Popi, Popa, Popaie! Program to promote senior citizens’ participation in children’s institutions.

Launched in 2006 at the Clos-de-Bulle daycare center, the POPAIE project aims to promote the integration of seniors into early childhood care facilities, thereby establishing a sustainable intergenerational model.

The “Popi, Popa, Popaie” project primarily addresses a social and educational issue related to the implementation of intergenerational projects in educational institutions. On a social level, the project seeks to break the isolation of older adults by providing them with opportunities to interact with children, families, and early childhood professionals. This type of connection is increasingly important in a context where interactions between generations are becoming rarer: society tends to isolate older adults rather than encouraging interaction. The project would thus help strengthen social cohesion while instilling in children essential values such as respect, solidarity, and the importance of shared knowledge. Finally, the project addresses an educational challenge by providing sustainable tools that educational teams can use to raise awareness among various stakeholders (children, educational staff, and families) about the importance of the richness of intergenerational exchanges. These resources will also serve to create a network among professionals and to organize interprofessional exchange sessions, promoting the sharing of effective practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of intergenerational projects.

Project Description 1. Project Context At the Clos-de-Bulle daycare center in Lausanne, which is operated by the Fondation Crèche de Lausanne, it all began with the desire to bring together multiple generations in a space where they could meet, interact, and forge intergenerational bonds between children, seniors, parents, and educational staff. The Program to Promote Senior Participation in Childcare Institutions (POPAIE) began in 2006. In 2011, POPAIE was integrated into the daycare center’s educational program. Retirees, whom we call “LES POPAIES,” typically spend half a day, once a week, with one of the children’s groups. These regular interactions allow both children and seniors to enjoy a special connection and build trust by sharing in the group’s daily life. The “Popaies” are fully integrated into the daycare’s daily life and are an integral part of the institution’s identity. This experience truly enriches the daily lives of everyone involved in the childcare center. The opportunity for intergenerational exchange and shared time also helps highlight the presence and knowledge of older adults, who sometimes struggle to find a sense of purpose in today’s society. Some Popaies have been with us since the project’s inception and have supported us with the same passion and motivation for nearly 20 years. They are an integral part of the daycare center’s identity. The daycare center thus becomes an “agora”—a place where cultures and generations converge—transforming its original institutional nature. In 2024, the Popaie experience was the subject of a study conducted by Vittoria Cesari Lusso, a Ph.D. in psychology and associate researcher, and Laure Kloetzer, a full professor at the University of Neuchâtel. The study, titled “Intergenerational Dynamics in the Daycare Center: An Example of a Concrete Utopia Resulting from Multiple Yet Almost Invisible Professional Skills,” presents an analysis of the key skills developed and applied by the early childhood educators involved in this program and the many positive effects produced by this long-term initiative. In 2026, the POPAIE program will celebrate its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of fostering intergenerational bonds between children, seniors, parents, and early childhood professionals. For Popaie’s 10th anniversary, we commissioned the creation of a story from the Lausanne-based artists “Plume & Pinceau.” This book, titled *Popi, Popa, and Popaie*, tenderly recounts the experience of intergenerational encounters between Popaies and children. For the project’s 20th anniversary in 2026, we would like to propose a revised version of this story and print it in the Kamishibai format, which will bring a fresh perspective and help ensure the project’s legacy endures even longer. Our project aims to publish multiple copies of the book “Popi, Popa, Popaie” and distribute it to community centers (CVE) in the city of Lausanne, libraries, and cultural centers in order to foster and facilitate discussion on promoting a culture open to intergenerational exchange, and to break down barriers between different institutions to encourage a shared reflection on the promotion of intergenerational culture. The Kamishibai format will allow POPAIE representatives to engage with children from other daycare centers within these institutions by reading the story in a more “theatrical” manner. We would also like to create a distinctive logo to identify and promote the project, thereby enhancing its visibility and public recognition. This logo will symbolize the intergenerational approach and facilitate the project’s outreach in libraries, daycare centers, and at educational events. This project complements other existing initiatives in Lausanne (such as Pro Senectute, the Association Ecole des Grands-Parents, or Grands-Parents de cœur) aimed at older adults and is part of a long-term sustainability effort. In summary, the project addresses the challenges of social connection, the transmission of human values, and the preservation of intergenerational practices by seeking funding to ensure its success and expansion (notably through the submission of our application to several calls for proposals). It also aims to rethink societal practices that segregate generations into different institutions, breaking down these barriers to build a social forum that fosters encounters and interaction. The main stages of the project include: • The creation of a booklet, “Popi, Popa, Popaie,” to share the project’s story with children. • The publication of this story in Kamishibai format for an interactive and theatrical approach. • The design of a distinctive logo to enhance the project’s visibility and identity. • The organization of an event in 2026 to celebrate the project’s 20th anniversary and address the theme of intergenerational relations with various stakeholders.

Clos de Bulle 7, 1004 Lausanne