The Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE) Program
Retirees in Service to the Environment (RISE) Program is an environmental education and leadership training program for adults over 60 created by the Cornell Institute on Translational Research in Aging (CITRA). RISE responds to the intersection of two critical trends – mounting concern about environmental sustainability and the growing aging population.
The RISE Program is based on the best available research evidence and practices in the field, including an extensive program evaluation conducted at Cornell University.
What? The RISE Program involves three interactive components, including an introductory workshop, live environmental educational sessions led by scientists, and a capstone stewardship project.
Who? Any community organization serving older adults or organizations dedicated to environmental education can offer the RISE Program including senior centers, senior housing organizations, Area Agencies on Aging, conservation or sustainability organizations, nature centers, or environmental programs at colleges or universities.
Why? The primary goal of RISE is to create environmental leaders who will play an active role in addressing environmental issues in their communities. Communities benefit from RISE participants’ environmental projects and gained new active environmental volunteers.
Interested in bringing RISE to your organization? All the program materials are available to download free of change from: http://citra-rise.human.cornell.edu/.