With the original Sun City, Arizona pioneered the model for “the golden years” vision of retirement as leisure. Now the state is pioneering a new model for the second half of life, in which experienced adults use their time and talent for the benefit of the community and themselves.

The center of activity is Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and contains more than half of the state’s population. By 2030, Maricopa expects a population of more than 6 million people – of whom more than 1.3 million will be over 60.

Rather than seeing those older adults as needy recipients of services, Arizona is tapping them as contributing providers. The Arizona Mature Workforce Initiative, with the motto, “Experience is Our Business!” has connected over 500 mature workers to employers, and has laid the groundwork for much greater impact, with job fairs, a job bank, a workforce transition center at a local community college and a program that certifies “mature worker friendly” employers.

The value of one-on-one mentors in schools was the subject of a panel discussion featuring, l. to r., Kim Glodek of EducationWorks, Jessica Graham of Citizen Schools, Ayanna Rutherford of Sports4Kids, Shirley Sagawa of Center for American Progress, Stephanie Wu of City Year and John Gomperts of Experience Corps and Civic Ventures.

The Washington, D.C., think tank Center for American Progress is calling for the expansion of Experience Corps and other national service programs that help struggling students and schools.

The preliminary results of CAP’s study indicate that groups receiving federal AmeriCorps funding make “a significant difference building a positive environment for learning, help students achieve,” and represent “a cost effective way to improve the quality of education and supplement overworked teachers.”

Rep. John Sarbanes, D-MD, joins Marc Freedman and David Cohen at the national meeting of Experience Corps in Washington, DC, on July 12. Photo by Eric Boven. Copyright Civic Ventures/Eric Boven.

Rep. John Sarbanes praised Experience Corps for its innovative and effective program that connects baby boomers and older adults with critical community needs, and called on local, state and national policymakers to do more to prepare for the coming wave of boomer retirements.