Heritage Fund – the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and Senior Center Services will present the results of The Civic Boom! study on Thursday, August 30^th from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m at YES Cinema in the Commons Mall. The partners encourage everyone to attend. The presentation will be of special interest to people involved in human resources, not-for-profit organizations, continuing education, or individuals over the age of 50.

The first phase of The Civic Boom! research project was designed to study the local environment to identify the needs and opportunities for experienced adults to remain actively engaged in community life, and the interests and motivations of experienced adults to continue contributing to their communities through employment, civic engagement, and lifelong learning. While the target age range for the assessment was adults 55 – 65, the study engaged those aged 50 – 55 in envisioning their future and those over 65 in reflecting on their experience. Information was also gathered from Bartholomew County employers, not-for-profit organizations and education leaders.

The Civic Boom! study identified barriers to the continued involvement of experienced adults in each of the three areas of study; employment, civic engagement and lifelong learning.  Heritage Fund and the Senior Center believe the presentation will help the community consider ways of removing barriers and perceptions regarding ageing and to contemplate ways to fully utilize the resources offered by experienced adults.

The Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce has joined The Civic Boom! partnership to aid in the continued development of the project. Phase Two, Retooling the Workplace to Retain and Attract 50+ Workers has been designed to gather additional information from small and mid size businesses regarding workers over the age of 60. If you are the owner or human resource manager of a small or mid-size company please visit the Heritage Fund website www.heritagefundbc.com to complete the on-line survey.