AGE to age launches in Silver Bay and Ely

Community-driven process links youth and older adults to benefit all ages

It's official: Silver Bay – and soon Ely – are coming together as communities to create new pathways to connect young people, seniors, and the ages-in-between.

On November 1st in Silver Bay, 36 local people of all ages attended the AGE to age kick-off meeting to start their team building process. Ely’s first community meeting will be held December 1st at the Grand Ely Lodge. The Northland Foundation is also working with Hibbing to see if residents want to launch AGE to age in 2017.

“The Northland Foundation is so pleased to have more communities that want to join the AGE to age movement, and tap the talents of their younger and older people,” stated Lynn Haglin, Northland Foundation’s Vice President/KIDS PLUS Director.

AGE to age began in 2008 within the Northland Foundation’s KIDS PLUS family of programs. Each site is driven by and for local residents, to intentionally link adults ages 55+ with young people to build friendships, share their talents and skills, and work together on activities and projects.

SILVER BAY SESSIONS
Dates are tentative pending community input.

Speak-Out
November 28, 2016
Visioning & Action Plan December 13, 2016
Action Planning contd.
January 5, 2017
Project Implementation
January 24, 2017

The 13 AGE to age sites already established are: Aitkin, Bois Forte Reservation, Chisholm, Cloquet, Floodwood, Fond du Lac Reservation, Grand Portage Reservation, International Falls, Itasca Area, McGregor, Moose Lake, Proctor, and Two Harbors.

Silver Bay and Ely will become part of this regional learning community, with regular opportunities for peer learning and information-sharing across all the sites.

To launch AGE to age, the Northland Foundation facilitates local residents in a series of organizing sessions, including a fun Speak-Out where people from the different generations share stories about growing up in the community. Residents create an action team to help guide their AGE to age efforts, write a vision statement, as well as brainstorm and plan potential projects such as community gardens, walking groups, game nights, or beautifying a local park. The Northland Foundation provides funding to implement early projects.

ELY SESSIONS
Additional dates will be set after the first meeting.

Ely Kick-off Meeting
December 1, 2016
5:00-7:30 p.m.
Grand Ely Lodge

The expansion of AGE to age is supported with a Community Innovation Grant from the Bush Foundation, helping communities address local needs in innovative ways.

“The new sites can look forward to great things, as their young people and older adults get to know each other and combine their strengths,” said Lynn Haglin.