What We Learned: Youngers + Olders Dismantling Ageism (YODA)

The Power of Age-Diversity in Dismantling Ageism: A Call to Action

Transformation Tuesday | September 2025

Hosted by Gray Panthers NYC

During the September 2025 Transformation Tuesday, Gray Panthers NYC explored one of the most effective ways to fight ageism: bringing generations together. This event highlighted the importance of age-diversity in creating a more inclusive society.

Moderated by board member Meg LaPorte, the program, “The Power of Age-Diversity in Dismantling Ageism,” featured a lively, intergenerational panel. The panel included Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks and co-founder of the Old School Anti-Ageism Hub; Brendan Birth, Sophia Casale, Isabel Postelnak, and Jenine Ferrari of the GPNYC board. Together, they tackled one central question: What happens when we share power across generations?

From Maggie Kuhn to YODA: Youth and Age in Action

Gray Panthers founder Maggie Kuhn believed that “youth and age in action” could change the world. Fifty years later, her message feels as urgent as ever. The conversation began with a presentation by Applewhite, who introduced the concept of YODA—Youngers and Olders Dismantling Ageism.

YODA, she explained, is more than a clever acronym. It’s a framework for shifting how we talk about age and power. Rather than treating ageism as a one-way street that only harms older people, YODA invites us to recognize that age-based stereotypes affect everyone. By working together, “youngers” and “olders” can uncover the power structures that keep generations apart—and replace them with genuine collaboration.

“Imagine if you paired the visibility of younger people with the political and social clout of older people,” Applewhite said. “Talk about synergy.”

What Power Really Means

Throughout the discussion, the panel returned again and again to the topic of power—who has it, how it’s used, and how sharing it can transform relationships. Ferrari, who has spent years supporting families in long-term care homes, described how age divides play out in those settings. “We need to share more spaces together,” she said, noting that nursing homes rarely have young volunteers or staff under 50. Yet, when they do—when high school or college students are invited in—the atmosphere changes.

Birth, representing the “Y” in YODA, noted the opposite side of that divide: “When you don’t even interact with people of other generations, how can we begin to dismantle the stereotypes we have about them?”

Bridging Generations Through Learning

Casale and Postelnak, both graduate and undergraduate students, pointed to higher education as fertile ground for intergenerational connection. Programs like lifelong learning institutes and university partnerships with senior centers, they said, make age-diverse classrooms possible. “Knowledge really is power,” Postelnak observed. “Education brings everybody together.”

Challenging “Professionalism” and Power Imbalances

One of the most compelling exchanges came when Postelnak reflected on the mixed messages young adults receive about professionalism: “I’m told to act older in professional settings—but then reminded that I’m not an adult yet.”

The panel agreed that professionalism is often code for conformity—and that younger voices deserve to be heard without being forced to “act older.” Applewhite added, “There’s no social change without discomfort. Talking about power is hard—but necessary.”

Reframing Gerontology and Lifelong Aging

Another key insight came from a discussion on how gerontology is taught. If aging is a lifelong process, panelists argued, then the study of aging should start earlier. Guest participant Dr. Wendy Lustbader, University of Washington, shared how she integrates elders into every discussion in her social work classes: “We need the lifespan perspective in every field—from medicine to education to policy.”

What We Can Do—Together

The program closed with reflections from attendees on how they might personally bridge generational divides. Some vowed to invite younger people to social gatherings. Others pledged to volunteer across age lines or mentor in new ways. As one participant put it, “We just need to look at everyone as a person—and get rid of all the rest of the assumptions that come with age.”

Carrying the Conversation Forward

Gray Panthers NYC continues to embody Maggie Kuhn’s call for youth and age in action. Transformation Tuesdays provide a platform for dialogue, learning, and collaboration across generations—because dismantling ageism isn’t the work of one age group, but of all of us.

Join the Movement

We invite everyone to participate in this important conversation. By fostering connections between generations, we can create a more just and humane society. Together, we can challenge ageism and advocate for the rights, dignity, and well-being of older adults and people of all ages.

Watch the full program video below and join the movement to change the narrative around aging and power.

👉 Watch the Conversation