Michigan Age-Friendly Communities Summit 2026

Join AARP Michigan for a convening of Michigan’s age-friendly communities! This dynamic event brings together community leaders, policymakers, advocates and residents to explore innovative strategies, share best practices and network with other communities working to create inclusive environments that support Michiganders of all ages. This year’s theme, Placemaking and Policy, highlights how thoughtful community design and impactful public policy can work hand in hand to shape places where people of every age can thrive, connect and belong. 

Agenda

9:30 a.m. - Welcome, introductions and opening remarks

10:00 a.m. - Placemaking Keynote Presentation from Opening Minds Through Art (Speaker bios below) + Hands-on example

11:30 a.m. - Lunch

12:30 p.m. - Semi-structured networking

1:00 p.m. - Advocacy opportunities and AARP Michigan's new Age-Friendly Policy Toolkit

2:00 p.m. - Community connection (optional; For communities interested in enrolling in the Network with help from the AARP MI office)

Amy Elliot, PhD is a Senior Research Scholar at the Scripps Gerontology Center and Director of Opening Minds through Art (OMA), an innovative intergenerational art program that empowers individuals living with dementia through creative expression. Her research focuses on advances that support person-directed, inclusive, and equitable long-term care environments. Through her role at OMA, she demonstrates how creative engagement honors individual autonomy and builds meaningful relationships, directly translating the person-directed care philosophy into practice. Dr. Elliot brings extensive expertise in policy research, quality of life impact analysis, and program evaluation to her work. Her scholarship includes research publications, case studies, educational modules, and book chapters that have contributed to the field of person-centered gerontology.

Meghan Brady, MGS, is the Senior Associate Director for Opening Minds through Art at the Scripps Gerontology Center. Her career in aging and the arts began during a service-learning course in her first year at Miami University, where she facilitated storytelling sessions for residents in nursing homes. Since then, Meghan has contributed to research projects focused on building age- and dementia-friendly communities, taught intergenerational service-learning courses, and supported long-term care providers in implementing arts-based programming. She believes that every person, regardless of age or ability, has the opportunity to share their stories through the arts.