The Foundation for Social Connection

Studies show that BIPOC communities face not only higher risks of experiencing loneliness and social isolation, but also more severe consequences to their physical, mental, and cognitive well-being. This National Minority Health Month, we are shedding light on various approaches that can empower communities to co-create solutions that address these disparities and foster meaningful social connection for those most at risk. We invite you to explore the following resources and let us know: What culturally grounded approaches have you found effective in fostering connection and belonging? How are you working to reduce barriers to social connection in your community? Share your insights and resources with us in the comments below!

Don’t miss this! Healthy Places by Design is hosting a webinar on Bridging and Belonging to Strengthen Social Connections on May 28 from 3-4 pm ET. Register to learn about the current state of disconnection in our country and communities, as well as evidence-based strategies and community examples that promote bridging and belonging while respecting diversity. Plan to stay after the webinar to engage in a deeper discussion with webinar guests and peers. Register today! https://lnkd.in/ea-quFxj. And sign up for HPbD’s network newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eGmhVQ38. #diversity #publichealth

25 changemakers. One mission: to tackle the loneliness epidemic and help people feel more connected. Join us on Thursday, April 17 at 1pm ET / 10am PT as 25 innovators reveal how they’re helping to build and nurture human connections in the United States and around the world. This first-of-its-kind program is hosted by Reimagine, author Allison Gilbert, and The Foundation for Social Connection. In a time of disorientation, division, and social distrust, we need new ideas to get connected to one another. This event directly advances the urgent call to action from the 19th and 21st U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in his Parting Prescription for America, in which he identifies the fracturing of community and the need to strengthen relationships as the most pressing challenges of our time. 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/exRXefTM #makingconnections #loneliness #belonging #socialconnection #reimagine #allisongilbert #25in25

🚨 Help Campaign to End Loneliness Understand Chronic/Harmful Loneliness! 🚨 Are you passionate about understanding and addressing loneliness? Or have you personally experienced loneliness and want to contribute to shaping solutions? 📢 Researchers from the Campaign to End Loneliness are conducting an online survey to explore when and how loneliness becomes harmful, and they need YOUR insights! 📝 What’s involved? An online survey (takes about 5-10 minutes) that is completely anonymous & voluntary. 💡 Why take part? Your responses will inform research, policy, and practice, helping to create a framework for tackling chronic loneliness. 📅 Survey open until 25th April! Click the link below to begin ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/dTCTdg_b For any questions, contact: Dr. Antonia Ypsilanti (a.ypsilanti@shu.ac.uk) or Prof Pamela Qualter (pamela.qualter@manchester.ac.uk)

Get to know our Scientific Leadership Council Member, Dr. Matthew Lee Smith! As we welcome new faces to our community in 2025, we would like to highlight a cornerstone of our work, the Scientific Leadership Council (SLC). This group of multi-disciplinary experts provide the Foundation and our partners with research-driven recommendations that inform policies, programs, and solutions to advance social connection. Today, we are excited to feature Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Professor, Texas A&M University School of Public Health As an evaluator, interventionist, and methodologist, his research addresses health risk across the life-course and the dissemination of evidence-based solutions for older adults. In addition to developing measures to assess social disconnectedness, his translational work bridges research and practice issues across the health care sector, aging services network, and public health system. Read more about his work here: https://lnkd.in/g93HSYPB

Get to know our Scientific Leadership Council Chair, Dr. Eden Litt! As we welcome new faces to our community in 2025, we would like to highlight a cornerstone of our work, the Scientific Leadership Council (SLC). This group of multi-disciplinary experts provide the Foundation and our partners with research-driven recommendations that inform policies, programs, and solutions to advance social connection. Today, we are excited to feature Dr. Eden Litt, Director of Research at Meta. Her work utilizes qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the impact that social media has on some of today’s biggest societal challenges including topics like loneliness, well-being, and polarization. The ultimate goal of her research and strategy work is to help learn to harness the power of social media, while reducing its risks. Her empirically-driven strategic advice has been used to help make key decisions on technologies that billions of people use globally. Read more about her work here: https://lnkd.in/g-vuZpTV

