VAN Forum: Artificial Intelligence, Information, and Trust
How AI Can Help Us, and What to Watch For
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly part of everyday life, from online searches and email to healthcare tools, financial services, and news and social media platforms.
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Lana Medina, an award-winning journalist and a faculty member at the University of St. Thomas, will lead this exploration of how AI can make daily tasks easier and improve access to information.
The session will also discuss important things to be aware of, including AI-driven misinformation and disinformation, deepfakes, online scams, and how algorithms influence the information we see.
Participants will gain practical strategies for evaluating information and using AI tools thoughtfully.
Saturday, March 7
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Ramsey County Library - Roseville
Community Room
2180 North Hamline Ave
Roseville, MN 55113
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Voices from Our Community on Operation Metro Surge
The Vital Aging Network asked people to tell us about their experiences as Operation Metro Surge spread across Minnesota.
Older adults are patrolling schools, supporting vulnerable families, accompanying people to immigration court, donating their time and dollars, and sometimes being on the front lines to protect their family members and neighbors.
Read their stories, presented as they were shared with us. As some of the information is sensitive, we have used only their initials to credit the stories. The views expressed are solely those of the individual author and do not reflect the official position of the Vital Aging Network.
If you would like to share your experiences, email us at info@vital-aging-network.org.
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ICE agents and communityy members face each other in Minneapolis. Credit: Chad Davis. |
The fear in our community is visceral; I needed to act
I have been active and engaged in many ways over the course of my life. My formative years were in the 1960s and 70s when activism was abundant. The Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, Gay Rights, anti-Vietnam War, American Indian Movement and the Chicano Movement were all vibrant and thriving. Those times shaped my view that collectively we can make a difference to improve our world.
So, this year when I felt that threats to our democracy were gaining ground, I decided I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit around worrying and complaining. While ranting about it felt good, it didn’t feel like it was enough. I had to figure out ways to act. As immigration surges were growing around the country, I decided I could wait no longer. It was time.
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“We’re going to learn together!”
This Black History Month we're revisiting the Citizenship Schools of the Civil Rights movement and considering lessons they may have for today. Organizers understood that people needed knowledge and skills to exercise their rights.
| | This short video presents an interview with Bernice Robinson (1914-1994), a civil rights activist who attended workshops at Highlander Folk School in the 1950s. She became the first teacher in the Citizenship Schools. Click the image to view the video. | |
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Aging with Gusto
Join us for Aging with Gusto starting February 25 at Community Thread in Stillwater
Aging with Gusto is a series of facilitated discussions that strive to ignite more positive views of aging. Research shows that people with more positive views of aging live longer and healthier lives than those with less positive views.
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Aging with Gusto sessions:
- Encourage positive views of aging.
- Increase awareness of ageism and its impact on attitudes, behaviors, and experiences.
- Explore how to maintain well-being and manage challenges as we age.
- Develop ideas for how to “age with gusto.”
Three-part series:
Wednesday, February 25, March 4 and March 11
10:00 AM to 12 PM
Community Thread in Stillwater
2300 Orleans St. W.
Stillwater, MN 55082
Register by phone at 651-439-7434
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Wellness 50+ Oakdale
Craft Socials with Nicki Fischer
Sunday, March 8 | 1:30 - 3:30 pm.
Oakdale Discovery Center
Socialize and work on your crafts or see what others are doing. Refreshments will be served. Register by calling 651-747-3860.
Cultivating Wellness through Volunteerism
Tuesday, March 10 | 1:00-2:00 pm
Oakdale Discovery Center
Presented by Rachel Presslein, Community Threads Community Engagement Director. Refreshments will be provided and there is no commitment to volunteer. Register by calling 651-747-3860.
Find info about our regularly scheduled events on the Vital Aging Network calendar.
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Wellness 50+ Twin Cities participants snowshoeing at Lake Elmo Park February 3. We had a beautiful winter morning for a snowshoe hike near Eagle Point Lake. We enjoyed a bonfire, smores and hot chocolate after the hike.
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Wellness 50+ Twin Cities
Our March events are currently full. Learn more about the events and join a waitlist.
Spring Sowing for Pollinator Friendly Annuals
Tuesday, April 7 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Washington county Master Gardeners will present a hands-on class to educate and assist you in spring sowing pollinator friendly annual plant seeds, which provide food and habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. You will create a milk jug container to take home to grow and plant in your yard later. Potting soil, and seeds are provided.
Register on Meetup
Adopt a Road Clean up
Thursday, April 23 | 1 – 3 pm
In honor of Earth Day (April 22nd) we will have our first clean up session of our adopted section of a Washington county highway. We will walk the shoulder of Inwood Ave. and pick up litter and garbage. Safety vests and bags are provided by the county. Register on Meetup
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Good to Know
Click the title to learn more.
University of Minnesota
Retirees, older Minnesotans, and lifelong learners are invited to the fifth annual Age-Friendly University Day on June 8th, 2026. Acclaimed author of “Living Life Full Throttle”, Dr. Sheryl Ramstad, will be the keynote speaker. The day will be filled with opportunities to connect and learn something new. Featured breakout sessions on the future of inclusive home design, a jargon-free look at AI, and strategies for navigating change with equanimity.
IRS
If you get an email, text, letter or call that claims to be from the IRS — or if you see social media posts about how to get a big refund — it might be a scam or bad tax advice. Check out advice from the IRS on how to identify tax scams and how to report a scam.
Minnesota Women’s Press
A report from the American Immigration Council, based on 2023 data, estimated that close to 500,000 immigrants reside in Minnesota, representing 8.4 percent of the state’s population. This article provides an excellent overview of the immigrant population, their impact on the state and the historical patterns of immigration in the state. Interesting fact: “[In] the 1890s, 40 percent of the state’s population was foreign-born, compared to 11 percent of the U.S.’s total population.”
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Minnesota (OLLI) is a vibrant learning community for people aged 50+. OLLI offers hundreds of high-quality noncredit courses each year. OLLI’s spring term starts March 30.
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Help Sustain VAN's Work
Since 2001, the Vital Aging Network has been creating opportunities for older adults to gather and engage in the shared purpose of making our lives and our communities stronger and healthier.
Will you help put the Vital Aging Network on a path of strength for 2026?
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