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Civic Engagement in an Older America E-Newsletter February, 2008 CONTENTS •Presidential Candidates and Civic Engagement • Obama Unveils Plan for Universal Voluntary Public Service • Perspectives on Productive Aging • A Golden Opportunity: Recruiting Baby Boomers into Government • Civic Engagement Paper Awards ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Presidential Candidates and Civic Engagement
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations—a coalition
of 53 national nonprofit organizations concerned with the well-being
of America's older population—contacted the campaigns of all
the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates asking them
to respond to a set of questions on critical aging issues facing
the nation, including a question about civic engagement. As of February,
responses have been received from Democratic candidates Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton. Click here
to read the candidates' views on the issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Obama Unveils Plan for Universal Voluntary Public Service
In a speech in Mt. Vernon, Iowa on December 5 2007, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama detailed his commitment to making national service an important cause of his presidency if elected. Included in Senator Obama's plan to help all Americans serve their country are proposals to: engage retiring Americans in service on a large scale by expanding and improving Senior Corps, VISTA, and other programs that connect individuals over the age of 55 to volunteer opportunities; build a national online network, modeled on Craigslist, to connect volunteers to service and donation opportunities; and, to create a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for Americans willing to complete 100 hours of public service a year. More detail can be found in Barack Obama's Plan for Universal Voluntary Public Service and on his campaign website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In an effort to unite Americans of all backgrounds in a common
cause to help address many unmet social needs, several leaders in
the national service field have put forth a bold proposal to engage
a million Americans in service. Titled "A Call to National
Service," the proposal details a new financing mechanism, the
"National Service American Dream Account", and urges the
next President and the 111th Congress to work together to expand
voluntary national public service. The proposal can be read here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two new reports from the Renaissance 50plus project in Canada that
looked at novel ways to engage baby boomer volunteers uncovered
a number of trends in the hard-to-engage boomer demographic. Among
the trends: "virtual volunteering," which connects the
volunteer to the person they mentor via web cam and "volunteer
speed dating," which gives potential recruits the chance to
meet with several agencies in the time it takes to drink a cup of
coffee. The reports, which include findings from focus groups and
a survey of 55-plus volunteers, as well as a review of studies from
all over the world, can be downloaded here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Perspectives on Productive Aging
The Urban Institute's Retirement Project has released three new
briefs focused on engagement activities among adults age 55 and
older: "Will Retiring Boomers Form a New Army of Volunteers?",
"Retaining Older Volunteers Is Key to Meeting Future Volunteer
Needs", and "Are We Taking Full Advantage of Older Adults'
Potential?" The entire series of data and policy briefs can
be found here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Golden Opportunity: Recruiting Baby Boomers into Government
The Partnership for Public Service, a national initiative that seeks to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve, has released the results of a research project designed to assess the feasibility of attracting larger numbers of older, experienced workers into the federal government. Their findings suggest that the government has a golden opportunity to attract talented, experienced workers to federal service, but that agencies must take action to more effectively appeal to this cohort. Read the full report here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Civic Ventures Purpose Prize provides five $100,000 and ten $10,000 awards to U.S. residents over 60 who are creating innovative solutions to address society's most pressing problems-domestically and abroad. Now's the time to nominate someone you know over 60 who is changing the world! Civic Ventures is accepting nominations, including self-nominations, at www.PurposePrize.org until March 1st. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GSA's Civic Engagement in an Older America project offers 2 cash awards to recognize outstanding papers on the topic of older adult civic engagement. The Initiative will award $500 to one paper from a student or junior scholar. (Eligibility for being considered a "junior scholar" is that the individual should be no more than five years post-doctorate on September 10, 2008). The Initiative will also award $1000 to one paper from a senior scholar. Criteria for selection are that the paper focuses on an aspect of civic engagement and explores questions related to federal, state or local policy initiatives that maximize involvement of older adults in meaningful, productive civic roles, including work, caregiving, and volunteering. Papers must be methodologically sound and of publishable quality. Persons who wish their abstracts to be considered for this award should check the appropriate box in the Call for Papers for the 2008 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting. Finalists will be selected from among the abstracts accepted for presentation at the meeting and are requested to submit an article-length manuscript for final judging by September 1, 2008. The author(s) must present the work during the 2008 GSA Annual Meeting, which will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. For further information, please email Greg O'Neill at goneill@agingsociety.org. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The CE-Newsletter is the E-Newsletter of GSA’s Civic Engagement
in an Older America Project. The "Civic Engagement in an Older
America" project is supported If you have been forwarded this by a colleague and would like
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