January 2021
IN THIS ISSUE

Invitation to the Second MEET & GREET with Network members!  
Webinars to view at your leisure
Greetings!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I think we are all expecting a better 2021, even though waiting for the pandemic to subside is still hard.
 
I am excited today to announce a second Meet & Greet! Since the first event went so well, we are planning a second one. This time, as promised, we will hold the meeting at a time convenient to participants in the Asia-Pacific region. Of course, everyone is always welcome and the time should work for the Western Hemisphere as well. Please see below for how to sign up and join us for this exciting opportunity.  
Second Chance--Opportunity to Meet, Greet and Discuss Common Responses to the Pandemic on 1/19/2021 at 6:00 pm EST (it will be January 20 for some of you).
Please plan to join us for a Zoom Meet & Greet! Attendees will be invited to participate in 2 small groups of 3 people in breakout rooms for two 15-minute sessions so that people get to meet more than one or two others.

The plan is to get to know other members and discuss two topics:
  1. What do we know/need to know about older worker prospects in the wake of COVID-19?
  2. Do you have work that might suggest themes for a GSA preconference next year? What would be the titles for presentations with these themes?

We plan to have more of these types of events. The second chance to participate is January 19 at 6:00 pm EST. You can register for the event here. This timeframe will allow Asia Pacific members, as well as all other members, to participate.

Attendees will be led through the process of writing their ideas on a virtual whiteboard. At the end of the event, the whiteboard will contain two murals, one for each discussion area that we can then post in the Network newsletter and on our website. We can use these ideas to develop a theme, send out a call for papers, and start a proposal for a preconference at next year’s GSA conference (deadline, March 11, 2021). Here's what we learned from the first Meet & Greet.

What do you think? We would love to find new and better ways to connect during these days of isolation and travel restrictions!
Equity, Justice, and Inclusion for Older Workers: Recommendations and Solutions:
Two Webinars from and for Network Members 
I hope all of you have participated in the two webinars produced by Network members in conjunction with GSA. These webinars, produced as part of our Equity, Justice, & Inclusion for Older Workers Series, were excellent and can be viewed on YouTube along with PDFs of slides and handouts.

Part I: Enhancing Economic Security for Older Low-Wage Workers, Mary Gatta, PhD, author of Waiting on Retirement: Aging and Economic Security in Low-Wage Work, offers new and different perspectives on the changing context of aging and work. (9/30/20)


Part II: Systems of Inequality Affecting Older Workers features three perspectives, including the situation for adult learners, older adult peer mental health specialists, and older adult long-term care facility workers. (10/29/20)

  • Identifying Malleable Barriers to Engage Underserved Minority Middle-Aged and Older Adult Learners in Adult Educational Opportunities. Presenters: Nytasia Hicks, MSW; Phyllis A. Cummins, PhD; and Takashi Yamashita, PhD

  • Older Adult Peer Specialists’ Role in Offsetting the Impact of Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Presenters: Mbita Mbao, LICSW; and Karen L. Fortuna, PhD, LICSW

  • Microlearning for Low-Wage Workers in Nursing Homes. Presenters: Jennifer Craft Morgan, PhD; and Elisabeth O. Burgess, PhD, FGSA

Please remember—this is your Network. I welcome any, and all, suggestions for making it useful to you in your work!

With best regards,
Jackie

Jacquelyn James
Director, Sloan Research Network on Aging & Work
Boston College 
 
Network Steering Committee: Cal Halvorsen, Kendra Jason, Ruth Kanfer, Christina Matz-Costa, Phyllis Moen, Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, Sara Rix, Harvey Sterns, Philip Taylor, Johanna Thunell