PA Council on the Arts Unveils Free Digital Platform for Artists and Seniors| Roadsleeper.com
Harrisburg, PA Today, Karl Blischke, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), announced the launch of the Academy for Creative Aging, a free digital platform that offers a certificate of completion for teaching artists and on-demand video courses. grown ups.
Research shows that working with artists and doing creative work can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation in older adults. The Academy for Creative Aging, created by a group of industry experts, prepares creative professionals to understand and support the unique needs of the aging brain. The typical curriculum describes research in the field and evidence-based strategies through interactive modules.
“Supporting lifelong learning opportunities for residents across Pennsylvania is a top priority for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts,” said Blischke. “We are excited to launch this new platform so that PA teaching artists and adults have a flexible resource that supports their goals in terms of professional development and quality of life.”
Two tracks are available on the site. The Academy’s Professional Development School offers a module-based, certificate-based approach to strengthening qualifications and deepening the skills and understanding for teaching artists and professionals working with adults in creative fields. To earn the certificate, users must complete a series of online modules that include interactive videos, reading assignments, and resources. Each module ends with a structured assessment that uses prompts to stimulate critical thinking and reinforce content.
The Courses on Demand platform gives individuals and groups the opportunity to explore and enjoy the Academy’s full video catalog. Lessons on Demand is an alternative to the Academy certification track and aims to provide users with fun and stimulating creative tools, including videos of classical Indian dance, a self-portrait still life, theatrical storytelling, and the basics of jazz music. .
“We commend and support the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts on the development of the Academy for Creative Aging. This online platform will expand access and opportunities for more people and communities to participate in activities that benefit and improve lives. of seniors,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres. “The Department of Aging applauds the Council’s efforts to promote interdisciplinary education and encourage creative participation in the community environment that can produce positive physical and emotional health benefits for older adults. .”
“For years, we’ve used the arts as a way to bring adults together socially and recreationally, knowing that we’re fighting isolation, teaching lifelong learners new ways to express themselves, and expanding Our evidence-based practices are designed to improve health outcomes for the people we serve,” said Jason Kavulich, director of the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging. “This platform not only provides all of us with a stable list of various exciting online programs, but it also provides us with the necessary tools to train and support our local experts who work with Area Agencies on Aging to design evidence-based programs to deliver. in the communities we serve.”
The impetus for the development of the Academy for Creative Aging stemmed from PCA’s recognition of the critical need for consistent, professionally designed art teaching materials. Integrating the development of evidence-based geriatric training for teaching artists with accessible, video-based art courses to reach PA adults in support of the strategic goals of PCA and the PA Department of Aging (PDA).
Since 2015, PCA and PDA have worked together to develop the PA Creative Aging Initiative, based on the principle that aging programs support the healthy lives of Pennsylvania’s older adults by providing through the development of real skills in the arts, while developing opportunities for social engagement. PA higher institutions.
Pennsylvania has the fifth-oldest population in the nation with more than 3.3 million people age 60 and over and more than 2.4 million residents age 65 and older. PDA data estimates that by 2030, there will be more than 3.9 million Pennsylvanians age 60 and older.
ABOUT PCA: The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is a state agency under the Office of the Governor. PCA’s mission is to strengthen the cultural, educational and economic vitality of the Pennsylvania community through the arts. By leveraging the vast potential of Pennsylvania’s arts and culture sector, PCA supports jobs, builds community, fosters lifelong learning, promotes the Commonwealth nationally and internationally, and produces innovation. For more information about PCA, visit arts.pa.gov or call 717-787-6883. To explore the Academy for Creative Aging, visit academyforcreativeaging.org/.
DISCLAIMER WITH MEDIA: Norah Johnson, norajohnso@pa.gov
Jack Eilber, agingcomms@pa.gov
