CORE Alberta News - September 7, 2023

Thank you for being a part of the CORE Alberta community!

This week we will be talking more about Healthy Aging CORE Alberta. Maybe you are new to CORE, have been on CORE for a while now, or perhaps you have even been with us since the beginning! There is always something new to learn about the platform, and since we did a considerable site overhaul earlier this year, there may be elements you haven’t had the chance to use yet!

What is Healthy Aging CORE Alberta?  

CORE stands for Collaborative Online Resources and Education. This platform was launched during the pandemic to bring together the community-based senior serving (CBSS) sector and systems allies to collaborate on issues, policies, and systems change. It was an adaptation of the Healthy Aging CORE British Columbia site. It is also a resource to build capacity and support the work of community-based senior serving organizations.

Is Healthy Aging CORE only in Alberta?  

No! You will notice at the top of the CORE Alberta platform, there are also options to visit the CORE BC and CORE Canada platforms. You may also join these platforms as a member and subscribe to their newsletters for additional content, events, and resources we may not capture on the Alberta platform.

Who runs Healthy Aging CORE Alberta?  

The CORE Alberta platform is an essential part of the Healthy Aging Alberta (HAA) initiative to further develop the work we are doing and connect across sectors. Specifically, Stephanie Banszky (Engagement and Communications Specialist) and Erin McFarlane (Digital Engagement Coordinator) are the two main faces from HAA behind the CORE Alberta platform, the CORE Alberta Newsletter, and are talking to you right now! We update the site, work with CBSS organizations to connect CORE Alberta to the work you are doing, support groups and collaborative efforts online, troubleshoot systems issues, and update content on a regular basis. You are always welcome to connect with us and submit content or connect on how CORE Alberta can support your cross-sector collaboration needs.

What can I find on Healthy Aging CORE Alberta?  

The CORE Alberta platform is built for CBSS folks and systems allies to quickly and easily find and share information, collaborate with each other, and build organizational capacity. As of August 31, 2023, CORE has grown to 1,864 members, over 4,000 pieces of site content, an average of 8,000 monthly site visitors, and 3,000 monthly page views! Here is some of the content you can find: 

• Resources and News Articles that are either about the sector or issues the sector is addressing.
• Funding Opportunities that are shared with us.  
• Trainings and Events to connect, collaborate, and build capacity. Most of these are FREE!  
• Groups where you can network with others on issues, share stories and resources, ask questions, and have discussions. Groups also often hold events throughout the year for sector partners.   
• Past Newsletters you want to revisit because we featured something interesting!  

Wow, this is great, but I am so busy I can’t be on there very often...  

We know... it is hard to stay connected all the time. We have been there. That is why we try to capture new content and resources posted, upcoming events, and funding opportunities in our weekly newsletters. Groups will also auto-send notifications when there are new resources or discussions posted. Notice how the sections below correspond with the site headers? Sneaky huh? We keep the upcoming group and HAA events near the top then we jump into the other content. We take away some of the legwork so you can remain connected to us as the busy bee that you are!

Do you want to meet us digitally and learn more about CORE?

We offer quarterly CORE 101 info sessions where Stephanie and Erin will walk you through the platform in more detail and ensure you have a clear picture of the capacity of the resource. Our next live sessions are September 15 and December 8! Can’t make the live session? Catch up on our June recording here.

Please take a chance to play with the CORE Alberta site and see how it can be used for your work.

As always, if there are important topics that you would like more information on or possibilities you would like to explore, please connect with us. We are here to support you and your needs for this site, to the best of our abilities. We can’t change the world, solve climate change, or build a canoe... but we sure can help support cross-sector collaboration to make Alberta one of the best places in the world to grow older!

READ MORE HERE