The purpose of the CAB is to connect CHAI with the community and ensure that it is responsive and accountable to community needs and priorities. CAB members do this by,

• Bringing forward the lived experiences, needs, and priorities from the community voices that wouldn’t otherwise be heard or represented at the table. 
• Sharing their wisdom, cultural knowledge and experiences of older adults and caregivers in BIPOC, LGBTQ and underserved communities to guide CHAI’s priorities and inform programs and policies that affect their community. 
• Being a critical “two-way” bridge between CHAI and culturally diverse communities to promote equity and healthy aging for all.

To achieve our vision, we root all our work in equity and diversity to support BIPOC, LGBTQ, older adults with disabilities and other underserved, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Individual members from these communities are invited to apply to become members of the CAB.

CAB members will be able to make an impact in several ways:

Share their voice, wisdom, cultural knowledge, and lived experiences of older adults, to

• Impact on CHAI priorities
• Influence Programs and Policies affecting their community

Increase the understanding of community’s barriers and assets to healthy aging, to

• Improve Quality of Life
• Improve Quality of Care

Contribute their cultural and equity perspective, to

•  Reduce health disparities and 
•  Improve the lives of older adults 

Connect with UMN resources, to

• Support community priorities
• Expand community capacity

CAB members will be expected to attend 6 2-hour meetings per year. The meeting dates and locations will be selected based on the preferences of group members.

CAB members may be asked to take part in one of more of the following activities:

• Members will be expected to attend up to five meetings during the first year. The meeting dates and locations will be determined by group members. We anticipate a mixture of virtual and in- person meetings based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UMN guidelines.
• Provide feedback to CHAI in a variety of areas (e.g. recruitment of new faculty, strategic plan, community engagement, priorities for the Research and Education cores, etc.)
• Participate in and contribute to workgroups the CAB identifies.
• Identify and access funding sources for equity-focused projects.
• Connect students and researchers with equity-based, aging-related projects.
• Facilitate new connections between the University, CHAI and community-based organizations.
• Obtain community feedback to inform aging and diversity policy statements and recommendations.

Members will receive a stipend for participating in each meeting.

The application period for the current year is closed. However, we welcome and accept applications year-round. New applicants will be considered during the following application period or sooner if the need arises. If you are not selected to serve on the CAB, we will seek to match your interests with other opportunities in CHAI and/or special events including research and educational opportunities.

You can apply for the CAB in several ways:

• Online: Complete online application
• Via email: Complete the PDF application form (Spanish version) and email it to chai@umn.edu
• By mail: Print the PDF form and send to:

Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation

Attn: Elma Johnson

420 Delaware St S.E.

D351 Mayo Memorial Building (MMC 729)

Division of Health Policy and Management

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN 55455

If you have any questions or need assistance with the application, please email us at chai@umn.edu or call Elma Johnson at 612-626-9515.