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Innov Aging
Innov Aging
innovateage
Innovation in Aging
2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1728
igaa057.1728
Abstracts
Session 5010 (Symposium)
AcademicSubjects/SOC02600
Theoretical Framing and Dissemination of Ageism First Aid: A Significant Tool for the AFU Movement
Reynolds Laurinda 1 Newsham Tina 2 1 
American River College, Sacramento, California, United States
2 
University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
2020 
16 12 2020 
16 12 2020 
4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”534 535
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract
By graduation most high school students have negative feelings about aging, the idea of working with older people is unappealing, and few choose to study aging. When non-traditional students of any age enroll after gaining experience in the workforce, they experience ageism and may not persist to degree completion. The value of Ageism First Aid (AFA) as an internal and external AFU tool is supported by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation theory. AFA utilization during high school can increase traditionally-aged student enrollments. Its use for professional development on campuses can improve the campus climate for all constituents and ensure graduates will know how to avoid contributing to aging stigma. AFA use by providers of aging services and support can reduce the aging stigma older people experience. Attendees will receive handouts with a variety of dissemination models and information on how to gain institutional access to AFA. Part of a symposium sponsored by Age-Friendly University (AFU) Interest Group.