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Overview
Background
Community College Innovations
Investing in Encore Innovation
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Encore Career Grant Information
Useful Resources
> Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions
Encore Career Concept
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What does "encore career" mean?
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Marc Freedman, Founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, defines the encore career as "a 10- or 15-year career moving from midlife priorities to greater significance, one that might not be as long as midlife work but that weighs as much. Encore careers are not bridge jobs or senior volunteering, phased retirement or any kind of retirement. They are paid positions in social change and community service that promise to make the best and highest use of people's passions, talents and experience."
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What is Civic Ventures doing to advance the encore career idea?
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Civic Ventures is launching a four-year campaign to advance the idea. This coincides with the publication of Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life (PublicAffairs Books), a new book by Freedman released in early summer 2007. Freedman is also author of the widely-praised Prime Time: How Baby Boomers Will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America.
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Community Colleges and the Encore Career Idea
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How are community colleges involved in encore careers?
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According to Newsweek magazine (6/19/06), about 1 million boomers are now attending community colleges to retool and prepare for their next careers. Many of them are preparing for jobs in education, healthcare, and social services. Civic Ventures has often collaborated with community colleges as potential pathways to significant service for older adults.
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How have community colleges been engaged so far?
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Last year Civic Ventures convened community college presidents and key staff from the American Association of Community Colleges, League for Innovation in the Community College, Council for Adult & Experiential Learning, and the Community College National Center for Community Engagement. These community college leaders helped to explore the alignment between community colleges and pathways to significant service for post-mid-life adults. Findings from this meeting, examples of community college practices, and other research can be found in the report, Community Colleges as Pathways to Significant Service for Post-Midlife Adults.
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What types of community colleges are participating in the Encore Career Project?
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Although community colleges are not expected to start programs from scratch, grant funding is expected to support innovation, not "business as usual," to bridge the gap between adults who want to work for the common good and the limited systems to h elp them find such work. The project is geared to community colleges that:
- understand the unique interests and attitudes around midlife and post midlife training and career change;
- sponsor credit courses, degree programs or other services that are either well-matched to the needs of 50+ learners or could easily be adapted to their circumstances;
- have a clear strategy to educate and engage local social sector employers regarding the potential of adults 50+ to meet workforce needs in flexible and meaningful roles;
- address both internal and external challenges associated with attracting and effectively engaging boomers and older adults as students; and
- have the expressed support of college leadership, including the president.
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How will Civic Ventures capture lessons from the Community College Encore Career Grants?
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Civic Ventures will produce two reports: first, an initial briefing paper to be released in Summer 2007, and second, a final report on the one-year implementation of Encore Career Grants to be completed by December 2008.
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The Encore Career Grant
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What does the Encore Career Grant recognize?
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The Encore Career Grant is for community colleges coming up with new ways to prepare boomers and older adults for encore careers in education, healthcare, and social services.
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Can grant funds be used for a planning or feasibility study?
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No, because of the short timeframe, these grants are intended for community colleges that are ready and committed to establishing new ways for adults 50+ to transition to purpose-driven careers. However, this doesn't mean that you have to start something entirely new. You can use grant funds to build on existing programs and activities or to adapt them to the needs and interests of boomers.
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How often is the Encore Career Grant awarded?
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This is the first year for the Encore Career Grant. It is intended to be a one year grant program for individual colleges. It is an effort to learn from innovative community colleges and inform others about the value and possibilities of creating new pathways to encore careers for older adults.
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Will there be additional funding rounds for the Community College Encore Career Grant Program, or is this a one-year program only?
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At this time, the MetLife Foundation has provided funding for one year only.
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Who funds the Encore Career Grant?
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The MetLife Foundation has provided funding to Civic Ventures for this project.
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What do successful grant applicants receive?
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Ten community colleges were selected to receive Encore Career Grants. They will be publicly recognized as leaders in the field – in news releases, on the Civic Ventures website, and at national meetings. They will have the opportunity to learn from one another and from Civic Ventures' national effort to advance encore careers.
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How will Civic Ventures add value to the grants?
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Since the late 1990s Civic Ventures has worked to reframe the debate about aging in America and redefine the second half of life as a source of social and individual renewal. In 2007, Civic Ventures will launch a major national effort to increase interest, awareness and opportunities around 50+ adults who are looking for careers that contribute to the greater good.
The community colleges that win the Encore Career Grants will be key participants in the national discussion Civic Ventures prompts - and part of the vanguard of individuals and institutions that will likely take shape as a major movement in the 21rst century. In addition, Civic Ventures will promote the best practices culled from the successful community colleges in a widely-circulated report, on our web site, and in outreach to our constituents and to mainstream media. And Civic Ventures will make sure that the selected community colleges will have access to new developments, new research and ideas, and new players in this field (including funders).
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Additional Questions
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Whom should I contact if I have additional questions?
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Please submit your questions via email to encoregrant [at] civicventures [dot] org.
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Ask not...the sixties generation turns 60
The
first baby boomers turning 60 are the same generation that John F. Kennedy
famously challenged to ask themselves what they could do for their country. This
same generation is now positioned to lead another social movement based on
sharing life experience. They couldn't come along at a better time.
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