About TGC

IFAS Horse Farm, 2007

Philosophy

As young campers and older adults join in events together, connections are made between generations, backgrounds and cultures, and with the local environment. Seniors share their knowledge and experience, and young campers provide and gain fresh insights. A low senior to camper ratio (approximately 1:4) ensures lots of opportunities to communicate, learn, and just have fun.

Safety

Safety is an integral part of The Generation Connection experience. Campers are protected from the threat of any unsafe environment that might lead to physical, social, or emotional harm.

Founder's Statement

In the summer of 2002, Tim Cohane and Frank Forker, basketball coaches on my staff when I was Athletic Director at Manhattanville College, helped me flesh out an idea about an opportunity for seniors to mentor kids. The discussion always boiled down to good times we personally enjoyed with grandparents or other mentors and memories of how much our elders seemed to enjoy those times, too. We concluded that it was that "win-win" feeling we wanted to capture. Such a simple concept has paid dividends, no matter what the venue.

An experienced camp director and friend we consulted at the time advised us not to get stuck on one idea of what the perfect camp is, but to let it evolve. We took his advice to heart and became a small, week-long camp, in which kids and seniors document their experiences through video (with the help of a professional), as they travel in vans from activity to activity. Our goal is to enjoy a variety of unique, quick-hitting adventures that are educational, connected to nature and community, able to be captured on video, and most important, fun! We think our idea is working, because many of the seniors, as well as the young campers, have come back every year.

Joel Daunic, Founder & Director, TGC