HIBBING An innovative program designed to bring generations to together is inviting Hibbing residents of all ages to Speak Out.

Hibbing is the newest community to step forward to join the Northland Foundations AGE to age: bringing generations together, which is an initiative of the Northland Foundations KIDS PLUS Program.

For 25 years, KIDS PLUS has been working with communities in northeastern Minnesota to improve the wellbeing of children and youth, from birth to adulthood, said Lynn Haglin, Northland Foundation vice-president and KIDS PLUS director. AGE to age began in 2008 with a handful of communities and has now grown, with the latest addition of Hibbing, to 16 sites throughout the seven-county region.

To show residents what AGE to age is all about, community members are invited to a Speak Out event from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, in Hibbing Community College commons, where dinner will be served and, as the organizers hope, much conversation will be had.

This is a special opportunity to hear from Hibbing area residents representing a span of many decades from present-day youth to people in their 80s or 90s, speakers will share what it was like to grow up in Hibbing, Haglin explained. The audience can listen to these interesting stories, ask questions and share their insights as well. It will be a chance to learn about their community history and find out what has stayed the same and what is different about being a young person in Hibbing whether they grew up in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and so on, up to today.

The program aims to create intergenerational connections between Hibbing residents to not only learn from each other, but to work together to build a stronger community by using these discussions to develop plans and projects for the area.

As Haglin pointed out, it is rare for discussions of this type to occur these days.

In many communities today, there arent many intentional ways for young people to meet and benefit from the older generations, she said. In many cases, weve lost the inter-generational connections that families and communities used to have in the past. Grandchildren may not live near grandparents. Neighbors may not know neighbors as well as they once did. AGE to age links the generations to share their time and talents.

In other cities participating in the program, projects developed through these dialogues have included community gardens, walking clubs, teaching traditional activities such as crafts, baking, language, storytelling and helping older adults with smartphone and computer technology.

However, there is no one telling residents what to do.

Each community knows best what its resources are and what its needs are, and AGE to age being guided by and engaging local people at each site allows the program to be unique in each location, Haglin explained.

In fact, the greatest resource in making these decisions is each and every resident of Hibbing.

This is a chance to understand one another better and learn some of the things that we share in common, no matter our age, Haglin said. We hope the room is full of people of all generations.

What: Northland Foundations AGE to age: bringing generations together Speak Out

When: 5 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14. A light supper from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

Where: Hibbing Community College Commons, 1515 E. 25th St.

Who: Youth, parents, adults 55-plus, parents, and representatives from K-12 and higher education, state/local/tribal government, faith communities, youth serving organizations, health and human services, civic organizations and businesses. Ages 9 to 99 are welcome.

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Speak out about your experiences - Hibbing Daily Tribune