This year’s exhibit at the Capitol will highlight work of artists living with dementia.

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) have announced that the call for art is now open for the second annual Older Artists of PA Showcase. Submissions from Pennsylvanians aged 60 and older are being accepted through May 24, 2026.

The Older Artists of PA Showcase will feature selected works from across the Commonwealth, on display in the East Wing Rotunda of the Pennsylvania State Capitol during the month of August 2026.

“Older artists bring unique perspectives shaped by life experience, whether they are seasoned creators or discovering their artistic voice later in life,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich. “They create vibrancy in their communities, not just through their art, but as keepers of tradition and mentors who inspire the next generation of artists. We are proud to be able to celebrate their work and share it with others.”

This year, the showcase will specifically highlight older adults living with dementia, recognizing that artistic expression can be a powerful tool for connection, identity, and storytelling. PDA encourages submissions from all eligible artists, including older adults living with dementia and those in congregate care settings.

May is Older Americans Month, and the federal Administration for Community Living has resources available to honor older Americans’ contributions and to highlight ways to stay healthy both now and in the future.  The theme of Older Americans Month is Champion Your Health, which focuses on prevention, wellness, and personal responsibility as cornerstones of healthy aging.

Older adults in communities across Pennsylvania are championing their health by taking a Healthy Steps class through their local Area Agency on Aging. Here’s what some of these older adults have to say about how Healthy Steps programs are helping to improve strength and balance, and prevent falls: 

“Shortly after becoming disabled, I moved to the Fountain Hill area in Lehigh County to be closer to my daughter. I am extremely thankful for the Healthy Steps in Motion exercise class at the Fountain Hill Senior Center. The instructors, Ken and Kelsy, have shown the class the same exercises standing and sitting. I needed the sitting version. This class helped me lose weight, improve my balance, and my confidence. Plus, it helped me with socialization to meet new people who have the same goal of getting fit, with or without disability.” – Anna, Lehigh County

“The class allowed me to understand that there are many people my age that are afraid of falling. This class will hopefully help my overall balance and strength. Fall prevention is a great topic to present to our senior center. We have had a few of our members fall recently, so I think this topic is relevant. The instructors in Lawrence County are great! They make the class fun, and we get to socialize over the lunch break!” – Dan H., Lawrence County

“Taking this class has made me feel more confident when I am out and about. I feel that I can catch myself if I go off balance because of the exercises that were taught during this class.” – Melodie L., Wayne County

Aging Together in PA, a year-long initiative with public broadcasting stations WVIA and WITF has received an Excellence in Broadcasting award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters. The award recognizes significant creative and production achievements of Pennsylvania broadcast stations.

From Left to Right: John Cosgrove, CEO, AllOne Foundation & Charities; Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich;  Carla McCabe, President & CEO, WVIA; Jesse Ergott, Chief Advancement Officer, AllOne Foundation & Charities; and Ben Payavis, Chief Content Officer & Executive Producer, WVIA.

Supported by PDA and AllOne Foundation & Charities, Aging Together in PA created comprehensive program and digital content for the Pennsylvania public broadcasting stations to build awareness and drive discussion about resources for Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing older population. 

Short documentary videos explore issues such as ageism, elder justice, caregiving, scams, housing, transportation, creating age-friendly communities, age-friendly communities and much more. The initiative began and concluded with live town halls airing on PBS stations covering every region of Pennsylvania. During these community events, panels of policymakers and older adults discussed the challenges of staying independent as we age for older adults and families, and how collaborations across state agencies and local communities can support healthy aging.

PDA has announced the launch of the Resilient Environments in Aging and Dementia in Your Communities (READY Communities) Funding Collaborative. READY Communities is a first-of-its-kind public-philanthropic pilot program to support the implementation of Aging Our Way, PA, the Commonwealth’s 10-year strategic plan for aging.

The 2026 READY Communities grant application opened May 4, and will be open through June 12. Projects should align with at least one priority from Aging Our Way, PA, and support older adults and/or people living with dementia.

