Gerontology Institute Annual Conference

Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies

Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Annual Conference

Creativity and Aging: Exploring Community Initiatives

Thursday, October 1, 2009
8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Emerson Suites, Phillips Hall, Ithaca College

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

Leaders in the aging field use the term productive aging to celebrate older adults’ capabilities, potential, and social, economic, and creative contributions. Research is showing that people continue to develop and learn throughout the lifespan, and specifically that participation in the arts has positive health and wellness outcomes for older adults.

With the growing number of people age 65 and older, now is the time for aging and arts programs to collaborate in the development of programming which embeds the arts in the lives of older adults and the communities in which they live.

The purpose of the conference is to:

• Present research which shows that active participation in the arts and learning promotes physical health and enhances a sense of well being among older adults;
• Provide an overview of the opportunities for arts organizations and aging services to collaborate on involving older adults in both the development of, and participation in, arts
  programming;
• Highlight best practices and provide the tools needed to build organizational capacity to meet the arts interests of the nations fastest growing demographic group;
• Provide information on program funding and program assessment.

Who should attend? Representatives from:

• Arts Organizations;
• Adult Homes;
• Senior Centers;
• Parks & Recreation;
• Museums;
• Libraries;
• Higher Education;
• Assisted Living;
• Aging Service Organizations;
• Long-Term Care Facilities;
• Economic Development;
• And of course individual artists and others interested in arts and aging.

Sponsors:

• Linden Center for Creativity and Aging
• National Center for Creative Aging
• Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center UNY
• National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts

Thanks to our generous sponsors, conference participants will receive a copy of Creativity Matters: The Arts and Aging Toolkit, a first-of-its-kind resource for arts, healthcare, and aging services organizations.