Oct 18: Enhancing the Resilience of Seniors In Your Community

Enhancing the Resilience of Seniors in Your Community
Wednesday, October 18th, 2017 – 12:00 -1:15 PM EDT

1.25 AICP CM credits pending

This webinar will focus on the safety and well-being of seniors within the context of climate change. Using a collaborative adaptation project in Bridgeport, Connecticut as a case study, the presentation will describe seniors’ unique vulnerability to climate change and will share specific recommendations to enhance their resilience.

Additionally, the presentation will discuss the participatory process itself to illustrate an approach for engaging seniors and other vulnerable groups directly in adaptation planning. As part of the presentation, these issues will be considered through a municipal lens with an eye toward safeguarding seniors and other vulnerable groups within the context of city wide emergency preparedness efforts. Throughout, the presentation will balance site-specific insights with broadly applicable frameworks and will illustrate how considerations and techniques may be adapted to differing contexts.

Participants will leave the webinar with:

An understanding of the key factors contributing to seniors’ vulnerability;
Specific recommendations for enhancing seniors’ resilience;
A structured process for engaging seniors and other vulnerable groups in participatory adaptation planning;
An awareness of considerations when integrating efforts aimed at safeguarding seniors within the context of broader municipal emergency preparedness efforts;
Insight into how and why to develop municipality-university collaborations to protect seniors and other vulnerable groups.

Presenter: Jason Rhoades, Ph.D.,

Researcher, Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience; International Service Program Director and Faculty, AUNE

As a researcher with the Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience, Jason Rhoades’ work focuses on providing meaningful opportunities for marginalized groups to engage in participatory planning and decision-making. In particular, he facilitates and studies collaborative climate change adaptation planning projects with vulnerable populations. Most recently he completed a participatory adaptation planning project with the senior citizen community of Bridgeport, Connecticut. In addition to his work with the Center, Jason serves on the faculty in the Environmental Studies and Management Departments and directs the International Service Program at Antioch University New England. Jason earned his PhD in Environmental Studies at AUNE in 2016. Prior to joining AUNE, he held a variety of positions in the environmental field including serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Armenia.
Presenter: Terron Jones

Assistant Director, Emergency Management and Homeland Security of Bridgeport, CT

Terron L. Jones has worked for the Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security for 5 years as the Assistant Director. He received a B.S degree in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University and M.P.H from National University. His bi-coastal emergency experience includes programs and consultancies in Los Angeles and San Diego. Mr. Jones enjoys working in the area of interface between science and theory with long term recovery efforts.
Weathering Change: Local Solutions for Strong Communities is a webinar series presented by Antioch University New England, in partnership with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For more information, visit our website. To view past webinars, visit Upcoming and Past Webinars.