title: Experience Corps: a dual trial to promote the health of older adults and children's academic success.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the population ages, older adults are seeking meaningful, and impactful, post-retirement roles. As a society, improving the health of people throughout longer lives is a major public health goal. This paper presents the design and rationale for an effectiveness trial of Experience Corps™, an intervention created to address both these needs. This trial evaluates (1) whether senior volunteer roles within Experience Corps™ beneficially impact children's academic achievement and classroom behavior in public elementary schools and (2) impact on the health of volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dual evaluations of (1) an intention-to-treat trial randomizing eligible adults 60 and older to volunteer service in Experience Corps™, or to a control arm of usual volunteering opportunities, and (2) a comparison of eligible public elementary schools receiving Experience Corps™ to matched, eligible control schools in a 1:1 control:intervention school ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For older adults, the primary outcome is decreased disability in mobility and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Secondary outcomes are decreased frailty, falls, and memory loss; slowed loss of strength, balance, walking speed, cortical plasticity, and executive function; objective performance of IADLs; and increased social and psychological engagement. For children, primary outcomes are improved reading achievement and classroom behavior in Kindergarten through the 3rd grade; secondary outcomes are improvements in school climate, teacher morale and retention, and teacher perceptions of older adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This trial incorporates principles and practices of community-based participatory research and evaluates the dual benefit of a single intervention, versus usual opportunities, for two generations: older adults and children.
authors.affiliation: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. lf2296@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Linda P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seeman
authors.forename: Qian-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frick
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Elizabeth K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frangakis
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piferi
authors.forename: Iveris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gruenewald
authors.forename: Barbara K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Laprisha
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berry-Vaughn
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dickersin
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Willging
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Rebok
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007858:Learning; D008606:Mental Processes; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D004856:Postural Balance; D012107:Research Design; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology; D012574:Schools / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014838:Volunteers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology
keywords: BHS; Baltimore City Commission on Aging and Retirement Education; Brain Health Study; CARE; COAH; Children's academic success; Community-based participatory research; EC; Experience Corps™; GHCC; Greater Homewood Community Corporation; Health promotion; Healthy aging; IADL; Instrumental Activities of Daily Living; Intergenerational programs; Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health; MMSE; MSA; Maryland School Assessment; Mini-Mental State Exam; Senior service