UNIVERSITY PARK — A Penn State Extension team won a 2025 Cross-Program award from the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals for their project, “Intergenerational Living: The Ridgway and Freeport Pilot Projects.”

The team members are: John Turack, community and economic development extension program specialist; Natalie Aiello, 4-H youth development extension educator; Chi Catalone, food, families and communities extension educator; Robert Dickinson, client relationship manager for Penn State Extension Area 2; Cheyenne Filous, client relationship manager for Penn State Extension Area 6; and Matthew Kaplan, professor of intergenerational programs and aging.

This award highlights the recipients’ excellence in extension work that combines or integrates community resources and economic development activities with work in other program areas. The awards also provide a platform for showcasing community development work nationally.

“Extension professionals across the country come together through our organization to learn from one another, share best practices and collaborate on innovative community development programming,” said the association’s president, Michelle Eley, of North Carolina State University Extension. “This year’s award winners represent the best community development extension offers, demonstrating excellence, innovation and meaningful impact in communities in their state and elsewhere.”

At the association’s conference in Charleston, West Virginia, in June, the team was named a national runner-up and Northeast region winner.

The Penn State Extension pilot project was designed to foster intergenerational connections and brought together residents of all ages in the communities of Ridgway and Freeport. Led by Penn State Extension educators and specialists from the food, families and communities and 4-H program units, the initiative also included faculty from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Extension client relationship managers. Working closely with community members, the team identified local issues, gathered input from all age groups, brainstormed solutions and facilitated collaborative projects aimed at bridging generational gaps.

The team reported that the effort increased local awareness of intergenerational strategies and improved overall quality of life in the community. The initiative also helped establish lasting cross-sector partnerships that continue to benefit the community.

Building on the success of the pilot, the team plans to host at least two additional educational events in other Pennsylvania communities.