Vibrant Communities and
Aging Well Go Hand-In-Hand
The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative is a statewide, cross-sector initiative that fosters aging, dementia and disability-inclusive communities. Delegated by the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, the Collaborative is leading the state's livable communities initiative (Section 17b-420a of the Connecticut General Statutes). Livable communities are inclusive, vibrant places where we can all thrive across the lifespan.
Our guiding principlEs
Emphasize access, equity, and inclusion.
Change the conversation about aging from “challenge” to “asset”.
Listen more and let everyone’s voice be heard.
Maintain a sense of urgency and accountability.
Ensure the nature of work is interactive and transparent.
Be responsive to evolving and emerging issues.
Promote a community of continuous learning.
Celebrate success among our partners.
OUR ACTION PLAN
Inform efforts with lived experience
Raise awareness
Provide resources and support
Celebrate and scale action
Embrace collective impact partnership
SHAPING COMMUNITIES WHERE WE ALL THRIVE
The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative is aligning efforts across organizations and has established this integrated framework for communities across Connecticut to foster greater aging, dementia and disability inclusivity across the lifespan.
COMMUNITY LEADERS FELLOWSHIP
The Community Leaders Fellowship builds bridges between local governments eager to create more vibrant, accessible communities and community members who have the lived experience to guide inclusivity initiatives for all ages and abilities.
We first work with municipalities to identify key challenges and projects that need the lived experience of older adults, people living with dementia, people with disabilities, and their care partners. Then, we engage local Fellows with rich, lived experience who haven’t had the opportunity or access to engage with municipal leaders. Once selected, Fellows embark on a three-day kick-off experience to build community, deepen their existing strengths, and learn new skills to undertake their project. Fellows then partner with local municipal leaders to co-create solutions to the key challenges municipalities identified. Along the way, Fellows are supported through group coaching and peer networks.
For Municipalities:
Click here to apply to participate in the 2024 Fellowship.
To preview the application as a PDF, click here.
Municipal applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
For Fellows:
Stay tuned for an application launch announcement later this year.
Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.
Want to learn more about the 2023 Fellowship? Click here.
AGE WELL ACADEMY
Our communities are stronger when they include the full scope of our energy, including the contributions of older people, individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and individuals with disabilities. More aging, dementia and disability-inclusive communities also tend to demonstrate deeper connection, improved health, and higher rates of economic growth. Successfully shaping policies, practices and resource flows that support Connecticut residents across the lifespan first requires us to look at our deeply held, implicit beliefs about aging, dementia and disability.
This year, we’re launching a campaign to disrupt ageism and ableism. Join us to learn about our statewide campaign, the invitation to co-create it with us, opportunities for education and support in your community, how to adapt and locally implement your own campaign, and what inspiring efforts are happening in Connecticut to deepen a sense of belonging for all residents.
Learn more in our 2024 Age Well Academy, with special recognition to be awarded to participants who join us for all four events in 2024. To access recordings of prior events, visit our YouTube channel.
Eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official Credit (CMMO) with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM).
Launching Our Municipal Toolkit: A “How To” Set of Resources on Disrupting Ageism and Ableism
Thursday, May 9, 2024, 11am to Noon | Virtual
Celebrating and Sharing Inspiration: Lifting Local Voices
Thursday, September 12, 2024, 11am to Noon | Virtual
We’ve been singing about aging. Yes, singing! We commissioned the incredibly talented Connecticut composer, musician, storyteller and teacher Jeff McQuillan to help compose and perform our musical theme, We Age Well, which premiered with the launch of our Age Well Academy. The melody, instrumentation and lyrics of We Age Well all seek to capture the spirit of celebration and vibrancy that we hope to inspire in communities across Connecticut. You can listen to the song and download the lyrics.
RESOURCE GUIDE SERIES
Municipal government, community stakeholders and residents can work together to create more aging, dementia and disability-inclusive communities, resulting in more just, equitable communities for everyone. The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative’s resource guides series supports local government in shaping communities where we all can age well.
