Civic Engagement and the Elderly Imani N. Byers November 25, 2014

What Will We Cover… What is Civic

Engagement? How Does it

benefit the Elderly?

Who is more involved?

What are the opportunities/initiative in place?

What is Civic Engagement? • “Ways in which citizens participate

in the life of a community in order to improve conditions for others or to help shape the community’s future”

• Usually refers to younger people

• Why are there not a lot of elderly involved in civic engagement? What’s the hold up?

Video Clip Apply Here: Utilizing the Time and Talents of Older Adults

(YouTube Video)

• Benefits for the Elderly • Benefits for the Community

What’s the Benefit of Civic Engagement?

Who is More Involved? In actuality, those who are

immigrants are more involved in civic activities than native born Americans.

Those with higher SES have higher instances to become involved in civic duties

What makes you more likely to become involved?

What are the Opportunities? • Federal legislation • Civic Engagement in

an Older America • American Society on

Aging’s Civic Engagement Program

• Civic Ventures • Urban Institutes

Retirement Project • Troops to Teachers: A

Model Pathway to a Second Tour of Duty

References  •AARP. (December 2012). Civic Engagement Among Mid-Life and Older Adults. Retrieved from http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/general/2012/Civic-Engagement-Among-Mid-Life-and-Older-Adults-Findings-from-the-2012-Survey-on-Civic-Engagement-AARP.pdf•Adler, R. P., & Goggin, J. (July 2005). What do we mean by "Civic Engagement"? Journal of Transformative Education, 3(3), 236-253. doi:10.1177/1541344605276792•Cullinane, P. (2006, December). Late-life civic engagement enhances health for individuals and communities. The Journal on Active Aging. Retrieved from http://www.civicventures.org/news/pdfs/Civic_engagement.pdf•Foster-Bey, J. (2008, December). Do Race, Ethnicity, Citizenship and Socio-economic Status Determine Civic Engagement? Retrieved from http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP62_Foster.Bey.pdf•Mercola, M. (2013, MAy 30). Retirment could be bad for your health. Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/30/retirement.aspx•National Academy on an Aging Society. (2005). Civic Engagement in an Older America. Retrieved from http://www.agingsociety.org/agingsociety/Civic%20Engagement/about_civic_engagement.htm•Vincent, G. K., & Velkoff, V. A. (May 2010). The Older Population in the US : 2010 to 2050 Population Estimates and Projections. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2010pubs/p25-1138.pdf