Partners announces the launching of the City Leaders Institute on Aging in Place (CLI), a one-year, pilot program focused on making local-level changes to facilitate aging in place.
This program is funded by MetLife Foundation and implemented by Partners for Livable Communities (Partners).
As part of this program, five Civic Teams were invited to participate as part of the 2012-2013 class. Each team has identified a specific goal for the year-long program.
- Arlington County, Virginia, aims to create a walkable, livable, urban environment that enhances welcoming connections and eliminates barriers between and among places, and enables all people to work, live, play, and visit in Arlington.
- Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, Florida, aims to identify and develop a platform to educate older people, public officials, and the community-at-large about issues related to elderly pedestrians, drivers, mass transit users, and travelers.
- Montgomery County, Maryland, aims to develop and implement a nonprofit and faith-based summit to clarify the needs of affordable, alternative housing options for older adults.
- Phoenix, Arizona, aims to develop new and enhanced service delivery mechanisms to connect older adults with their peers and with the community, to provide relevant activities and services, and to leverage their talents.
- San Diego, California, aims to increase community health and wellness among youngsters and older adults in the City of La Mesa and the La Mesa Spring Valley School District by implementing an intergenerational Safe Routes to School program and other strategic plans focused on health and wellbeing in this community.
Two Kick Off workshops were held to assemble the full Civic Teams and mark the beginning of the program. The primary goal of each two-day workshops is to actively assist Civic Teams in creating a Road Map for Action, a working plan for keeping the momentum going throughout the year. To accomplish this goal, CLI provides each team with issue experts and a facilitator to assist them with brainstorming and planning. Following each workshop, Civic Teams have access to free resources to move their issue forward and build a constituency around their goals.
As part of the City Leaders Institute, Partners developed a Community Report Card to help civic leaders and citizens think about their community’s strengths and weaknesses in Aging in Place. The report card assesses 11 components and grades the community on how well it is doing in each component of agelessness.