Lifelong Communities
Trainings and Materials from The Lifelong Communities Fellows Program
Lifelong Communities: Planning for Action
Date and Time: Monday, April 26, 1:00-2:00
Presenters:
Karen Campbell, Lifelong Fellow
Bob MacIntire, Chair, Hallowell All Age Friendly
Anne Schroth, Chair, Age-Friendly Coastal Communities
Dyan Walsh, Co-Chair, Bangor Livable Communities
- Karen Cambell, who has been active in lifelong community development for many years and is currently part of the Bangor Livable Communities team, described how to structure the action planning process and coordinate a team to facilitate timely delivery. Karen reminded us that an action plan should not be a life’s work.
- Bob MacIntire, chair of Hallowell All Age-Friendly, discussed how to work with the municipality so that the lifelong community action plan is embedded in municipal planning.
- Anne Schroth talked about developing a regional plan that advances regional goals while also helping the work in individual communities to move forward
- Dyan Walsh, the co-chair of Bangor Livable Communities, focused on ways to keep the action plan real. She shared hints and tips for constantly updating the plan so that it is relevant, keeps partners and the community engaged, and informs the development of a progress report that celebrates the work you are doing in the community.
Click Here for the Webinar Recording
Lifelong Communities: Partnerships for Sustainability
Date and Time: March 29, 1:00-2:30
Presenter: Emily Greenfield, Associate Professor School of Social Work, Rutgers University and Lifelong Community Champion
Developing, fostering, and maintaining dynamic partnerships is key to sustainable lifelong community development. Meaningful and impactful partnerships are as important for multi-community regional lifelong initiatives as they are for small communities. Strong regional age-friendly efforts build partnerships between all the communities in their region. Age-Friendly communities of all sizes partner with residents and with local and regional organizations and funders that represent different aspects of community life—from arts to zoning? Emily Greenfield led us in a lively discussion of engaging partners to contribute to the sustainability of your lifelong community initiative.
Click Here for the Webinar Recording.
Aging is not a Dirty Word: Reframing Aging in ME
February 22, 2021
Description: The number of people age 65 and older in Maine increases each year. Despite the contributions that older people are making in our communities, ageism is still rife. During COVID, we have seen a rise in negative portrayals of older people as disposable or selfish and grasping. In a recent survey of lifelong communities, one in three report experiencing age prejudice or discrimination. These stereotypes and attitudes are shaped, reflected and reproduced in the language that we use, both in terms of our everyday lives and in a range of different contexts such as the media and policy. During this webinar, Mary Lou Ciolfi will review existing research about the role and impact of language and stereotypes of framing old age, will share what you can do to transform the way aging is viewed in your community, and will introduce a photo contest designed to FRAME the way older lives are represented in media.
Presenter: Mary Lou Ciolfi
Click Here for the Webinar Recording
Grant Writing for Lifelong Communities
January 11, 2020
Description: Does your lifelong community need grant funding for one or more of your projects? The first step is to develop a grant strategy based on your mission, resources, and the programs that residents have identified as priorities. Holly Korda will take us through the process of developing an overall plan to find funders interested in your project and write a winning grant proposal. At the end of this webinar, you will know how to find grants and then develop meaningful content for full proposals, letters of intent/inquiry, and online grant applications. Join us and become a formidable contender for the grant funding you need. Holly Korda is an active leader on the lifelong community team in Old Orchard Beach and recently wrote a successful $100,000 federal Community Development Block Grant funds to refurbish a small park and basketball court in the town. In addition to her grant-writing and management experience, Holly is also an author and has extensive professional experience in designing, developing, and evaluating health care innovations.
Presenter: Holly Korda
Click Here for the Webinar Recording
Community Relationship-Building with Zoom
December 07, 2020
Description: Physical distancing threatens the relationships lifelong community initiatives have developed with partners, volunteers, and participants in programs and activities. While people confine themselves to the safety of their homes, they view the outside world through their screens and are looking for connections to things that matter to them. Join us to hear how–in this ‘Zoom era’–your lifelong community initiative can build strong relationships to galvanize your lifelong community work during COVID. The same methods that build relationships with partners and volunteers can also help engage people remotely in programming to forestall loneliness and isolation.
