What We Do
Age Well Academy
Age Well Academy is a web-based education series, geared toward local government, open to all, and celebrating that our communities are stronger when we all belong.
Our 2025-2026 Age Well Academy focuses on how your community can take action. Together, we’ll examine neighborhood-level data, available for every city and town in the state. We’ll explore how local governments and community residents can build bridges to co-create more vibrant, accessible communities. We’ll journey inward, examining our own minds and hearts as we work together to dismantle ageism. And we’ll uplift amazing, inclusive places, right here in Connecticut. Scroll down to learn more and register!
Eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official Credit (CCMO) with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM). Please register with your municipal email.
2025-2026 Sessions
Register for what’s coming, and watch what you’ve missed.
September 10, 2025
12:00 - 12:30 PM
Want Data? Meet the New Connecticut Healthy Aging Data Report
Our friends at the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston produced the original, first-of-its kind Connecticut Healthy Aging Report back in 2021. Now, it’s back and better than ever—meet the 2025 edition! Come get a detailed picture of aging in the state through a neighborhood-level examination of the challenges faced by older adults—and potential opportunities. Including 181 community profiles for every city and town, the report is vital tool to help your community guide policy development and make smart investments in programs and services.
November 17, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Building Community Authority: Empowering Older Adults
The Age Well Collaborative’s Community Leaders Fellowship builds bridges between local government eager to create more vibrant, accessible communities and community members who have the lived experience to guide inclusivity initiatives that help us all age well. But before we asked towns to take this journey—we took it ourselves! Learn how the Collaborative grew relationships to help build community authority, co-created a project and cultivated lasting community-based leadership. And get a sneak peek at the latest municipal resource guide we’ll be releasing!
January 14, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Connection, Capacity, Resilience, and Vibrancy: What’s Age Got to Do With It?
When you hear words like “connected,” “capable,” “resilient,” and “vibrant,” what do you think of? Who do you imagine? Or maybe, who don’t you imagine? Every Age, Every Ability is our statewide campaign to disrupt ageism and ableism, informed by the lived experience of Connecticut residents. The campaign catalyzes conversation and inspired locally-tailored, community-driven efforts, like in the Towns of West Hartford and Newtown. Get inspired and learn how your community can spark its own conversations with family, friends and colleagues—or create your very own local campaign.
March 11, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Growing Up and Growing Older: Confronting Ageism at Any Age
Aging is a completely normal part of living, but because of ageism, some people believe getting older is a problem or something to fear. Ageism has become culturally normalized and largely invisible. To kickstart conversations about ageism across the lifespan, we wrote “A Kids Book About Ageism.” Learn how your community can use this book and its associated conversation guide to empower community members (and yourselves!) to tell a more complete story of aging and work toward dismantling implicit bias around aging.
May 13, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Cultivating Inclusivity: Who is in Your “We”?
Connecticut is filled with hidden community gems—from the best accessible attractions, to the most welcoming business, to the most inspiring programs and initiatives. Each year, the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative invites nominations from which we create an annual list of local pick of place and experiences. What makes those places special, welcoming and inclusive? How can your community emulate those qualities—and maybe get represented in the next list? And how can catalyze visitors uplifting everything fabulous already happening in your community? Come learn more!
Stream Prior Sessions
2022-2023 Age Well Academy
The 2022-2023 Age Well Academy introduced the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative and the scope of our work. We explored how we’re working to advance age and ability-based equity and reframe the narrative on aging and how they can inform our efforts. We zoomed out to look at global perspectives on aging. And we shared inspiration and ideas for practical action that municipalities can take.
2024 Age Well Academy
The 2024 Age Well Academy focused on our campaign to disrupt ageism and ableism — Every Age, Every Ability. We shared our statewide campaign, with an invitation to communities to co-create it with us. We explored opportunities for education and support on a community level. And we looked at how local residents are building momentum and breaking down bias in their communities.
More to Explore
Listen to Our Musical Theme
At the Collaborative, we even sing about aging! We commissioned the incredibly talented Jeff McQuillan to compose and perform our musical theme, We Age Well. The song captures the spirit of celebration and vibrancy that we hope to inspire in communities across Connecticut.
