Poetry to Bridge Generations

Poetry is the voice of the soul.

Through poetry teenagers, college students, and older adults can exchange information about the life span in relation to aging, examine their beliefs about aging and their role in their own aging. Poetry can connect generations and can expand their known worlds.

The 12th annual Intergenerational Poetry slam will be held on October 18, 2020. Poems are due by September 13, 2020. 

For more information about the contest please click here.

For a downloadable flyer please click here.

To submit poems, please click here or email to unospochapter@unomaha.edu. Poems may also be mailed to:

Attn: Sigma Phi Omega Poetry

UNO Department of Gerontology

211 CPACS

6001 Dodge Street

Omaha, NE 68182

UNO and the Nebraska Writers Collective “Bridge the Gaps between Generations” with Poetry

Each year since 2009 the Intergenerational Poetry Contest helps to bridge the gap between the generations.  Prizes are awarded for poems written by local youth and adults over 50; each contest entrant writes two poems, one about the experiences of being older than 50, and the other about being a teenager. In 2019 we added one more participation group to the contest - UNO and UNMC students.  This culminates in a Winners Celebration to which all entrants are invited.  Celebrants hear and discuss readings of the winning poems, chat informally about aging, enjoy refreshments, and the winners receive cash prizes. 

This program is maintained by a partnership of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Gerontology with public and private schools connected by the UNO Dual Enrollment Program and Service Learning Academy.  The Omaha Public Libraries and the Nebraska Writers' Collective were UNO's founding community partners. The Nebraska Writers' Collective continues to partner with UNO to manage this event, and its CEO, Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason, advises the Committee, and serves as Master of Ceremonies at the annual celebration. Student members of the university chapter of Sigma Phi Omega (SPO), which is the national gerontology academic honor society, and the SPO faculty advisors coordinate the program. 

Read a selection of the 2019 winning poems from elders, winning poems from UNO/UNMC students, and winning poems from youth.