The Department is proud to sponsor this innovative funding project, and we hope to receive applications from a wide range of projects covering diverse sectors, from transportation and planning to agriculture and outdoor recreation and beyond. 

Questions can be directed to readycommunities@gia.org.

During April, National Volunteer Month, PDA brought together 200 volunteers and staff from Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) for the two-day Aging Network Volunteer Conference, which recognized service of volunteers and provided education and training opportunities focused on supporting health, safety, and quality of life for older Pennsylvanians.

“The Aging Network Volunteer Conference is a unique forum for our volunteers to meet with their fellow volunteers from across the Commonwealth in the same program areas while engaging, recognizing and strengthening their skill sets. Our aging network couldn’t deliver the services that it does without the support of nearly 30,000 volunteers,” said Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.

Nearly 30,000 aging network volunteers across the Commonwealth donate an estimated 1.6 million hours of service a year with an estimated value of almost $51 million. These volunteers support PDA and its services for older adults in various program areas including PA MEDI, Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Pennsylvania Council on Aging, Health & Wellness, Senior Community Centers, Home-Delivered and Congregate Meals, Senior Companion, Foster Grandparent, Retired Senior Volunteer, Family Caregiver Support Programs, and Transportation Services.

The conference kicked off with welcoming remarks from Centre County Area Agency on Aging Director Quentin Burchfield and Steve Rodgers, Education and Outreach Director from PDA. Other state agencies presented workshops on how older adults can connect to the outdoors, older driver safety, emergency preparedness for older adults, and advocating for long-term care residents.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities within the aging network or to sign up to volunteer, visit the Department of Aging's website.  

Cody Inman, Nicole White, Dana Ehrhart, and Jamey Wise will serve as regional Department liaisons with Area Agencies on Aging to ensure that programs are implemented effectively, comply with regulations and meet the needs of older adults. Cody, Nicole, Dana, and Jamey were introduced to the AAA network at its quarterly meeting in April. Congratulations!

Transportation is a priority in Pennsylvania’s Aging Our Way, PA 10-year strategic plan. The plan seeks to foster an environment where older adults have a spectrum of transportation options tailored to their specific needs. This includes accessible public transit, door-to-door services, community-driven transportation, and routine driver safety education for older adults that use personal vehicles. As part of the Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association’s annual meeting, PDA joined a conversation with other state leaders on the barriers older adults in urban and rural communities face in accessing transportation, and how collaboration among agencies and service providers can help reduce these barriers.

Left to Right: Moderator Rich Farr of Rabbittransit; PennDOT Deputy Secretary Meredith Biggica; Gwen Zander, Department of Human Services, and Secretary of Aging Jason Kavulich.

PDA leadership recently provided updates on PDA’s community partner initiatives to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA) networking lunch and legislative update meeting held at Indiana University of PA. 

Left to Right: SWPPA leaders Joe Angelelli, Kim Pirila-Scalise and Margie Zelenak; and PA Council on Aging executive director Jessie Pierce, who spoke on behalf of PDA about resources for unpaid caregivers and new grant opportunities for communities to support older adults and people living with disabilities.

With the 2026 primary election on May 19, the Department of State wants to ensure voters are aware of key election dates and deadlines to cast their ballot.

Whether you vote by mail-in ballot or in person, here are important dates for everyone to know: 

Visit the Department of State’s website for more information or to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot.

The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women has launched a survey to gather input from all women across the Commonwealth as part of the Shapiro Administration’s forthcoming State of the Woman Report.  

The commission is collecting insight from Pennsylvania women on their experiences and priorities to better inform the Administration’s policies that impact women.  

The survey is open until May 30 and is also available in Spanish and Chinese.  

The commission will also host statewide listening sessions to further engage with all women across the Commonwealth.

Building Communities through Memory Cafés will be presented on Tuesday, June 2 from 11:30 AM to 1 PM. Register to learn how to join, start or lead a memory café, why they benefit people living with dementia and those who care for them and what happens at a memory café.