September 9, 2025
Lisa Lopez Snyder
The Arts through Intergenerational Social Engagement (ARISE), an innovative intergenerational programming initiative of The Ohio State University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (HRS), recently earned a prestigious Program of Distinction designation from Generations United, a national organization that aims to improve the lives of children, youth and older people through strategies that connect old and young people.
The Program of Distinction designation demonstrates a program’s high-level of collaboration between the university, the community and the private sector using evidence-based practices for intergenerational programming.
ARISE is a five-week intergenerational pilot program that paired high school students with HRS student mentors to work with older adults by using fine arts as a tool for wellness, and to improve bonds and understanding between generations.
Created and led by Lauren Feyh, MNM, LNHA, ACC, HRS instructor of Practice in the Division of Health Sciences, ARISE is an HRS collaboration with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts and GrowIN, a nonprofit geared towards community engagement using intergenerational approaches.
The ARISE program involved HRS student mentors and Central Ohio high school students who participated in trainings led by Feyh on how to interact with older adults in a Columbus, Ohio, long-term care facility, and how to incorporate them and their stories into dancing, vocal and storytelling performances. Feyh and fellow ARISE faculty advisor Jessica L. Krok-Schoen, PhD, MA, associate professor in the Division of Health Sciences, say the high school students completed their own inspirational performance based on what they learned. Post-pilot program results showed that the teens and mentors increased their position perceptions and understanding of, and personal connections with the older adults.
Feyh and Dr. Krok-Schoen note that the ARISE results shows that intergenerational arts connections not only improve the health and well-being of participants and informs future iterations of the program, but also demonstrate how this programming can benefit communities in Ohio and nationwide. ARISE also provides opportunities to improve HRS and other Ohio State students’ research and practitioner skills.