Reflecting on 2021: Resources to Support Your Social Engagement Work in 2022
2021 was quite a year for engAGED! In 2021, we continued and expanded our work of supporting the Aging Network and other partner organizations as they develop programs that help consumers get and stay connected to their communities.
As your organization sets its 2022 goals, we want to share a few highlights of resources we developed in 2021 that can help you enhance, expand or implement social engagement programs in the new year.
Launched the engAGED Innovations Hub which includes more than 40 best practice examples of social engagement programs. Searchable by a variety of categories such as funding source and population served, the Innovations Hub can help you replicate and tailor social engagement programs to fit the needs of your community.
Released Tapping into Technology to Stay Connected and Engaged. Developed in partnership with the Eldercare Locator and Older Adults Technology Services, this customizable, consumer-friendly booklet that is available in English and Spanish, provides older adults with information on technology options and resources they can use to connect with social engagement activities.
Published a Data Brief that highlights key findings, ideas for social engagement interventions and unique partnerships that we learned from an engAGED poll that captures how the Aging Network and community partners continued offering social engagement opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Updated a volunteer fact sheet focused on the benefits of volunteering for both communities and the volunteers. We added information on how older adults can continue to safely volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosted a Virtual Summit that brought together more than 600 national, state and local leaders from the Aging Network. The Virtual Summit featured creative solutions for addressing social isolation to spur ideas for replication at the local level and spotlighted national resources and initiatives to support social engagement efforts.
Held 11 webinars, released 12 newsletters, published 14 blog posts and conducted five Office Hour calls to offer connection to social engagement best practices, resources, research and tools.
In 2022, we are continuing to develop new resources and connect you to best practices to assist with your social engagement work. Let us know what resources, tools or topics may be most useful for you organization!