The Civic Engagement Institute for Creating Aging Friendly Communities is underway in Atlanta, Georgia, and testing the Viable Futures Toolkit in its curriculum. The Institute is part of the Aging Atlanta project of the Area Agency on Aging, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part its Community Partnerships for Older Adults program. Sponsored by the Council on Aging, the Institute is an eight-week series of classes for older Atlantans to build their advocacy skills and take action on the specific issues they prioritize. Diane Williamson, Executive Director of the Council on Aging and organizer of the Institute, reports that the Viable Futures Toolkit has "helped in identifying resources and approaches used by other areas of the country." She anticipates that the Toolkit's Communications Guide will be a valuable resource as classes move from training to action. The Council on Aging and the Area Agency on Aging, are closely monitoring the utility of the Toolkit in this trial application in the Institute. If all goes well, they'd like to explore using the Viable Futures Toolkit to offer an intergenerational Civic Engagement Institute. Such an undertaking not only would mobilize action around shared policy concerns. It would also be a valuable way to strengthen the everyday quality of life in the neighborhoods where the different generations live together, but too often don't connect. Stay tuned to this site for updates on their work. |
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