We are designers, facilitators, strategists and community builders
The initiative
The Atlantic Philanthropies launched a six-year initiative in three dozen communities that sought to mobilize and integrate older adults in leading community improvement. They needed to change perceptions, change behaviors, and ultimately change the way older adults participate in and contribute to our communities.
The cohort
Thirty grantees in 36 communities in 18 states over the course of six years funded to engage older adults in diverse community change work. Project focus was broad and interdisciplinary, spanning early childhood education, immigrant community well-being, cross-generational connection, urban food networks, homelessness, health care and sustainable development.
The learning community
The learning group was conceived as a means for individual sites to plan and manage their work, and by the end of the six-year project, it had emerged as the glue that held the entire effort together. Members interacted regularly throughout the year through digital platforms and met in-person two or three times a year at a host site — enabling them to personally witness how one of their peers was engaging older adults.
Outcomes
Though the CEP initiative ended in 2013, the work of CEP participants to engage the skills and talents of older adults to improve their communities is ongoing. The multimillion dollar investment from The Atlantic Philanthropies has been matched two-to-one, and volunteer hours valued in the millions have been (and continue to be) logged. Thousands of older adults are leading efforts in their communities. Dozens of the original learning community members still meet regularly, and two-thirds have established their own local learning groups.
From learning group members
Community Experience Project (CEP)-4
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE PARTNERSHIP (CEP)
an initiative of The Atlantic Philanthropies
[Presenting our work as the host of a site visit] causes us to take more out of it than we otherwise would. We have to think, ‘What are our lessons learned? And what is this project about?’ We don’t always have this opportunity to figure out the lessons learned.
Community Experience Project (CEP)-2
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE PARTNERSHIP (CEP)
an initiative of The Atlantic Philanthropies
This completely shaped the way I do all of my work. I’ve learned so much professionally. I learned about the topic that I’m working on, but even beyond that. It’s expanded into my understanding of how to engage communities. It impacted the way I work with my colleagues at work…. It made me the person I am today.
Community Experience Project (CEP)-3
COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE PARTNERSHIP (CEP)
an initiative of The Atlantic Philanthropies
When we went to the site visit in Los Angeles, I thought, ‘Their project has nothing to do with mine. But someone’s paying, I should go, I’ve never been to L.A.’ Then [on the site visit], suddenly, I found myself taking notes, notes, notes. There’s so much that’s translatable to other projects.