For each resource guide below, we include a large-print, graphic-free version, designed for easy interaction with screen-readers and generally available for anyone who is blind or visually impaired.
WELLSPRING AWARDS
Connecticut is a wellspring of ideas and innovations on how to foster aging, dementia and disability inclusivity. How does YOUR community inspire others throughout the state? The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative presented its first annual Wellspring Awards at our Sharing and Celebration Summit at the State Capitol on April 26, 2023. You can view photos from our event and read about our award recipients.
Connecticut-specific, community-based projects, initiatives and policies implemented within the past five years and/or with ongoing, meaningful, relevant community impact were considered. Strong nominations promote aging, dementia, or disability inclusivity; integrate the voices of individuals with lived experience; and have long-term, systemic community impact going beyond provision of individual services and supports. Our nomination period is closed for this year. For updates on our Wellspring Awards, sign up for our enews.
CONNECTICUT HEALTHY AGING DATA REPORT
The Connecticut Healthy Aging Data Report helps residents, agencies, lawmakers and community leaders understand the older people who live in their cities and towns. It provides data and recommendations to help advance healthy aging to aid in building vibrant, healthy communities that work for all ages. Connecticut is one of only four states in the nation to have such extensive data available for healthy aging.
Within this report, you will find interactive maps, in-depth charts, and comprehensive profiles that include nearly 200 indicators of healthy aging for each of the state’s 169 cities and towns, plus 12 neighborhoods in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Stamford.
All data was compiled by researchers at the Gerontology Institute of the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The work was funded by the Point32Health Foundation (formed by a combination of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation and Tufts Health Plan Foundation).
leadership, staff & Partners
Our Steering Committee Members:
Rebecca Augur
Lisa Bress
Ellen Carter
Ayesha Clarke
Molly Cole
Joel Cox
William DeMaio
Margaret Gerundo-Murkette
Leonardo Ghio
Teresa Gregory Hines
Cynthia Hyland
Gretchen Knauff
Christy Kovel
Melissa Lang
Deborah Migneault
Loryn Ray
Deborah Stein
Christie Stewart
Michael Werner
Our Staff:
Alyssa Norwood
Karen Green
Christina Gray
Emily Hultquist
Lesley Holford
Our Partners:
Collective impact brings people together in a structured way to achieve social change. The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative plans and implements its work through a collective impact model. This evolving list reflects strategically cultivated relationships with governmental, nonprofit and academic organizations who were invited as partners. “Partners” are organizations committed to collaborating to align efforts and shared resources toward fostering Connecticut communities where we all thrive as we grow up and grow older. We also look forward to cultivating more formal relationships with municipalities, community centers of power, grassroots leaders and other key stakeholders. To explore partnership with the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative, e-mail ctagewell@ctcommunitycare.org.
CORE COLLECTIVE IMPACT PARTNERS
Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity
Connecticut Community Care
Connecticut Council of Developmental Disabilities
Connecticut State Department of Aging and Disability Services
Point32Health Foundation
COLLABORATING COLLECTIVE IMPACT PARTNERS
AARP Connecticut
Alzheimer's Association CT Chapter
AgingCT
The Arc Connecticut
Center for Medicare Advocacy
Central Connecticut State University
Connecticut Association of Directors of Health
Connecticut Association of Senior Center Personnel
Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness
Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
Connecticut Local Administrators of Social Services
Connecticut Main Street Center
CT Chapter of American Planning Association
CT Council of Small Towns
CTData Collaborative
CT Department of Public Health
CT State Independent Living Council
CT Training and Technical Assistance Center at UCONN
The Housing Collective - Centers for Housing Opportunity
LeadingAge Connecticut
National Conference for Community and Justice
Partnership for Strong Communities
Regional Plan Association
Sustainable CT
UConn Center on Aging, University of Connecticut
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