📣 Announcing Our Call for Proposals! 📣 Big ideas don’t grow in isolation – they flourish through collaboration. The Foundation for Social Connection and Healthy Places by Design are excited to invite session proposals for our 2025 Social Connection Conference in Atlanta, Georgia from October 28-30! This year’s theme, Seeds of Connection, explores how intentional relationship-building across sectors can transform communities and systems at every level of society. We’re bringing together community leaders, social innovators, researchers, and organizers to exchange insights, co-create solutions, and catalyze action to advance social connection nationwide. 🔎 We’re looking for engaging, interactive sessions that are rooted in evidence and highlight what’s working in the field. Whether you're piloting a bold new approach or scaling a proven solution, we welcome creative, cross-cutting proposals that: ✅ Showcase impact and collaboration ✅ Move beyond theory to action ✅ Spark inspiration and light up bright spots in social connection 📌 Themes to Inspire Your Proposal: 🌍 The Art of Civic Connection – Reimagining civic life as a space for trust, belonging, and bridge-building 🤝 We All Belong – Improving social connection for those most at risk of isolation and loneliness 📊 Evidence to Action – Using scientific findings and insights to catalyze impact 🏙️ Social Communities by Design – Designing physical and social environments to foster social connection 📱 Connection in the Digital Age – Harnessing technology and innovation to deepen, not dilute, human connection 📅 Submit your proposal by April 25, 2025, at 11:59pm ET. Ready to plant the seeds of connection? Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gK5wkrEt

Get to know our Scientific Leadership Council Member, Dr. Matthew Pantell! As we welcome new faces to our community in 2025, we would like to highlight a cornerstone of our work, the Scientific Leadership Council (SLC). This group of multi-disciplinary experts provide the Foundation and our partners with research-driven recommendations that inform policies, programs, and solutions to advance social connection. Today, we are excited to feature Dr. Matthew Pantell, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco Dr. Pantell conducts research with the UCSF Center for Health and Community, the UCSF Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network (SIREN), and the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative. Broadly, his research focuses on social determinants of health and social needs. He works on implementing social needs screening in clinical settings, the utility of incorporating social information into clinical decision-making, addressing social needs in clinical settings, data mining and the analysis of large datasets, and biological manifestations of the social determinants of health. Read more about his work here: https://lnkd.in/gfKC6upE

Five months ago, our Executive Director, Jillian Racoosin Kornmeier, MPH, welcomed her first child. While it was the most beautiful and transformative time of her life, she was caught off guard by the overwhelming loneliness she experienced. New parenthood reshaped everything—her routines, relationships, and even her sense of self. Research shows that many new parents experience social isolation and loneliness, yet we don’t talk about it enough. In her latest piece, Jillian reflects on her loneliness experience and explores how connection—whether through supportive communities, small acts of kindness, or simply getting outside for a walk—can be a lifeline in this transition. To all the parents out there who have felt this way: You’re not alone. We invite you to read her reflection and share what helped you during this time! https://lnkd.in/d4pZ_vwc

Get to know our Scientific Leadership Council Member, Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, MA! As we welcome new faces to our community in 2025, we would like to highlight a cornerstone of our work, the Scientific Leadership Council (SLC). This group of multi-disciplinary experts provide the Foundation and our partners with research-driven recommendations that inform policies, programs, and solutions to advance social connection. Today, we are excited to feature Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, MD, MPH, MA, Assistant Professor of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, MPH, is the 2021 Caryl & George Bernstein CIM/HAP Scholar. He is an Assistant Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology and is investigating a relationship between social isolation and inflammatory biomarkers. His recent findings from a large nationally represented study indicate that social isolation has biological influences and could lead to poor health outcomes such as dementia and premature mortality — a finding of particular import since 1 in 4 community-dwelling adults over age 65 are considered socially isolated. Cudjoe’s work points to the importance of developing programs and interventions to address isolation among the aged. Read more about his work here: https://lnkd.in/gTDiHpJt