We did not begin this work by asking students to learn more facts. We asked them to listen. In one community, we invited students to sit with elders and simply ask questions about their lives, their work, and the changes they had witnessed over time. At first, the conversations were tentative. The students were unsure what to ask. The elders were unsure anyone truly wanted to hear their stories.

That uncertainty did not last long. As memories surfaced, the tone shifted. Elders spoke about growing up, raising families, surviving hardship, and finding joy in community. They shared stories about traditions, migration, language, and values that had shaped who they were. Students began to realize they were not just hearing history. They were receiving wisdom carried through lived experience.

One student later told us that listening to an elder changed how they saw themselves. Family stories that once felt distant suddenly made sense. Cultural practices they had taken for granted gained meaning. Identity stopped feeling abstract. It became something rooted, something inherited, and something worth protecting. That moment marked a shift from learning about the past to understanding their place within it.

The elders felt the impact too. Many shared that this was the first time young people had asked them to speak in this way. Their knowledge was no longer treated as something outdated or informal. It was recognized as essential. Being listened to restored a sense of purpose and belonging. The exchange was not one directional. It was relational.

As the conversations continued, students shifted from listening to stories to listening for needs. Elders spoke about challenges like access to clean water, difficulty getting crops to market, isolation as they aged, and the loss of traditional skills that once supported families. Students did not document these moments for display. They worked alongside elders to think through solutions, from helping organize community support systems to co creating small improvements that made daily life easier. Learning moved out of the classroom and into real relationships, where education became an act of care and shared responsibility across generations.

At RootedChange, this is what we mean by intergenerational learning. It is not about adding another assignment. It is about honoring the knowledge that already exists within communities and creating space for it to shape the next generation. When students learn from elders, they do not just gain information. They gain grounding, identity, and a deeper understanding of who they are and where they come from.