How we view aging impacts how we invest and how we make policy. We have challenges to tackle and ageism gets in the way. We need a shared, realistic view of aging to create solutions that serve us all.
Aging is a rich and varied experience, but one that unites us—once we get past ageism. We have an opportunity to build age-inclusive and age-friendly systems in our organizations and communities. This is not just possible—it’s happening right now.
For Ageism Awareness Day 2025, we at ASA want to elevate the work being done to build belonging and widen the circle of people collaborating to dismantle ageism. Aging looks different for everyone, and this is why belonging is crucial. When some voices are missing from conversations about aging, solutions fail to reflect reality and fall short.
Collaboration is not optional. We waste energy when we work in silos and when we don’t include stakeholders from across the community. We need to bring everyone into the circle, creating environments where people of all ages and backgrounds have a sense of belonging.
In the current reality of rapidly shifting resources, it is even more crucial that we forge new partnerships and widen our networks. An older population is not just our future; it is now. How we approach this new reality—and how we counter ageism—will shape how well we live now and for generations to come.
Join us for a lively panel discussion on Ageism Awareness Day, Oct. 9, to hear what leaders in the field are doing—and what we can all do next to create a world where age-inclusion is the norm.
See full panel description below.
Keys to Age-Inclusion: Collaboration & Belonging
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 12 PM Pacific | 3 PM Eastern
How we view aging affects how we invest in our communities and make policy, which means we need to hold a more realistic view of what aging looks like across varied life experiences. In this practical discussion about solutions to ageism, we highlight how we can collaborate across sectors and broaden our understanding of aging to encompass the diverse realities of growing older in America.
Age-inclusion is the best way forward, and the best way to move beyond ageism is via belonging and collaboration. In an era of rapidly shifting resources and changing demographics, we must forge new partnerships and widen our networks. We have to build something better.
Join our panelists to learn how we might build age-friendly systems through their experiences collaborating and building services that work for all.
Participants will:
- Hear from thought leaders working on cross-sector collaboration and implementing inclusion initiatives.
- Reflect on the possibilities for age-inclusive systems.
- Learn about resources and tips for addressing ageism.
- Join the conversation about where the age-friendly movement is heading.
Presenters:
- Megan Wolfe, JD, senior policy development manager, Trust for America’s Health
- Jess Maurer, executive director, Maine Council on Aging
- Laura Poskin, executive director, Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh
- Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN, professor | Karen & Ronald Herrmann Distinguished Chair in Caregiving Research & Fellow, Betty Irene Moore Fellowship Program for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, UT Austin
- Emily Greenfield, PhD, GSA, professor | director of the Hub for Aging Collaboration, Rutgers School of Social Work
Moderated by Patrice L. Dickerson, ASA senior equity strategy director
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Sabrina Bracher
