INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMS

WHAT WE DO

We are excited to offer interactive online sessions, in person workshops and bootcamps to empower and engage our learners across all generations!

UPCOMING EVENTS

@ The Main Library

Join us this Fall, for a special two-part workshop series exploring synthetic reality and how lived experiences shape human expression. Featuring experts from different sectors, participants will have the opportunity to learn about emerging trends in AI, what responsible use entails and what it's like to paint with coffee(!). Open to all ages (13+) and levels of familiarity.

Limited Spots - Please SIGN-UP asap !

PAST EVENTS

2025

"Let's Talk" - A Virtual Gathering Across Ages

We teamed up with The Foundation for Social Connection to host two intergenerational workshops on AI, companionship and human connection! Through interactive discussions and games like The Rithm Projects, AI Effect, we explored generational views on AI companions, their perceived benefits and risks, and the assumptions, judgments, and stigma that hinder meaningful dialogue about AI and technology use.

Notable Quotes:

"I am finding that it's more difficult to have your voice heard because there are fewer lived experience kind of things that belong in people's conversations. Where are the arenas? Where are the rooms where we can contribute?" - Nancy, retired professional, reflecting on the increasing lack of third spaces

"I also think that there is this assumption that young people, because they grew up with technology that they know how to use this all. [...] there are a lot of young people who don't really know how to use it in a way that would be beneficial." - Sarah, grad student, on stereotypes impacting young people

"You, Me & AI" @ My Brothers Keepers, Cambridge

With social media and AI designed to maximize user engagement, what should we be paying attention to? We brought together a small team of mental health counselors, tech professionals and scientists to engage with young adults at My Brothers Keepers, on issues related to media literacy, AI companions and the attention economy. Through games and activities we discussed what differentiates human expression from AI content, what tasks we would only delegate to a human and the challenges, responsibilities & commitments we are all juggling !

MBK-JF-MentalHealth.mp4

"AI Or Not" @ The Brickbottom Artists Residency

We presented a short session on GenAI, deep fakes & digital safety to an eclectic group of creative professionals at the Brickbottom Artists Residency. The workshop hosted in collaboration with Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services led to interesting insights on misinformation, prefered narratives and the need for regulatory frameworks!

JF-SCES-BB.mp4

"Smarter Together" @ The Foundry Festival

In collaboration with Partners in Rhyme, participants leveraged AI tools & poetry to explore themes such as community, resilience and what it means to be human in an era of synthetic reality !

Memorable moment: When participants were asked to contribute to a community wall of six-word memoirs on "what being human" meant to them, a certified human wrote the following:

"Occasionally doing something immoral or illegal" 😅

SMARTER.mp4

2024

Our Pilot Series: Discovering AI Together

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly evolving technology with the potential to revolutionize and disrupt the way we work, live and interact with one another!

We hosted a multigenerational, virtual program in January 2024 to raise awareness about the risks, opportunities and responsibilities that come with this transformative technology. Check out the video to see what people had to say 👇. You can also read more about insights gained in this blog post.

JF_Pilot_Final_lowres.mp4

Fact or Fiction: A Community Event

Joint Family organized an in person gathering focused on AI, deep fakes and misinformation during the Foundry Festival in Cambridge, MA. Featuring games, talks and discussions - the afternoon was filled with laughter, insights and thoughtful conversations!

JF_Foundry.mp4

About that bird: Click here!

Bridging Divides: International Women's Month Celebration

In collaboration with Google's Women Techmakers Program and the Cambridge Public Library we hosted a workshop on digital inclusion, algorithmic bias and gender equity featuring a very diverse audience ranging from 9 to 70+ (!) and notable women in technology. Our speakers & founders included Dr. Joy Buolamwini, Dr. Anne Carpenter, Dr. Vasha DuTell, Michaela Jamelska and Anushka Singh.

Joint_family_BD_April6th.mp4

For those still wondering about the swag !

You, Me & AI: Mental Health Awareness & Social Justice

Alongside Social Capital, Inc., The Network for Social Justice and The Woburn Public Library, we hosted our third cross-generational workshop on Generative AI in May 2024! Participants across ages engaged & deliberated on pressing issues including companionship, mental health and our relationship with technology.

Read more about this event here:
https://socialcapitalinc.org/let/recap-5-22-24-ai-mentalhealth-workshop

We Need To Talk: Virtual Fall 2024 Gathering

With growing concerns about the rise of AI agents and applications in our daily lives, we held a intergenerational online session focused on our relationship to emerging technologies and it's impact on our real world relationships. Together we explored the evolving landscape of digital companionships, the significance of human agency and what differentiates us from machine intelligence.

AI or Not?: Digital Inclusion & Outreach

To continue strengthening community ties, in close collaboration with the Malden Public Library, we hosted an in person cross-generational session on AI enabled deep fakes, misinformation and measures to safe guard against the risks they pose. What event led to an intimate and interactive gathering of participants filled with lively discussions about AI and its potential to impact our lives regardless of whether we actively engage with it or not.

What's Your Story?: Our Season Finale

Wrapping up this year, we hosted a three-part event that brought together artists, scientists, technologists, and community members for a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience. Participants engaged in painting with coffee, juggling, while engaging in deep discussions that explored the intersections of technology, art, and human connection. The sessions—Rumor Has It: Exploring Trust, Truth & the Power of Narratives, In the Eye of the Beholder: Human Creativity in the Era of GenAI, and Connecting the Dots: On Identity, Experience & Belonging—drew a diverse audience from Cambridge and beyond.

WYS.mp4

For more information on upcoming programs or to request custom workshops please get in touch

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