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Growing Older in Nebraska
September 2008 Humanities Council seeks proposals for new initiative
"I remember there was heartache in the act, for yonder was the funeral pyre of my youth and all the dreams that were too big for doing. But there was triumph too; for I knew that I was growing, and endings now were all beginnings."
– John G. Neihardt, All Is But a Beginning
According to Mary Yager, NHC senior program officer, the program emphasis could not be more timely. “Earlier this month, AARP celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission made zoning changes for retirement homes, and the Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center announced that the health-care workforce is aging and will need to be replaced, possibly at the rate of three for every two people retiring, due to lifestyle differences of younger generations.”
“Growing Older in Nebraska” is part of a multi-year initiative exploring demographic changes that have impact in the state. Previous focus on new immigrant populations and the population shift from rural to urban and suburban communities both continues and complements issues of aging.
Nebraska is aging.
Projections also indicate the percentage of children and teenagers will remain steady, which means there will be a corresponding decrease in the percentage of 20- to 64-yearolds. This age group represents our most active citizens, decision-makers, volunteers and caregivers.
What will this shift mean to Nebraska? How will we continue to support, strengthen, and revitalize our communities and all their citizens?
Nebraskans want to age in place.
Many Nebraskans are not aware of the services currently available to help them age in their hometowns. Opportunities to age in place help keep revenue in local communities.
Both young people and people at mid-life are reluctant to think about and address issues of aging. Much of our culture discourages us from thinking about the positive aspects of growing older—wisdom, dependability, and empathy, to name a few. Seniors can feel stranded, isolated, and disconnected from the community in both rural and urban areas.
What will be the role of our aging citizens? Will Nebraska be a state of elders—those having authority by virtue of age and experience, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary—or of the simply elderly?
Grant policies
The Nebraska Humanities Council is making grants available for the purpose of better responding to the challenges and opportunities of aging through public programs involving the humanities.
NHC will give priority to grant applications that address a variety of issues, including encouraging intergenerational community conversations about issues relegated to aging, developing public understanding that aging is a lifelong process, connecting elders and youngsters, and educating community planners about the physical needs of aging, what elders want, and how communities can respond.
Then NHC funds public programs such as lectures, conferences, exhibits, workshops, films, reading and discussion programs, and humanities-focused seminars for professionals that will have significant public impact.
Humanities disciplines include history and the social sciences, literature and languages, philosophy, ethics and jurisprudence, and religious and artistic traditions. Non-profit organizations including, but not limited to, libraries, community centers, local governments and agencies, senior centers, and schools are invited to submit proposals for humanities events and projects under the new program emphasis.
Proposals will be strengthened by:
Application deadlines
Major Grants: March 1 and Aug. 1 Mini Grants ($1,500 ceiling): Jan. 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, Sept. 1, Nov. 1 Media, Website and Digital Grants: Jan. 15 and June 15
Grant policies and applications are available on this website. Click here. The NHC encourages interested non-profit organizations to contact Senior Program Officer Mary Yager for advice as they develop a proposal. An organization that is submitting its first proposal to the NHC is urged to consult with Mary early in its proposal planning. She can be reached at mary@nebraskahumanities.org or 402-474-2131 ext. 103.
Resources are available to help you plan your project. Please ask the council for the following, or consult the NHC website:
For grant policies and applications, click here. The NHC encourages interested non-profit organizations to contact an NHC program officer for advice as you develop your proposal. Organizations submitting their first proposal to the NHC are urged to consult with NHC staff early in planning. Contact them at 402-474-2131.
The following scholars will serve as consultants for potential grantees in the "Growing Older in Nebraska" initiative. Their areas of expertise are listed below. Nancy Kelley-Gillespie, assistant professor of social work, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 402-554-4886, nkelleygillespi@unomaha.edu
Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, director, School of Communication, University of Nebraska at Omaha, 402-554-2600, jlipschultz@mail.unomaha.edu
Jordan Soliz, assistant professor of communication studies, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 402-472-8326, jsoliz2@unl.edu
"Aging Parents, Aging Children: How to Stay Sane and Survive," by Miriam K. Aronson and Marcella Bakur Weiner
"All Is But A Beginning: Youth Remembered,
1881-1901," by John G. Neihardt with introduction by Dick Cavett
"Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders," by Mary Pipher
"The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's," by David Hyde Pierce
"Mass Media, an Aging Population and the Baby Boomers," by M.L. Hilt and J.H. Lipschultz
"The
36 Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with
Alzheimer's Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Late
Life," by
Nancy Mace and Peter V. Rabins
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“Native American Values for the 21st Century,” by Wynema Morris
“Women and Aging: A Celebration,” by Ruth Raymond Thone
“The Beauty Myth: Women, Weight and Appearances,” by Ruth Raymond Thone
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"The Alzheimer's Project," an HBO documentary, http://www.hbo.com/alzheimers/
"And Thou Shalt Honor," PBS, http://www.pbs.org/thoushalthonor/
“Code Gray: Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing,” 26 minutes, documents health-care providers in the process of difficult decision-making
“Death and Dying: A Conversation With Elisabeth Kubler-Ross,” 29 minutes, renowned psychiatrist and author Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discusses her work and philosophy on death
“Freckled Rice,” 48 minutes, study in cross-cultural adolescence explores the relationships of 13-year-ol Joe Soo and three generations of his friends and family
“Made in China: A Search for Roots,” 30 minutes, follows a Chinese-American woman to China, where she goes to live with an aunt and uncle who are unaccustomed to independent young women
"Morrie Schwartz: Lessons on Living," interview with Ted Koppel of ABC's "Nightline"
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The
Nebraska Humanities Council has announced a new program emphasis,
“Growing Older in Nebraska,” which explores the continued aging of
Nebraska’s population despite the influx of young immigrant and
refugee families and the baby-boom ripple effect.
The
percentage of Nebraskans who are 65 or older is growing. In 2000,
those 65 and older made up 13 percent of the population. Projections
call for this number to increase to 21 percent of the population by
2030.
Surveys
show that Nebraskans want to age in place—we want to stay in our
homes and communities. Studies also show that a lack of medical,
preventive health, and transportation services, especially in rural
areas, makes this difficult.Phone 402-474-2131 or e-mail nhc@nebraskahumanities.org |
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