One of my “Favorite Things” about living in Oak Park is the opportunity to take part in innovative programs. Recently, I was a group leader in the Action Community Engagement project (ACE), a pilot program to combat ageism and make our community better for all. The ACE project is sponsored by Yale University, Midwestern University, AgeOptions, CourAGEus, and Oak Park Township Senior Services.
It used research developed by Dr. Becca Levy, a leading authority on how our beliefs about aging influence our health. She is professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and professor of Psychology at Yale University. Levy serves as a scientific advisor to the World Health Organization’s Campaign to Combat Ageism. Her book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long & Well You Live, is based on longitudinal and cross-cultural research. The findings that negative or positive beliefs about aging can make a 7.5-year difference in our longevity was breathtaking to me.
Marc Blesoff, a longtime Oak Park resident, fellow Wednesday Journal writer, and member of the village of Oak Park’s Aging in Communities Commission, was a key player in bringing Becca Levy and this project to Oak Park after reading her book. While Marc was the visionary, he wanted me to share that the ACE project was a team effort with partners, project coordinators, group leaders, over 80 participants, and community allies. I was one of six group leaders who facilitated small groups in Oak Park recently.
In group sessions, we were asked to look at both negative and positive age beliefs from our past. I remembered my own grandfather, who had a huge hearing aid that made buzzing noises, with wires coming out of it. English was not his first language. When he came to our house for Sunday dinners, he never asked about my friends or school. He grunted answers to questions we asked. As a young person, he wasn’t someone I strived to be like when I got older. He was a negative age image for me. I also remembered a family friend, a lively, caring older woman whom I liked being around. She was a positive model of an older adult.
When I asked Levy about her experience working here, she told me, “I am delighted to conduct our project in Oak Park. The people I have met who live in Oak Park are kind, engaged, and committed to making the world a better place. Their enthusiasm and dedication are truly inspiring and will undoubtedly contribute to the success of our project.”
I was fortunate to meet Becca Levy in person and be part of her regular Zoom calls with the group leaders. I was impressed by her warmth, caring, modesty, and brilliance. I encourage readers to read her book. To learn more about Dr. Levy’s research, you can also listen to an interview she did with the American Medical Association at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LjiIqQDNPQ.
When I asked Marc about his hopes for the future, he told me, “One hope I have is that, based on the research study findings, Oak Park becomes a real-world example of how cities and towns and communities can identify and reduce both internalized and systemic ageism.”
Two activities sponsored by the ACE project are a 13-panel exhibit on reducing ageism and photos of positive images of aging scheduled to open at the end of November. The panels will be displayed in various stores along the Harrison Street corridor, beginning at the Dye Hard Yarn store on the east end of Harrison Street and extending to the Sandra Ross Hair Salon on the west end. Keep your eyes and ears open for more details.
Another activity sponsored by ACE and open to the community is an evening of Non-Ageist Humor on Monday, Dec. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at ComedyPlex, 1128 Lake St., on the lower level. I’m looking forward to attending and excited that the entrance fee is only $1.
Joy Aaronson is an Oak Park resident who is currently working on her first fiction short story, scheduled to be published in an anthology in spring 2026.