Membership Hack: Association StoryCorps

How to hack it? Maybe you’ve heard of StoryCorps  (opens in a new tab), the nonprofit organization whose recorded audio conversations with everyday Americans are regularly featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition  (opens in a new tab). In 2017, the American Geophysical Union created its own StoryCorps community, giving members the ability to record and share personal accounts of their work in the Earth and space sciences.

The tools are simple: Members upload audio files using the StoryCorps app  (opens in a new tab) and a smartphone. Since the AGU Narratives  (opens in a new tab) project began, it has collected more than 220 stories, including some that speak to the impact of AGU, a message the organization is promoting as part of its 100th anniversary  (opens in a new tab).

Why does it work? The personal accounts resonate with listeners. Many members describe the adversity they have faced. Haojia Abby Ren  (opens in a new tab) tells how she overcame barriers as a female research scientist in Taiwan. Miguel Román  (opens in a new tab) shares childhood experiences of weathering hurricanes in Puerto Rico, which ultimately influenced his work as an Earth scientist at NASA.

One story made it to the NPR airwaves  (opens in a new tab). Climate scientists Zoe Courville and Lora Koenig describe the challenge of balancing personal commitments alongside field work on climate change that takes them away from their families.

What’s the bonus? Members can also record stories at AGU conferences. “We have used a number of different meetings and other opportunities to record with our community, including during our Fall Meeting 2018,” says Chris McEntee, AGU’s CEO and executive director. “At that meeting, we partnered with NASA, which allowed us to collect more than 140 interviews.”

(via the AGU website)