NGA Center for Best Practices

The percentage of the U.S. population that is 65 years of age and older is expected to increase by nearly 60 percent during the next four decades. This demographic shift will have important implications for state action, including helping to ensure older adults remain healthy and active as they age.

View the full Isuue Brief PDF

Improving the Civic Engagement of Seniors Initiative is a multi-year NGA Center for Best Practices project supported by Atlantic Philanthropies to help increase civic engagement among seniors by capitalizing on the leadership of state governors. The goal of the initiative is to improve the health and lives of older Americans by substantially increasing the proportion of seniors who participate in employment, education and training, or meaningful volunteer activities.

The initiative will help governors and states recognize such outcomes as:

Develop a greater understanding of the benefits of civic engagement for seniors and implement plans through executive action to address needs and opportunities;
Refine state employment and pension systems to create opportunities such as job-sharing, flexible scheduling and part-time work to encourage the continued employment of seniors; and
Create or expand programs to promote and facilitate employment and volunteering.

Components of the Civic Engagement of Seniors Initiative include:

A Policy Academy for up to eight states;
Peer-to-Peer meetings for promising Policy Academy state teams to become mentors to additional states;
Web conferences to provide assistance and information to states;
Reports and policy briefs; and
Customized technical assistance.

Fact Sheets:

Additional Resources:

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