Presenter: Jo Werther, LCSW
Click here for the webinar recording
Social Media for Lifelong Communities: Tools You Can Use
April 30, 2020
Description: Having social media in your team’s tool kit can be an important element in fulfilling your mission. From events and volunteerism to resource sharing and fundraising, this webinar is designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of how to leverage these tools to connect with various stakeholders. Planning content and framing your message will also be covered. A special emphasis is placed on Facebook Pages & Groups, in addition to Instagram and Twitter.
Presenters: Lisa Arhontes-Marshall, Founder, Beehive Development
Volunteer Management for Lifelong Communities
March 9, 2020
Description: Lifelong communities efforts rely on the power of volunteers to make change happen locally. Properly channeling the time and energy of these individuals entails the use of key strategies that can ensure that your volunteers will remain engaged and invested in the work. This webinar on volunteer management was specifically designed for lifelong communities. Basic tenets of volunteer management are discussed including how to sustain your volunteer base, tools for tracking impact, and examples of best practices from the field.
Presenters: Mary Hadlock, RSVP/Volunteer Services Director, Southern Maine Agency on Aging
Doug Wilson, MS/MIS, Agewell Specialist, Southern Maine Agency on Aging
Sustaining Your Lifelong Communities Work: Strategies for Embedding The Work in Your Community
January 30, 2020
Description: This webinar focuses on strategies for sustaining lifelong communities efforts through policies and practices at the community and organizational levels.
Presenters: Kathy Black, Ph.D., Professor of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Sarasota – Manatee
Click here to view the webinar recording
Click here to view the presentation slides (PDF)
Re-Framing Aging
October 17, 2019 & November 6, 2019
Description: Lifelong Communities initiatives challenge popular attitudes toward aging and raise awareness of the value of older people. This two-session workshop is based in the Frameworks Institute Reframing Aging Project.
Presenters: Patricia Oh, Ph.D., Lifelong Communities Consultant
Anne Schroth, Program Coordinator, Healthy Peninsula & 2019 Lifelong Communities Fellow
Click here to access the archived presentations and materials
Lessons Learned from Maine’s Lifelong Communities Movement:
Special Topics for Lifelong Communities
MAY 30, 2019
Wells Conference Center
Orono, Maine
The University of Maine Center on Aging in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation held a special learning and networking event specifically designed for lifelong communities initiatives including Age-Friendly Communities, village models, and independent lifelong community planning efforts.
Lifelong Communities Event Final Program
Lifelong Communities Event Summary Report
Lifelong Communities Event Speaker List
Handouts and Resources
~ Lifelong Community Engagement Resources ~
AARP: Engaging the Community to Create Community
Collective Impact Forum: Community Engagement ToolKit
~ Successful Volunteer Strategies for Lifelong Communities ~
Strategic Volunteer Engagement
Grantmakers in Aging: Recruiting, Motivating, and Keeping Volunteers
TSLCA Webinar: So You Want to Run a Volunteer Program
TSLCA Webinar: The Care and Feeding of Volunteers
TSLCA Webinar: Engaging Volunteers
~ Structuring Your Lifelong Communities Committee for Success ~
Community ToolBox: Building Leadership
Grantmakers in Aging: Building and Balancing Leadership Teams
Maine Guide to Building Livable, Age-Friendly Communities
~General Lifelong Communities Resources of Interest~
Age-Friendly Coastal Communities
Tri-State Learning Collaborative Community Profiles
~General Lifelong Communities Resources of Interest~
AARP’s Livable Communities Library
Tri-State Learning Collaborative Overview
Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging (Free to join!)
For more info: Contact Patricia Oh at patricia.oh@maine.edu