

29 min

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