| Research
Experience Corps is more than a nonprofit program and a school-based
intervention. It’s an important social invention designed
to capture the tidal wave of talent we have in older Americans today
and use it to solve serious social problems, beginning with literacy.
We’re fortunate to have significant research showing that
Experience Corps works. In this section of our web site, you’ll
find links to:
- Research
studies examining the impact of Experience Corps on students,
schools, older adults and communities;
- Analysis,
demographic information, polls and reporting on the broader issue
of aging in America;
- And
reports, curricula, and resources you can
use.
If
you can’t find what you’re looking for, let us know
at info@experiencecorps.org.
Research on the
impact of Experience Corps
In-School Volunteer Work Improves Older Adults' Health.
Johns Hopkins researchers report a near-doubling in the physical activity levels of inactive adults who enrolled in Experience Corps.
- Print a full study published in the Journal of Urban Health. (PDF)
What Makes Volunteer Service Successful? (PDF)
New study by Public/Private Ventures reveals rewarding roles older Americans play in supporting urban teachers.
- Print a full copy of this Public/Private Ventures study of Experience Corps (PDF)
Johns
Hopkins studies link Experience Corps with improved health in
participants
Older adults who volunteer in troubled urban schools not only improve
the educational experience of children, but realize meaningful improvements
in their own mental and physical health, say researchers at the
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.
Experience Corps
in Urban Elementary Schools: A Survey of Principals (PDF)
An independent survey conducted by Policy Studies Associates shows
that urban elementary school principals in 14 cities welcome Experience
Corps in their schools primarily because it boosts their bottom
line – student academic achievement.
Experiencing
Success (PDF)
A review of research on the success of Experience Corps.
Better Together: Restoring the American Community
In this book, Harvard professor and noted author of Bowling Alone,
devotes an entire chapter to Experience Corps, citing it as one
of a dozen “social-capital success stories” chosen to
illustrate “the extraordinary power and subtlety of social
networks to enable people to improve their lives.”
Group
proposes massive “Boomer Corps” – a large-scale
national service program for retirees 55 years and older. Under
the plan, retirees would serve 25 hours per week for one year or
more in innovative, grassroots civic projects, including tutoring
and mentoring. Full report available from the Progressive
Policy Institute
Aging
in America
Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize
Retirement and Transform America
This book by Civic Ventures founder and CEO Marc Freedman explores
the opportunity presented by the aging of America to strengthen
communities.
Fact Sheet on Aging in
America (PDF)
Includes information on demographics, income, education levels,
volunteering habits and plans for retirement for Americans 55+.
Recasting Retirement: New Perspectives on Aging and Civic Engagement
(PDF)
A summary of market research findings that provide insights into
how Americans are experiencing retirement, and what role language,
concepts, and programs can play in attracting this growing population
to public service.
New Face of Retirement: An Ongoing Survey of American Attitudes
on Aging
Results from a national survey conducted for Civic Ventures by Peter
D. Hart Research Associates.
Reports,
Curricula, and Resources
Experience Corps Tool Kit on Engaging Older Adults as Community Leaders.
Leading with Experience: Engaging Older Adults as Community Leaders, a new tool kit from Experience Corps, summarizes the case for investing in leaders in the second half of life. The publication includes an overview of the Experience Corps leadership institutes, key findings and conclusions, and 25 pages of materials to help other nonprofits develop their own older adult leadership trainings. October, 2007
"Experience After School: Matching Older Adults’ Assets and Interests with Out-of-School Time Needs," a report by Policy Studies Associates examining the potential match between the growing resource of older adults and the growing field of afterschool programming. January, 2007
Experience Corps Tool Kit on Older Americans and After-School
Programs
Citizenship
Curriculum (PDF) This Curriculum Guide has been created by the
national Experience Corps office to help local projects fulfill
the AmeriCorps requirement to provide citizenship training to their
members. The curriculum consists of three modules: reflections on
the meaning of citizenship, communicating the meaning of citizenship
to the next generation, and exploring opportunities for leadership.
This Guide is a resource for those who will be providing this training.
Reinventing
Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement
The Harvard School of Public Health-MetLife Foundation Initiative
on Retirement and Civic Engagement recently released a report, Reinventing
Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement. The report calls
on nonprofit organizations and government agencies to expand opportunities
for boomers to volunteer their services in fields such as public
health, education, social services, aging, and youth development.
The Center is planning a national campaign, in collaboration with
leading media and entertainment companies, to change public attitudes
toward aging and motivate boomers and retirees to engage in community
service. Numerous organizations involved in volunteerism, civic
engagement, and aging – including Experience Corps –
are participating in this initiative. A full copy of the report
and more information on the initiative is available on the Harvard
School of Public Health web site.
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