Section I of this paper notes that, because the mandate of this paper is to explore the potential contributions of older adults to adolescent development, its particular focus will be on elder service initiatives and on the practices and policies required to stimulate intergenerational cooperation. The argument is offered that engaging elders to work directly with adolescents, particularly young people growing up in poverty, constitutes one of the most compelling ideas on the social policy landscape. Despite the compelling calls to action, one finding of this paper is that a considerable gap still exists between the promise of elder service to youth and what is found in practice. Section II examines the rationale for intergenerational programing in general and for engaging older adults to serve adolescents. Section III surveys the landscape of elder service efforts along with other intergenerational programs, policies, and support activities in this area. Section IV analyzes the translation of this rationale into reality, examining the elder service gap existing between promise and practice. Section V looks at program and policy measures that might close that gap, simultaneously advancing elder service, adolescent development, and intergenerational cooperation. Section VI offers a set of concluding comments on this enterprise and its meaning. The paper concludes that, while this gap will not be bridged easily and will require genuine institutional change, closing it is an objective worth pursuing. (NB)