The Foundation for Social Connection

Young people and older ones are the two groups most affected by social isolation and loneliness. Join CoGenerate Co-CEO Eunice Lin Nichols in conversation with our Executive Director, Jillian Racoosin Kornmeier, MPH , on July 24th at 12:30 PM ET for a discussion on: *Our current crisis of connection; *The promising role that relationships across generations can play in creating a more connected society; *And evidence-based models that address social isolation, loneliness and social connection. This free, 60-minute webinar formally launches CoGen Solutions to Social Isolation and Loneliness, a year-long initiative to identify the most promising ideas for bringing older and younger people together in ways that reduce social isolation and loneliness. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dkSGxK4H

Another new board member we are excited to introduce you to is Dr. Trenor Williams! Dr. Williams is a family physician, entrepreneur, former health system executive and consulting leader and past founder and CEO of Clinovations which he sold to the Advisory Board Company (ABCO) in 2014. In 2016, Dr. Williams co-founded Socially Determined in order to create an analytics platform that integrates the social determinants of health with clinical and claims data in order to quantify and visualize social risk and the specific impacts on health and healthcare outcomes. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Williams and learn more about his accomplishments and work here: https://lnkd.in/gbuR2dPG

⭐Strategy Spotlight⭐ This week, we’re highlighting how reforming local zoning codes and policies to allow for shared- or mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods can boost social connection! Evidence suggests that mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods - as opposed to single-use, car-dependent neighborhoods - allow residents to interact more with one another and encourage them to use community spaces more frequently. Residents of walkable neighborhoods are also more likely to know and trust their neighbors as well as participate socially and politically in the community. Learn about the research behind this social connection strategy and explore community examples in our Action Guide's catalog of strategies! Click here to dive in: https://lnkd.in/geRqbGBz

👊 Last month, our Young Futures Innovators convened in Washington DC for the YF Innovators Retreat, Global Loneliness Awareness Summit, and community building. We bonded over our shared goal to strengthen social connection for teens in our tech-driven world and left feeling energized and motivated to tackle the loneliness epidemic. 👊 This week, we're featuring some of our amazing YF Innovators who are changing the world: NyRee Clayton-Taylor (HipHopIntoLearning), Diana Turner (Be Loud Studios), Lewis Bernstein (Sesame 3Gs), Trisha Prabhu (ReThink Citizens), and Thanasi D. (Civics Unplugged). Swipe to see what they wish adults understood about teens today. But wait there's more...5 more YF Innovators loading... 👀 Stay tuned! #YoungFutures #LonelyHeartsClubChallenge Katya Hancock Sierra Malia F. Kristine G. The Foundation for Social Connection Morgan Marler Abigail Barth, MPH Pivotal Ventures Kelsey Noonan Susan Crown Exchange Kevin Connors The Goodness Web (TGW) Celine Coggins Ph.D.

BIG Announcement from Estonia! I am now an advisory board member for The Foundation for Social Connection in the US. Watch the video for more details and link in the captions. I look forward to this next chapter... And thank you for coming on the journey with me. Simone Heng -Human Connection Specialist #author #humanconnection #speaker #loneliness

We are thrilled to introduce our new board member Simone Heng -Human Connection Specialist! Simone is a human connection specialist and former international broadcaster for Virgin Radio Dubai, HBO Asia, and CNBC, among others. With over 15 years of experience around the world as a communicator on-air, on stage, and one-on-one, connection has always been her life’s work. We were lucky to have her join us as a speaker at our Building Connected Communities event last fall and now look forward to having her as a board member! Please join us in welcoming Simone and read more about her accomplishments here: https://lnkd.in/gQxe45JA View her remarks from Building Connected Communities: https://lnkd.in/gUs6EAVC

Paradoxically, our most digitally connected generation is also our loneliest, as 79% of Gen Z reports feelings of loneliness. After the Surgeon General’s recent call on Congress to require warning labels on social media about mental health risks for youth and young adults, we revisited Dr. Jean Twenge's research presented at our Building Connected Communities conference last fall to unpack the impact of smartphones and social media on our loneliest generation. Read our full article here to learn more about the role these technologies play and Dr. Twenge's suggested solutions. 

Join our friends at Healthy Places by Design for their Socially Connected Communities network session, Building and Sustaining Resilient and Socially Connected Communities, on Wednesday, July 24 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET! The webinar will focus on how intentional strategies to strengthen social connections and networks enable communities to remain resilient through natural disasters, historic and repeated traumas, and inequities. Stay after the webinar to engage in a deeper discussion with webinar guests and peers about how to strengthen resiliency in your community. Register now here: https://lnkd.in/eSXk_YXU. And sign up for HPbD’s network newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gmCiDWZQ.

⭐Strategy Spotlight⭐ This week, we’re highlighting how training health care providers in social prescribing and write social prescriptions for community events and activities can support social connection! Preliminary research has shown that social prescriptions can direct individuals to resources and teach them emotional skills to improve their mental and emotional health, as well as boost their community involvement. Learn about the research behind this social connection strategy and explore community examples in our Action Guide's catalog of strategies! Click here to dive in: https://lnkd.in/geRqbGBz

We are excited to share that we have had some recent additions to our board of directors! First up, we would like to introduce you to Cybele Bjorklund, the inaugural executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center and the vice president of federal strategy for Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. In these roles, she works across the Johns Hopkins enterprise to support evidence-based policymaking, advocacy and engagement in order to advance the University’s commitment to research, teaching, patient care and service. Please join us in welcoming Cybele and read more about her background and accomplishments here: https://lnkd.in/gwF5Mnbx