Getting Started with Creative Aging
New to creative aging or looking to engage additional collaborators? Our overview seminars and introductory trainings are valuable for aligning key decision-makers, program staff, teaching artists, and community partners.
Foundations Courses + Seminars
Creative Aging: Enhancing the Lives of Older Adults
One-hour seminar open to all (virtual + in-person)
CREATIVE AGING:
A TOOL FOR UNDOING AGEISM
90-minute workshop open to all (virtual + in-person)
Learn evidence-based creative aging practices that benefit older adults and create more age-friendly organizations and communities.
This overview seminar provides a dynamic history and background of creative aging, diverse areas of practice, and the cross-sector nature of the field, so participants can take initial steps to envision opportunities for creative aging in their own work. Content can be customized for a general audience or specific groups like board members, organizational staff, teaching artists, and partners. Up to 100 attendees are permitted.
Recommended Next Step: Creative Aging Foundations Training
Learn how ageism affects program design and delivery and how creative aging can combat ageism in your institution.
In this workshop, participants will reflect on their age biases, learn about fostering multi-generational connections, and envision how creative aging can make institutions more age-friendly. Post-seminar, participants also will receive suggested reflection and conversation prompts along with a compilation of relevant resources for continued learning. The content can be customized for a general audience or specific groups, like front-of-house staff at a museum. A 60-minute training session is also available. Please see our pricing list for more information. Up to 100 attendees are permitted.
Recommended Next Step: Creative Aging Foundations Training
CREATIVE AGING FOUNDATIONS TRAINING FOR TEACHING ARTISTS
6-hour interactive course (virtual + in-person)
CREATIVE AGING FOUNDATIONS TRAINING FOR ORGANIZATIONS
6-hour interactive course (virtual + in-person)
Teaching artists will learn how to design, develop, and implement effective, inclusive, and responsive creative aging programs in diverse settings.
Participants gain best practices in adult learning, anti-ageist program design, and strategies for fostering age-friendly and socially connected environments. The training integrates specific case stories, facilitates small group dialogue, and includes a live demonstration class with a Lifetime Arts expert artist trainer. Delivered in one day as an in-person session or over three 2-hour sequential classes online. Participants gain access to a customized online portal with course materials, templates, and other resources. Foundations can be customized for a specific artistic-discipline and/or sector.
Recommended Next Step: Curriculum Coaching or Curriculum Development Training
Organizations and government agencies will learn how to launch creative aging programming and engage necessary stakeholders to support its success.
Participants will learn practical skills to collaborate with older adults and teaching artists effectively, evaluate and document outcomes, and grow local and state partnerships to sustain the work. Sector-specific case stories, small group dialogue, and a live demonstration class with a Lifetime Arts expert artist trainer will be included. Delivered in one day as an in-person session or over three 2-hour sequential classes online. Participants gain access to a customized online portal with course materials, templates, and other resources. Foundations can be customized for your group and sector.
Recommended Next Step: Program Development and/or Vision Coaching
Take Your Training into Action
Creative aging programs are more sustainable and have a higher rate of success when the folks involved have had the opportunity to take their training into action with the support of one of our expert coaches. Organizational leadership is responsible for arranging cohorts of their staff and/or partnering teaching artists to attend the following coaching and training services.
Important note: The three coaching services below include the total duration of time you’ll engage with our expert coaches. The duration and pricing on the services pricing list document includes the additional prep and planning time needed from our coaches.
Vision
Coaching
30-MIN INTRO CONSULTATION FOR LEAD PROGRAM STAFF
Prerequisite: Enhancing the Lives of Older Adults Seminar and/or Creative Aging Foundations Training
Need support on getting creative aging programs started at your organization or in your state or local community? A vision coaching session, or two, will help you and your team envision creative aging programming that best aligns with your goals, older adults’ interests, and available resources.
Program Development Coaching
30-MIN SESSIONS FOR STAFF ADMINISTERING PROGRAMS
Prerequisite: Creative Aging Foundations Training for Organizations
Get customized feedback and advice on how to effectively develop and implement your creative aging programs. Whether you are booking one session or a series, our coaches will meet you where you’re at to review your plan. Session topics can include community assessment, strategies for identifying and hiring teaching artists, program design and implementation, and more. Available in small groups or one-one-one sessions with review of pre-work.
ONE-ON-ONE Curriculum Coaching
20-MIN SESSION FOR TEACHING ARTISTS
Prerequisite: Creative Aging Foundations Training for Teaching Artists
Teaching artists will receive customized feedback on their creative aging curricula. This is a great opportunity for teaching artists to ask questions about their lesson plan, facilitation strategies, and approaches to setting up remote or in person learning environments to effectively and inclusively engage all older adult learners.
Curriculum Development
Training Course
6-HOUR INTERACTIVE COURSE FOR TEACHING ARTISTS (VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON)
Prerequisite: Creative Aging Foundations Training for Teaching Artists
A six hour, sequential course designed to help your teaching artists build a creative aging curriculum that is effective and inclusive. Ideal for a cohort of teaching artist who want to build on their Creative Aging Foundations experience to gain additional support in designing a curriculum for older adults. Designed for up to 25 participants, the course can be delivered in-person on one day or virtually in three sequential two-hour classes.
NEW TRAINING COURSE!
Inclusive by Design: Engaging all Older Adult Learners
6-HOUR INTERACTIVE COURSE FOR TEACHING ARTISTS (VIRTUAL & IN-PERSON)
Prerequisite: Creative Aging Foundations Training for Teaching Artists
This training provides a deeper dive into effective methods and practical tools for creative aging teaching artists to serve diverse learning styles and older adults with different physical and cognitive abilities, both visible and invisible. Participants will examine how ageism and ableism impact program delivery and gain expert knowledge of accessibility best practices. They will also practice applying universal design principles to their curricular plans to minimize learning barriers and utilize artform-specific adaptive tools to design fully inclusive programs. Designed for up to 25 participants, the course can be delivered in-person on one day or virtually in three sequential two-hour classes.
Image crediting: The artwork featured in the cover images above were created by creative aging program participants.
