Heyman Interages® Center

Opportunities for Seniors

Our opportunities are constantly changing. For the most up-to-date information, check with the Montgomery County Volunteer Center. Enter “interages” in the search area.

Tutoring/mentoring/reading/math with young students through MCPS or nonprofit organizations

If you’re age 50+, we invite you to volunteer with JCA Heyman Interages^® Center’s high-impact programs. These virtual programs take place on Zoom with schools, families, and community organizations. Volunteers help youth ages 3-18 with academics, self-confidence, and an appreciation of cross-age connections. As a JCA Interages volunteer, you can make a difference in as little as one hour a week, or you can increase your impact by giving more time. We provide training and ongoing support and will work with you to find the right opportunity to fit your interests, skills, and schedule.

The JCA Heyman Interages® Center has partnered with Kensington Club, an adult day-care program that engages elderly adults with early signs of dementia.  Both are a part of the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA). This Art and Music Appreciation program brings high school student volunteers together with older adults living with dementia in art and music therapy provided to older adults enjoyment, use of their cognitive skills, and a distraction from pain.

Volunteer Portal

We have a running list of volunteer opportunities on our volunteer portal.  You can view the list here and choose the program that fits your schedule, location, and talents! Help a student improve their reading skill, read a bedtime story, or join a book club – all the programs offer enriching experiences for both students and volunteers.

High School Intergenerational Interviewing Team

We are excited to highlight the interesting and important work that people in our community are doing. Having a high school student interview a senior really focuses on the intergenerational nature of our mission. Please reach out to interagesinfo@accessjca.org if you would like to participate or with any contacts you might have.

Share from a distance

We are excited to let you know about an exciting opportunity to build relationships with youth during this difficult time when so many of us are isolated and eager to make connections. Through our SHARE From a Distance program, we are making intergenerational connections from a distance by matching up pen pals. Only first names are given, and all correspondence is filtered through JCA staff. You can choose to correspond via email or postal mail.

If you have any questions or would like to be matched up with an interested young person, please email us.

We have a list of interested young people eager to be matched up with a pen pal. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Even though our SHARE (Students Help and Reach Elders) program is not able to bring people together in person at this time, we can still make intergenerational connections from a distance. Children and older adults are invited to sign up to make a difference in each other’s lives by sending warm, cheerful letters, messages, and art through our program SHARE From A Distance.

All communication will be anonymous and will be filtered through professional JCA staff. Only the first names of participants will be shared. Once you fill out the initial interest form, you will receive an e-mail confirmation followed by further instructions from a JCA staff person.

Opportunities for students: Service Learning opportunities

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) believes that service learning addresses recognized community needs and is connected to advancing curriculum goals. All service projects, be they indirect, direct, or through advocacy, include phases of preparation, action, and reflection. Quality service learning projects provide students with knowledge, skills, attitudes, and career exploration opportunities that lead to effective citizenship in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. MCPS is committed to quality service-learning experiences for all students. 

Service Learning Programs at JCA Interages

2024 Summer Volunteer Programs for Students

Please view the list of summer volunteer opportunities on the Youth Volunteer Opportunities page. SSL hours are available for all programs.

Share from a Distance- SFAD

Even though our SHARE (Students Help and Reach Elders) program is not able to bring people together in person at this time, we can still make intergenerational connections from a distance. Children and older adults are invited to sign up to make a difference in each other’s lives by sending warm, cheerful letters, messages, and art through our program SHARE From A Distance.

All communication will be anonymous and will be filtered through professional JCA staff. Only the first names of participants will be shared. Once you fill out this form, you will receive an e-mail confirmation followed by further instructions from a JCA staff person.

Intergenerational Book Clubs-Middle School, High School

Montgomery County Public Libraries and the Jewish Council for the Aging Heyman Interages® Center are hosting an intergenerational book club for students in middle school and high school. Students and older adult community members meet weekly for one month to read the same book and discuss it at the weekly meetings. Participants have discussions about the book while enjoying conversations and hearing perspectives from people of another generation.

Students will be asked to write a short essay, and create a poster or flyer from what they learned from the book. Six SSL hours will be awarded to each student if he/she participates in all four meetings and present their projects on time.

Art and Music Appreciation with Kensington Club

The JCA Heyman Interages® Center has partnered with Kensington Club, an adult day-care program that engages elderly adults with early signs of dementia. Both are a part of the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA). This Art and Music Appreciation program brings high school student volunteers together with older adults living with dementia in art and music therapy provided to older adults enjoyment, use of their cognitive skills, and a distraction from pain.

Intergenerational Interview Team

The Intergenerational Interview project highlights the important work that people are doing in our community. We feel that the intergenerational nature of this project really focuses on our mission.

Students apply to join the Interview team. There is a brief training and program overview, then students are matched to an interviewee and guided through the interview process.  The Zoom recording is used on the JCA Interages website and newsletter and shared with other programs throughout Montgomery County and the Intergenerational community.

To find out which programs have availability, please contact Indira Dingledine at idingledine@accessjca.org or visit the Montgomery County Volunteer Center website at

Please note the following guidelines for student service through live virtual platforms:

• A student’s parent/guardian must provide the nonprofit with written approval of the student’s participation in the virtual platform prior to the student serving/volunteering.
• Students must use personal/private accounts (not MCPS student accounts) to engage in the virtual platform.
• Students will only engage with others under the direct supervision of a nonprofit supervisor. The nonprofit supervisor will be directly present in the virtual space (including any breakout sessions) at all times.
• The nonprofit supervisor will initiate and host all virtual sessions. If the nonprofit supervisor is not available to initiate and host the virtual session, the session will not occur.
• Virtual sessions will not be recorded.

Student participation in this service project is at the discretion of the student’s parent/guardian. The nonprofit organization is responsible for maintaining student safety and privacy at any time the student interacts with the nonprofit and its clients. The nonprofit organization will determine the number of SSL hours awarded based on the evidence submitted. Parents/guardians should contact the nonprofit directly with any questions and/or concerns. This service activity is designed to be completed within the safety of the student’s home until schools resume normal status.