This category recognizes programs and approaches that build meaningful connections across generations through events, ongoing programming, shared learning opportunities, shared spaces, or service-based models.  In this webinar you will hear from the following programs: 

Top program:  

• South Morrow County Senior Matters - Students Writing Senior Stories

Honorable mentions:

• White Birch Center for Active Living - Active Living Program
• Edna Burton Senior Center - Intergenerational July 4th BBQ

This category recognizes transformative approaches that position a senior center to remain relevant and responsive to changing generations of older adults. This includes planning, adaptations to programs, operations, spaces, partnerships, or models of service that support long-term relevance and impact. In this webinar you will hear from the following programs: 

Top program:  

• Iowa City Senior Center - Parables of the Future: Black Future Fest - Celebrating Afrofuturism

Honorable mentions:

• Founders Hall Foundation, Inc. - Repositioning Aging: Redefining the 60+ Experience Through Branding and Community Engagement

This category recognizes programs and approaches that address economic security and basic needs, including benefits access, housing, food security, case management, transportation, legal or financial navigation, and systemic strategies that expand reach and access to services. In this webinar you will hear from the following programs: 

Top program:  

• Solon Senior Center - Safe & Sound

Honorable mentions:

• Edina Senior Center - Books & Brews
• Amherst Center for Senior Services - Senior Center on the Move

This category recognizes innovative approaches that strengthen social connection and reduce isolation among older adults. This includes in-person, virtual, and hybrid models, as well as efforts that increase access to technology and build confidence in using digital tools to support participation and connection.  In this webinar you will hear from the following programs: 

Top program:  

• Whitney Senior Center - Dementia Friends Film Series

Honorable mentions:

• Preble County Council on Aging, Inc. - See The World from our Backyard
• Gathering Place 50 Plus Community Centers - Veterans Peer-to-Peer Luncheon & Rural Access Hub Model

Join us on August 6, 2026 at 3 p.m. EDT for a special webinar designed for senior center professionals as we prepare to celebrate Senior Center Month with this year’s theme, Happier Birthdays Happen Here. We’ll walk through the ready-to-use tools and resources developed to help senior centers engage their communities, raise awareness, and showcase the impact of their programs. Participants will receive an overview of the Program Guide, Social Media Toolkit, Media Guide, and customizable poster, along with ideas and best practices for bringing the celebration to life locally. Leave with practical resources and inspiration to make Senior Center Month a memorable and successful event in your community.

Dianne Stone, Associate Director of Network Development and Engagement, Modernizing Senior Centers Resource Center and NISC