Research with the Village Movement
Project Reports
Scroll below to browse reports from the 2023-2025 Engaging Villages as Key Partners for Healthy Aging Research and the 2025 National Census of Villages projects. Stay tuned for more to come!
CONFERENCE POSTER PRESENTATION
Building Communities of Belonging: "First Look" Findings from the 2025 National Census of Villages (ASA 2026 Poster)
On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, leaders of Village to Village Network (VtVN) and the Rutgers Hub for Aging Collaboration presented initial findings from the census to a national audience at the annual conference of the American Society on Aging. Fitting with the conference theme on belonging, they shared a poster titled “Building Communities of Belonging: ‘First Look’ Findings from the National Census of Villages.” The poster highlighted findings from the Census, including the growth of Villages, how Villages promote connections through volunteers, services, and events, and insights into their diverse operations.
PUBLICATION IN THE GERONTOLOGIST
Healthy Aging Outcomes Research With Villages as Grassroots Community-Based Organizations: A Framework for Capacity Development
This 2025 publication in The Gerontologist introduces a framework to strengthen community-based organizations' capacity for healthy aging outcomes research. This study and resulting framework were part of a multi-year engagement project with leaders of Villages across the U.S., specifically drawing on the insights shared by participants at the 2024 virtual summits. This published report articulates key areas of human, technological, and social capital, as well as theorizing, that can enhance the readiness of the Village Movement to conduct future outcomes research.
PRESENTATION AT THE 2024 VTVN NATIONAL GATHERING
Next Steps Forward for Healthy Aging Outcomes Research with Villages
This presentation provides an overview of preliminary insights from the 2024 virtual summits, which engaged nearly 400 people in national dialogue on the future of healthy aging outcomes research with Villages. The presentation describes attendees' experiences of the summit, alongside preliminary insights toward a framework of Village capacity for outcomes research. The presentation also includes reflections from leaders of the Village to Village Network and project Ambassadors.
RECORDINGS FROM 2024 VIRTUAL SUMMITS
Access the Archive of Recordings from the 2024 Virtual Summits
The Engaging Villages as Key Partners for Healthy Aging Research project hosted a series of six virtual summits during the summer of 2024. The aim of the summits was to spur national conversation on the future of healthy aging research with Villages. Summit insights are being used to lay a foundation for using research as a tool to strengthen and sustain the Village Movement. Recordings are available of the main content delivered by the project team across the summits as well as commentary from Ambassadors and invited guests for all six summits.
FOCUS GROUP REPORT
Insights on Developing Research Capacity for Healthy Aging with Villages
This report shares findings from five discussion groups conducted in the Fall of 2023. Participants included Village members, paid professionals and officers, and regional Village leadership from across the U.S. Insights address the meaning of healthy aging to Village members, ways in which Villages support healthy aging, and key considerations for advancing healthy aging outcomes research with Villages. The report also includes participants' priorities for comparative clinical effectiveness research with Villages, as well as other research and evaluation priorities.