Applications Now Open for 2018 Age Boom Academy

Nearly one in five Americans 65 and older are now working, according to recent data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s the most employed older people since the early 1960s, before the U.S. introduced Medicare. The U.S. now has the largest number of older workers in its history, and those workers are spending more time on the job than ever before. This trend is expected to continue.

Meanwhile, technology - from artificial intelligence to robotics - is advancing at a dizzying rate. 

Whose jobs will be most affected by artificial intelligence? How do we tailor education and trainings to keep skillsets relevant? How can new technology be integrated into jobs to help people work longer? For the past 18 years, the Age Boom Academy has been working to answer questions like these by educating journalists about the complex economic, health and social implications of an aging society.

The Academy is now accepting applications for its annual three-day workshop for journalists, a joint project of the Columbia Aging Center and the Columbia Journalism School. This year's Academy, May 31 - June 2, will focus on the impacts of new technology on an aging workforce, and will feature leading experts in journalism, science and economics. It is designed to educate journalists on the many dimensions of an unprecedented increase in life span around the world.

This program, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, is designed for local reporters and national correspondents covering aspects of aging, work and retirement. Both staff reporters and freelancers are eligible to apply. Fellowships will cover travel, lodging and attendance fees. The application deadline is 5:00 PM ET on Friday, March 2, 2018.

Click here for more information and to apply now.

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The 2017 Academy focused on inequities in health and work in old age.

To see past Age Boom topics, please click here