Samantha Heron: Psychosocial Facilitator | Systems Thinker | Founder, Heart & Soul Story | Agitating for Intergenerational Connection as a Public Health Priority | Speaker Education & Aged Care
February 23, 2026
Intergenerational Practice Is Not a Program. It’s the future Infrastructure our country needs
Last week I attended and spoke at Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP) Conference 2026
Across two days of incredible examples of what is happening across the country, I was so pleased to see the conversation moving well beyond activities and into conversations about something much deeper — power, agency, systems reform, and our collective responsibility to shift the shackles of an ageist society and build intergenerational practice into our systems.
“Nothing changes unless we look at the torment of powerlessnes”
— Robert Fitzgerald, NSW Age Discrimination Commissioner
Robert Fitzgerald AM (Pictured above with the incredible AIIP patron Kay Patterson Patterson) reminded us that ageism is not simply about stereotypes — it is about diminished agency. When power is taken away, participation shrinks. When participation shrinks, loneliness and distrust grow.
He spoke about declining trust — between individuals, in institutions, and critically, between generations. If we continue to divide by age, we weaken the social contract itself…. Intergenerational work, in this context, is about about restoring agency, dignity and #BringingCommunityBackTogether for a more sustainable and better future for us all.
I did manage to have a brief conversation with Robert about mutual frustration with much needed tax reform that has been talked about in our country for way too long… (there may need to be a seperate article on that) and countries we need to look to like the ‘much more socialist model of Nordic countries’, where community wellbeing seems to be more at the forefront of society ethos)
“If there were a drug that could show these benefits in seven weeks, I would be prescribing it.”
— Dr Stephanie Ward , Geriatrician, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, UNSW,
Dr Stephanie Ward kicked off the conference by reframing intergenerational practice through a clinical lens. The improvements in wellbeing, stimulation, connection and purpose she has witnessed — particularly for older adults — are measurable and meaningful. We are increasingly hearing the language of social prescribing, dementia prevention, carer mental health and youth belonging. This work is not peripheral.
It is preventative public health.
“Safety and wellbeing are not just the absence of harm or the absence of risk. They are the presence of positive experience and wellbeing.”
Rachelle Scott, Senior Early Childhood Program Officer: The INTEGRITY Trial, The George Institute for Global Health
Rachelle Scott’s contribution on relational safety was one of the most important conversations of the conference.
Safeguarding is not just about compliance. It is about modelling consent, naming discomfort, building relational awareness and ensuring interactions are facilitated with skill.
Not all intergenerational interactions are automatically positive. Facilitation matters. Systems matter. Culture matters. If we want connection to build trust rather than harm, we must move beyond ticking boxes into prevention, reflection and shared accountability.
“This work belongs to all of us.”
Wendy Lawrence , Bupa Aged Care National Lifestyle and Wellbeing Adviser
Wendy spoke about what happens when intergenerational practice is embedded at scale — not as an add-on activity, but as part of national intent and organisational strategy.
Capability building. Cross-organisational partnerships. Local ownership within national direction. She was clear that this work succeeds when people feel supported to try, adapt and grow — and when responsibility is shared.
This echoed a theme from my own presentation at the conference: loneliness is not an individual failing, and it is not the responsibility of one sector.
It is a systems issue.
Which means the response must also be systemic.
This is the shift I am increasingly seeing in my work — particularly in systems-based training partnerships such as the work I am doing with leaders like Wendy at Bupa Australia — where the focus is moving from “running a program” to embedding intergenerational thinking across workforce development, leadership and culture.
When we treat intergenerational practice as an integral part of our systems and embed it into infrastructure (our visions, strategic plans and processes), sustainability will slowly follows…. as Wendy pointed out the road may not be smooth, shiny or perfect, but it IS worth it. Love the slide below she included in her presentation below highlighting the need to remember the humanity at the core of the work we are doing, and reminding that “this work belongs to all of us”
Dignity, Agency and the Narrative We Build
During her presentation and panel discussion, newly appointed Chair of the AIIP, Jessica Langford Langford reflected on the Montessori for Life approach to ageing and referenced a powerful line from Dr Cameron Camp:
“When we’re thinking about older adults, there is no ‘them’ — there is only you tomorrow.”
That simple reframing dissolves separation.
Montessori principles — autonomy, prepared environments, mixed ages, deep observation and respect for capability across the lifespan — are not just pedagogical tools. They are cultural commitments. They remind us that dignity does not diminish with age. Agency needs to be a human right we continue to fight for across all ages.
And this is where narrative matters.
As Anna Donaldson , whose emerging work with Good Flock I highlighted in my own presentation, has observed in broader conversations about ageing in Australia, we lack a compelling cultural narrative about why we should care for older Australians — beyond compliance, crisis or cost.
Without narrative, ageing is framed as burden. Without narrative, separation deepens. Intergenerational practice offers something different: contribution, reciprocity and vision for a healthier shared future for all.
The Emerging Shift
Having presented at AIIP since 2022, I walked away this year feeling encouraged about not only the increased in grassroots programs, but as I spoke of, the clear evolution to more systems based partnerships that have the power for real systemic change ( Mel Knuckey “s Digital Inclusion work with COTA Tasmania the powerful work Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA) ( with more Men’s Sheds than McDonalds across the country !) Neelam Dobhal Good Things Foundation supporting the Young Mentors Program ) … too many more to name !
From not only amazing ‘activity’ across the country, but to agency… the restoration of voice, dignity and participation across the lifespan. From engagement to infrastructure, siloed programs to cross-sector partnerships , compliance to relational intelligence, from “someone should fix loneliness” to a shared and collective responsibility
And perhaps most importantly: From powerlessness to participation.
As Chris Collet from the Attorney-General’s Department reflected in the final panel discussion:
“A lot of this goes to what sort of country we want for ourselves and for future generations. This is really about community. It’s about social cohesion. It’s about participating in the world that’s around us.”
Intergenerational practice is not simply about creating ‘moments of connection’
It is about rebuilding trust. It is about restoring agency. It is about strengthening social cohesion. It is about the type of country we are choosing to build
Together.
I’m very thankful to Janna Anneke Fitzgerald and the team Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP) for the opportunity to learn & present and Anna Donaldson Good Flock Kathleen T. Wendy Lawrence Bupa Australia International Grammar School Positive Schools Dr Helen Street for time taken to contribute their video reflections for my presentation for the conference. If you missed it and would like a copy, pls reach out.