Unlike at any other time in history, people from four different generations are now on the job at the same time. Civic Ventures, with support from the MetLife Foundation, recently commissioned three essays on the topic of the multigenerational work force.

I often speak to nonprofit groups about generational shifts in leadership, and I hear consistent themes in response. People want multigenerational work forces. They see a need to build trust and acknowledge the contributions of all age groups. But mostly they want advice on how to manage the tensions between generations when all are fiercely committed to social change but views on strategy and tactics vary widely by age.

So, when a couple of my boomer gal pals, both movers and shakers in the nonprofit sector, took me to lunch to ask why I was so unsympathetic to the feelings and needs of our generation, I was taken aback.

Many older adults thinking about going back to school have questions about financial aid. In The Chronicle of Higher Education, Beckie Supiano offers helpful tips to financial aid advisers working with mature students, suggesting that they communicate early with students, giving them a complete picture of how the financial aid system works and their options.

There are plenty of chances to learn more about encore careers in coming weeks, whether it's listening to a speaker or diving into the nitty-gritty of what's involved in finding your own purpose-driven job.

Here are some upcoming events that offer an opportunity to learn more. You can also visit Encore.org's Events Calendar. See our Midlife Transition Groups blog to learn more about organizations that help members find encore careers. If you want to start your own group, see our Encore Careers Meeting Tool Kit.

Fifteen community colleges have been awarded Encore Career Grants to support new or existing programs aimed at retraining boomers for careers in health, education and social services. See which colleges were awarded the grant.

The Community College Encore Career Grants are awarded to innovative colleges that identify social-purpose jobs available in the community – such as adjunct faculty, community health workers and pharmacist technicians – and prepare boomers to fill them.

Encore careers got their first big hearing on Capitol Hill on July 15 when Civic Ventures CEO Marc Freedman testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

See the hearing on CSPAN

Read U.S. News & World Report’s summary of the testimony: “Six Reasons to Delay Retirement”

The underlying message of the hearing, called “Choosing to Work During Retirement and the Impact on Social Security,” was clear: It’s time to provide incentives to help millions more people find encore careers that provide continued income, personal meaning and social impact.

President Obama has appointed Dr. Donald Berwick, who won the $100,000 Purpose Prize in 2007, to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which operates health programs that insure almost a third of all Americans.

The president pushed through a “recess appointment” of Berwick during Congress’ annual Fourth of July break, triggering some criticism by Republicans. Noting that the CMS post had been unfilled since 2006, Obama’s communications director, Dan Pfeiffer, wrote on the White House blog that Republications “were going to stall the nomination as long as they could, solely to score political points.”

CNN is looking for “everyday people who are changing the world” to be recognized by its 2010 CNN Heroes award. Nominations are due August 1.

Of course, we hope you will nominate everyday heroes you know for the $100,000 Purpose Prize, which is now accepting nominations for 2011. Find out how. This year’s winners will be announced in November.

Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures, will be the featured speaker during a half-day session at the fourth annual International Conference on Positive Aging, which will take place December 7 to 10 in Los Angeles. Sponsored by Civic Ventures, which publishes Encore.org, the session will help attendees explore their options for encore careers that offer purpose, passion and a paycheck to individuals in the second half of life.

The theme of the conference is “Exploring Positive Aging: Designing Practice and Advancing Knowledge.” Conference submissions will be accepted through August 1.

Civic Ventures and MetLife have teamed up to award seven new grants to community colleges helping experienced adults get on the fast track to careers in health and education, including becoming teachers, adjunct college instructors, caregivers and clinical nursing instructors. Read the press release.

The grants come on the heels of a new report by Northeastern University labor economist Barry Bluestone which found that, after the recession ends, there will likely be more health and education jobs than people to fill them. And while jobs are tight now, health and education fields continue to have openings. Learn about the research.