Research Project: COAR
Working with the Aging Community: A Toolkit for Building a Collective of Older Adult Researchers (COAR)
Developed through a collaboration between SFU’s STAR Institute and Vancouver-based , the COAR Toolkit is a practical resource for engaging older adults as active partners in community-based research. It is the result of efforts to establish the Collective of Older Adult Researchers (COAR), supporting 411’s vision of becoming a hub for community-led research.
Through hands-on, intergenerational workshops, COAR members and SFU graduate students built research skills together—from shaping questions to sharing findings—using a citizen science approach. Their collaborative project focused on mobility barriers in local neighbourhoods, applying their training to a real-world issue directly affecting older adults.
Informed by the lessons and successes of this project, the toolkit offers clear steps, tools, and strategies for anyone committed to inclusive, community-engaged research with older adults.
View our downloadable toolkit HERE.
In addition, SFU STAR Institute helped develop 411's Community Hub platform on their website.
Check out the 411 Senior Centre Community Research Hub .