What We Do
AgeWellFest
AgeWellFest is a first-of-its-kind, in-person experiential learning opportunity for every Connecticut community.
A festival of the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative, we’re celebrating every ability and every age. For the vibe, think First Night (but in the daytime) meets conference (but without the slide decks). Municipal leaders, staff, commission members, community stakeholders, policymakers, nonprofits, and anyone else interested in fostering more aging, dementia, and disability-inclusive communities are invited to a day of connection, engaging education, and fun.
When Is it?
Thursday, September 12, 9:30am – 3:00pm
Rain date to be announced. In the event of extreme weather on both dates, AgeWellFest will be rescheduled for a date in the spring.
Where Is it?
The Meriden Green
Plus surrounding downtown locations!
What's Happening?
Interactive learning sessions (many eligible for continuing education credits)
Choose-your-own food truck lunch and entertainment
Presentation of our annual Wellspring Awards
Modeling best practices for inclusive, accessible events
Join us!
For Sponsors
Celebrate every ability and every age by sponsoring a learning station at AgeWellFest.
For Attendees
Stay tuned — registration for AgeWellFest2024 will open on August 1.
Festival Schedule
This schedule will be updated and expanded throughout the summer.
Morning Events
Registration
Learning Stations & Exhibitors along Age Well Avenue and Wellspring Way
Welcome: Inspiration and Intentions
Morning Learning Sessions (multiple simultaneous sessions)
Wellspring Awards, Lunch, and Entertainment
Afternoon Events
Learning Stations & Exhibitors along Age Well Avenue and Wellspring Way
Afternoon Learning Sessions (multiple simultaneous sessions)
Closing: From Idea to Action
Session Descriptions
Our learning session schedule is still evolving — an illustrative list is included here. Stay tuned for updates!
Morning Sessions
Main Street is the neighborhood for everyone in your community and beyond. As such, it needs to be welcoming and accessible to all abilities and ages. Join Carl Rosa, Field Services Director at Connecticut Main Street Center, on an interactive walking tour using a Main Street Manager lens to point out key elements and considerations in a downtown that are important to ensure inclusivity for all visitors, residents, and workers.
Where you live determines how you experience your community. Join the Center for Housing Opportunities in exploring housing options and their proximity and accessibility to and from key community resources and assets. Engage in an interactive session where you will assume a persona and work to identify strengths and gaps in a community, and how we can work to enhance housing options for residents of all abilities.
There are about 80,000 people living with Alzheimer’s disease and 43,000 living with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Connecticut. Join Carolyn DeRocco and Esther Pearl from the Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter to practice strategies for effective communication with people experiencing cognitive change; and Shazia Chaudhry and Kate Keefe from LiveWell will demonstrate exercises to challenge your mind, sharpen your memory, and maintain your mental edge. Participants will learn strategies to exercise the six major cognitive domains of the brain and the six modifiable risk factors for preventing cognitive decline.
There are an estimated nearly 3 million people over the age of 55 who identify as LGBTQ+ and that number is expected to double by 2030. LGBTQ+ older adults often remain invisible and may not seek services due to fear of, and experiences with, discrimination. Join Robin McHaelen, a nationally known expert on LGTBQ+ people across the lifespan, for activities and an interactive discussion allowing you to experience some of what it is like to come out as well as insights into how municipalities can foster intentionally inclusive communities.
Afternoon Sessions
Daring Dialogues are community workshops designed to foster open and constructive communication. Christina Gray, Community Partnerships Manager at the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative, through sharing lived experience and guided facilitation will help you challenge assumptions about aging and disability and explore who our biases influence our thoughts and actions. This session is a sample of our full-length 2.5-hour workshop.
The Safety Circuit Rider Program at the T2 Center at the University of Connecticut, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s ADA Coordinating Engineers, provides education and training on ADA compliance to local agencies, including field audits using our ADA toolkit. Join us on a trip around the Green as an outside classroom using our toolkit for practical considerations, like how to inspect an ADA curb ramp and sidewalk conditions, and providing an opportunity for you to experience a small glimpse of the challenges faced by people with disabilities every day.
Municipal planning and zoning staff have been working over the last decade to create more sustainable, resilient communities through innovative planning and zoning techniques, many with the incidental impact of greater inclusivity. The Connecticut Age Well Collaborative is creating a set of planning and zoning guidelines to foster Connecticut municipalities toward more intentional aging, dementia and disability inclusivity. Join Emily Hultquist, Policy and Planning Consultant for the Connecticut Age Well Collaborative to learn about these guidelines and workshop ways in which they may fit into your community’s plans and regulatory frameworks.
Did you know that there are almost 3,000 churches and religious institutions in Connecticut? Churches provide valuable contributions to communities, in areas including direct economic contributions, social services, volunteering, education, and social support, as well as encouragement and hope to residents. However, many stakeholders are not sure how to partner with faith-based organizations. Pastors and leaders from thr Urban Alliance network (a network of 140 churches and faith-based organizations) will share lessons learned from their experiences collaborating with municipalities and community-based organizations. Best practices based on research will be shared and facilitated group discussion will offer an opportunity for participants to share experiences, express concerns and ask questions.
Continuing Education Credits
This event is the final event in our 2024 Age Well Academy series, with special recognition to be awarded to participants who join us at all four of our Age Well Academy events this year. This event is eligible for Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CMMO) credit with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. Additional opportunities for continuing education credits with other organizations are available for individual sessions and will be listed as they become available.
More to Explore
Download the Fact Sheet
Our printable fact sheet provides a quick, who-what-where introduction to AgeWellFest 2024. Download it, share it, and help us spread the word!
Connect with Us
"*" indicates required fields
