Intergen & Intergen Café

We are an intergenerational community

Throughout the year, we provide support for recent and older alums and the larger EFC community to dialogue on social justice issues. Our annual InterGen Program, at the culmination of the summer Encampment, is a multi-day event where the newest Encampers share what they have learned with alums, parents and supporters.

Building off of that energy and excitement, virtual InterGen Café events are held several times a year to keep conversations on important issues active.

InterGen

Encampers participate with Encampment alums, staff, parents and supporters during the InterGen(erational) program, which is a reunion, discussion and celebration of what the Encampers learned during the summer intensive.

This annual event is also an opportunity for recent Encampers to network with other alums as they put their experiences to work in local projects. The event gives them access to a community of adults with a variety of knowledge, skills, careers and experience who attended Encampments in past decades.

Click for InterGen video excerpts in the 2023 Week Three blog (at bottom).

Participant Quotes

“What an incredible group of youth — I am filled with hope for the future, inspiration to do more myself, and so very thankful for everyone who is involved in making the Encampment happen.” —Kim McIlnay, parent

“It is the most immediate way to know what youth are dealing with in their school & community; It comes out in their reporting, words, song & art.” — Roni King, 71MT alum

“Thank you for getting me up, physically, mentally and emotionally! ‘And Now’ — this song — love it!” – Sandy Weil, Supporter

“People in my [InterGen] breakout group encouraged me to make my action plan work – to go in ready to make a change. It’s inspiring and helpful that people believe that I can make this plan work and make a difference in my community.” – Nicholas, Encamper

“I’m inspired by the social construct of authentic learning. As an educator, this is the way we need to allow youth to learn. Find their passion, what is important in their community, learning and connecting to see various perspectives and creating an action plan to improve their communities …” — Veronica Rauschenberger, EFC organizational partner and supporter

June’s InterGen Café: Inspiration, Voting and Coming Home

The June InterGen Café was a sneak peek into the summer program curriculum and a chance to experience a key part of the EFC approach: small group discussions centered on different aspects of voting. Jane Sapp, education director, started off the presentation by explaining why Montgomery, Alabama, is the site of the 2024 Encampment.

Our next InterGen Café focuses on the 2024 Encampment

We welcome alums and friends to a preview of this year’s summer program and InterGen Weekend. 

This year’s summer program site, Montgomery, Alabama, offers many immersive and vibrant learning opportunities within EFC’s unique approach to youth leadership development. Focusing on civil and voting rights, participants will be able to experience history in a meaningful way while  working with activists across generations. 

The InterGen Café: an informal discussion about the current conflict in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank

On February 25, 2024, the EFC Alum Outreach and Engagement Committee hosted an informal discussion about the current conflict in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. The goal was to provide an opportunity for youth and adults in the EFC community to share their thoughts, feelings, questions, and perspectives. An intergenerational team of EFC alums imagined, created, and facilitated this forum, designed to allow people to speak openly in a safe environment about this difficult situation that affects us all.

The InterGen Café: Making a Living while Practicing Social Justice Values and Activism

Our recent InterGen Café focused on life post-Encampment, with a lively conversation about making a living while practicing social justice values and activism.

The InterGen Café: Arts and Activism — Energizing and Activating Communities

The April InterGen Café focused on the critical importance of arts in social justice organizing — for people of all ages.

The InterGen Café: Arts and Activism

Access the EFC Network for an informal Zoom conversation among alums of all ages on Arts and Activism.

The InterGen Café: Community Care in the Face of Injustice

An intergenerational group of EFC alums and supporters got together on Zoom to talk about how we can collectively address community care in the face of the racial, gender-based and environmental injustices we see in social media.

The InterGen Café: Creating Community Care in the Face of Injustice

Our focus is sharing tools and resources with each other to remedy this isolation and community fatigue in the face of injustice. 

The InterGen Café: A Community Navigating Institutional Racism

On January 15, 41 alums and supporters had an informal intergenerational Zoom conversation about how to navigate institutional racism. 

The InterGen Café: Navigating Institutional Racism

Navigating Institutional Racism: How can you make changes in the racism you have faced in high school and college, keeping your conviction & meeting your requirements?

The InterGen Café

The InterGen Café engages alums and supporters of all ages in discussions about current social justice issues and provides more opportunities for networking.

“… We’re all in it together. That’s what the basis of our group forum today is … we get to talk about it with each other. We get to look for solutions with each other.” — Maria Hernandez, EFC 1979

The InterGen Café meets every other month on the third Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Pacific/6:00 p.m. Eastern. It engages alums and supporters of all ages in discussions about current social justice issues and provides more opportunities for networking.

Contact the office to sign up for a Zoom link.

SNAPSHOTS

Eleanor Roosevelt with 1946 Encampers

InterGen 2022

Both the Encampment program and working at the farm have been such unique experiences.

Not only have these programs inspired me to be better for my community, but they have shown me ways that I can. Through Zoom and hands-on learning, they give me tools that I didn’t realize I needed, to make an impact larger than myself.

Lilia

2020 Encamper and PFSP, Gardena, CA

We are strengthening democracy by creating community.