Moderated by Marc Freedman and Nancy Morrow-Howell
Underwritten by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies
Presented in Collaboration with the National Council on Aging

Monday, March 16 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fee: $35 (includes continental breakfast and boxed lunch)
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
This program is open to the first 300 registrants only, and will sell out early—so register now. Attendees must also be registered for the Aging in America Conference to register for this program.

The Winter 2007 Issue of ASA’s quarterly journal Generations published a seminal body of knowledge on Civic Engagement in Later Life as a tool for professionals to enhance the quality of life of the older adults they’re dedicated to serving. In 2009, ASA brings some of the best published models to life through this National Forum by convening select Generations authors and other experts in the field to refresh the published work with perspectives from the latest and best examples of civic engagement in diverse communities.

This National Forum will convene leaders and key stakeholders from diverse communities interested and engaged in advancing the practice of—and body of knowledge for—civic engagement. Our daylong program will feature a “who’s-who” in civic engagement including our two moderators for the day: Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, and Marc Freedman, CEO and Founder, Civic Ventures, San Francisco, CA.

There is a new vision for aging—a vision of expanded and deeper engagement for older adults in their communities. The models shared and ideas generated during this National Forum will bring us even closer to transforming this vision into a reality. By embracing the promise of civic engagement, organizations can make a difference in the lives of the older adults they serve, engaging them in improving the quality of life in their communities, in the nation, and in a global society. 

Traditionally, retirement consisted of a rapid onset of old age, stable self identity, and a focus on rest and leisure. The new “un-retirement” reflects the realities of aging in the 21st century: the possibility of a 30-year stage of life, with mostly continued health and vitality. Older adults face new options that reflect searching for meaning, finding community, continuing to learn, sustaining a sense of achievement, and leaving a legacy. These needs and drives are helping to bring the practice of civic engagement to scale.

Concurrent with this development, many institutions that provide healthcare and social services for older adults are themselves experiencing a need for volunteer service and resources. This need could be significantly addressed by harnessing the collective experience and expertise of a growing, healthy, active older adult population as agents for positive change in our world and society.
 
This National Forum will help participants:

• Understand the value of multi-faceted community approaches to promoting 50+ civic engagement
• Gain insight into strategies that support the involvement of older adults from culturally diverse communities in civic roles.
• Increase awareness of successful, evidenced-based civic engagement programs.
• Enhance their ability to use effective screening, assessment and placement strategies.

Join us for an exciting and informative day. Lunch is included so that we remain engaged in the dynamic all-day agenda together. This program requires your commitment to attending the whole day, and advance registration is required. Presenters will contribute to the discussion in concert with the schedule below, but most presenters will remain with us to answer questions, and respond to and build upon other presentations that are a part of this National Forum. 

Online Component
Please note that the program will continue to be developed and evolve between now and the live event. It is our goal to start the conference with some facilitated online dialogues that will help our presenters and our participants shape this to be a highly relevant, highly engaging, and highly significant learning experience. 

8:00 to 9:30 AM: Opening Session
Welcome:	Brian Hofland, PhD, Director, Ageing Programme, The Atlantic Philanthropies, New York, NY Robert Stein, President and CEO, American Society on Aging, San Francisco, CA
Moderators:	Marc Freedman, CEO and Founder, Civic Ventures, San Francisco, CA, and Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Speaker:	Jennie Chin Hansen, RN, MSN, FAAN, President, AARP Board of Directors
Topic:	Volunteerism in Communities of Color
Respondents:	Nancy Henkin, PhD, Director, Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University Stacey Easterling, Programme Executive, The Atlantic Philanthropies, New York, NY Clayton Fong, President and CEO, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Seattle, WA     Yanira Cruz, DrPH, President and CEO, National Hispanic Council on Aging, Washington, DC

     
            

