The third of our pillars of dedication is civic engagement. Tiles for Hope works to increase civic engagement in young people across the world in hopes of alleviating and reversing the trend of loneliness within the elderly community.
Initiatives:
Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness
In June 2026, 5 members of Tiles for Hope—Sahasraprithi Suriyakumarr, Disha Gottam, Illaria Liedtke, Tancrede Weinstein, and Parker Maritzen—were selected as one of only 100 Fellow teams nationally for their civic engagement project.
Titled “Bridges Across Generations,” they aim to curtail loneliness among the elderly populace in South Windsor, CT, by establishing an intergenerational pen pal program connecting seniors in local retirement homes with elementary and middle school students. The project is three-pronged:
- High schoolers lead and deliver an advocacy curriculum;
- Middle schoolers harness their learning experience to write monthly guided letters responding to their senior partner’s letters;
- Elementary school students cultivate joy, sprightliness, and vitality through creative artwork and messages.
This purposeful work will promote an increased awareness of the struggles faced by the elderly among younger members of society and therefore empower youth to combat this issue through civic engagement. Their engagement today will serve as a blueprint that children can wield for future initiatives, supporting our goal of forming the next generation of community leaders.
Tiles For Hope 