Who We Are
Boston Bridge is a professional association composed of emerging and established professionals in the field of aging who work or study in Greater Boston. Fields of interest include law, business, marketing, social work, expressive arts therapy, medicine, affordable housing, design, public health, nutrition, fundraising, and public policy. Meetings are held on a regular basis to learn how these fields intersect with older adults.
What We Do
Monthly Meetings and Speaker Series: Boston Bridge meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6:00 – 8:00 pm from September to May. During these meetings, established professionals, leaders in the field of aging, and speakers share their expertise. There is also ample time for discussion, sharing of ideas, and networking promotes professional growth and career prospects. Contact us if you are interested in learning more about our monthly meetings.
Networking: Networking and opportunities to meet new and interesting like-minded professionals happen either formally or informally at Boston Bridge. There is always an informal gathering with a light dinner prior to the start of our meetings; there is ample sharing of ideas, announcements, and discussions during the meetings; and, lots of networking after as well. Additionally, all members have access to our member directory to continue building their professional connections.
Mentorship Program: The changing demographics of our society supports the need for more professionals to be trained and become passionate about working with older adults. Mentoring helps advance this goal. The mentorship program matches Boston Bridge members with established professionals in the member’s particular area of interest.
Boston Bridge Replication Manual: In an effort to promote the great need for innovation and education within the field of aging as well as responding to inquiries for similar organizations, we have developed “Boston Bridge Replication Manual – Professional Development for Emerging Leaders in the Field of Aging“.
It is our desire to share what we have learned with others, furthering our mission of inspiring and invigorating connected, passionate, and informed professionals to be part of the transformation of an aging America.
Mission and Vision
The mission of Boston Bridge is to provide opportunities for professional development, exploration, networking, career growth, and mentorship to emerging professionals and leaders in the field of aging.
The vision of Boston Bridge is to inspire and invigorate connected, passionate, and informed professionals to be a part of the transformation of an aging America.
History
Boston Bridge grew out of a friendship that emerged when a college student named Elana Kieffer volunteered in programs at a monthly senior housing site where Barbara Friedman was the Director of Intergenerational Programs. When Barbara retired, she was inspired to create an organization to train and educate emerging leaders in the field of aging. She contacted Elana, who was enrolled in graduate school and still an avid volunteer with older adults, to assist her in reaching out to “emerging” students. They both felt the need to foster the next generation of professionals in the field of aging and recognized the value of the other’s expertise, professional connections, and viewpoints. While Boston Bridge was initially patterned after Chicago Bridge in Illinois, the mission, vision, and core components of Boston Bridge are significantly different.
MIT AgeLab
Boston Bridge is an affiliate of the MIT AgeLab in Cambridge. The AgeLab, under the direction of Dr. Joseph Coughlin, “was created in 1999 to invent new ideas and creatively translate technologies into practical solutions that improve people’s health and enable them to ‘do things’ throughout the lifespan” (taken from the AgeLab website).
As part of this affiliation, we are thrilled that Boston Bridge members, who often work directly with older adults, will be of assistance to this world-class academic institution, to Dr. Coughlin, and to the AgeLab staff. Boston Bridge in return is honored to be the recipient of the state-of-the-art research and information that the AgeLab produces in abundance.
Board Members
Taylor Patskanick, President
Rita Marsh, Immediate Past President
Colleen Morrissey, Vice President
Aarabi Balasubramanian, Treasurer
Casey DiCocco, Secretary
Barbara Friedman, Board Member at Large
Makieya Kamara, Board Member at Large