In partnership with AARP NH and the Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging, the Center on Aging and Community Living (CACL) wrapped up the 2018 Senior Leadership Series on November 9, 2018. The Series is an educational program that provides support and training in advocacy and leadership skills for community members in New Hampshire. The program includes five full-day sessions where participants learn about topics such as community organizing, leadership development, and best practices in older adult advocacy issues. With over 115 applicants this past year, the Series accepted its largest class of 30 participants to date.
The Series has graduated 100+ alumni since its inception. In 2017, the Senior Leadership Alumni Network (SLAN) was launched with funding from the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and the Endowment for Health. SLAN focuses on developing a network of grassroots advocates on both a regional and state level to build a stronger advocacy base for older people in New Hampshire.
Over the past year, Alumni have actively engaged in aging issues in NH by attending two statewide educational opportunities, launching a regional collaboration in the Seacoast, and recruiting and planning the 2018 Senior Leadership Series.
The Center on Aging and Community Living (CACL) is a collaboration between the Institute on Disability (IOD) and the Institute for Health Policy and Practice (IHPP) at the University of New Hampshire. The CACL is a trusted university-based resource for applied research, evaluation, and technical assistance, which will improve knowledge, policies, and practices that guide New Hampshire citizens and policymakers in preparing for the aging of the population. A partnership between the IOD and IHPP, the two centers provide ongoing support in designing, implementing and evaluating systems change initiatives to the Division of Community Based Services, the Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services, the ServiceLink Resource Center Network and various other partners in the Aging Network. By maximizing available resources and providing assistance, CACL ensures that New Hampshire will benefit from an integrated center of applied research, evaluation, and training relevant to aging and community living.