Social Connections and Healthy Aging: A Community-Engaged Research Project
Angie Perone, Professor
Social Welfare
Open. Apprentices needed for the fall semester. Enter your application online beginning August 21st. The deadline to apply is Monday, August 31st, 4pm.
Founded in 2018, Village Movement California (VMC) is a statewide coalition of 50+ villages: local networks that connect people over 50 to the community, support and resources they need to live independently with dignity, choice and belonging. VMC represents more than 10,000 older Californians.
Aging in America can be a lonely and isolating journey for many older adults. Social networks often diminish after retirement, leaving some older adults at risk for a cascade of negative health outcomes associated with loneliness and isolation: increased risk of dementia, heart disease, and depression, longer post-acute recovery times, decreased life satisfaction and premature death.
For most people, navigating the transitions of aging is uncharted territory, requiring much more than health care. Healthy aging also requires social care: access to resources, mutual aid, reciprocal connection, meaningful contributions and intergenerational community. At a time of receding safety nets and fragmenting systems, networks like villages rooted in relationship, shared values and mutual care are playing a critical role in fostering social cohesion and meeting the physical, emotional and social needs of older adults.
During the Fall (and potentially Spring) semesters, students will have an opportunity to learn about community-engaged research with community partner VMC as they assist in an outcomes evaluation and identify relevant literature relevant for the village model.
Role: Undergraduate students would have research learning opportunities in one or more of the following tasks:
* Collaborate with community partners and research team on program evaluation design
* Assist in community outreach and relationship / rapport building for community-engaged research
* Collect data through surveys, interviews, and/or focus groups
* Assist in data analysis
* Conduct literature reviews
* Assist in drafting research reports or other public-facing documents
Qualifications: * Interest in engaging in community outreach and comfort in communicating through multiple modes of communication (e.g., email, phone, zoom).
* Students interested in quantitative research must have strong statistical training and experience with survey data analysis
* Students interested in qualitative interviews / focus groups must have prior experience working with community organizations, volunteer experience, etc that shows interest and skills in empathy and community-building
* Excellent time management and ability to meet tight project deadlines
* Preferred Qualification: Interest in health equity and/or aging
NOTE: Students must be able to commit to a minimum of 6 to 8 hours per week (at least 2 academic units). This learning opportunity can also support students interested in 4 academic units per semester.
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: Project is fully remote.
Related website: https://villagemovementcalifornia.org
Related website: https://casas.berkeley.edu