9:45 - 11:45 AM: How Communities Can Promote 50+ Civic Engagement
Engaging people 50-plus in meaningful activities that contribute to the public good requires a coordinated set of strategies implemented at the local level. An individual’s willingness to participate in civic life depends on a variety of factors, including a degree of attachment to community, a belief that participation will make a difference, one’s capacity to engage, and the availability of meaningful civic opportunities. Efforts to raise awareness of the value of civic participation, promote civic norms and social connectedness, build  organizational capacity,  enhance resident leadership skills, and support the ability of people to remain productive as they age are all needed to move the concept of 50+ civic engagement to a new level. These strategies must be culturally appropriate in order to foster participation of diverse groups of people 50+.  Panelists will discuss several highly successful community-wide initiatives that involve a critical mass of place-based activities to promote 50+ civic engagement.  They will also focus on effective strategies for supporting civic participation in communities of color.
Moderator:	Andrea Taylor, PhD, Director of Training, Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning, Philadelphia, PA.
Presenters:	Nancy Henkin, PhD, Executive Director, Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning, Philadelphia, PA Stacey Easterling, Programme Executive, The Atlantic Philanthropies, New York, NY Jan Newsome, Special Assistant to the CEO for Strategic Initiatives, Corporation for National and Community Service, Washington, DC Clayton Fong, President and CEO, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, Seattle, WA Yanira Cruz, President and CEO, National Council on Hispanic Aging, Washington, DC Karyne Jones, President and CEO of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc., Washington, DC

   

Noon - 1:30 PM: Luncheon Presentation and Networking
Presenter:	Jim Hinterlong, PhD, MSW, Associate Professor, Doctoral Program, Director College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.
Introduction and Moderation By:	Laura Robbins, Programme Executive, Ageing Program, The Atlantic Philanthropies, New York, NY.
Woven of Many Strands: Aging, Diversity, and The Renewal of Civic Life
This luncheon address builds upon Jim’s Generations article on The Effects of Civic Engagement on Current and Future Cohorts of Older Adults. Never has a human society experienced such rapid aging of its population while also struggling with tremendous social, economic, and cultural change. While communities should draw upon their diversity as a source of strength, older adults also must be the core of any viable strategy for sustaining a vibrant civic life. Our best hope for civic growth and renewal lies in our ability to direct the tremendous capacity of our aging society toward significant public purpose. To do this, we must uncover, recognize and engage the time, talents, and capacities of older adults who have a desire to give back. Jim currently evaluates the Atlantic Philanthropies’ older adult civic engagement program in the United States and will include trends and findings in his presentation.

 

1:30 - 2:30 PM: Workshop: New Models for Increasing Organizational Capacity: Evidenced-Based Approaches With 55+ Adults
This presentation builds on the Tom Endres article entitled RespectAbility in America:  Guiding Principles for Civic Engagement Among Adults 55-Plus. NCOA's RespectAbility program seeks to help non-profit organizations make more effective use of older Americans in their community-based efforts. RespectAbility and 22 innovative nonprofits from across the country have tested new approaches for engaging 55-Plus adults in meaningful roles. Learn about these evidenced-based models and lessons-learned demonstrating how these older adults are transforming nonprofits organizations.
Presenter:	Sabrina Reilly, MA, Director, RespectAbility, Associate Director of Civic Engagement, National Council on Aging, Washington, DC Thomas Endres, Vice President of Civic Engagement, National Council on Aging, Washington, DC

 

2:30 – 3:00 PM: Conclusion, Summary of Outcomes, and Next Steps
Moderators:	Marc Freedman and Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD

3:00 PM: Adjournment to the Afternoon Plenary Session Featuring Louis Gossett Jr.

Addressing issues of race, racism, community service and civic engagement, Louis Gossett Jr. will describe the vision, values, and aspirations for his work with the Eracism Foundation, which he founded in 2006. Dedicating the last quadrant of his life to eradicating racism, he will share how civic engagement initiatives can and will improve the fabric and landscape of this country.