NISC Programs of Excellence
- Year Awarded: 2023
- Programs of Excellence Name: Stories from the View podcast
- Hosting Organization: East Longmeadow Council on Aging, Massachusetts
- East Longmedow Population: 160,000
- 60+ Population: 50,100
- Senior Center Members: 2,000
About Stories from the View
The "Stories from the View" Podcast is produced weekly by Pleasant View Senior Center volunteers. The podcast focuses on collecting the stories of older adult residents of East Longmeadow to preserve history, to embrace the stories of older adults, and to create connections in the community. The volunteers produce the show in house and run all of the technology from a mobile podcast studio (conference room).
This program is innovative in that it is completely run by older adult volunteer members of the senior center. Volunteers set up, produce, record, and recruit guests for the weekly podcast. The program is also innovative in its concept of "stories." The focus is to provide a venue for older East Longmeadow residents to share meaningful stories, whether a guest comes in with a written narrative, or the stories are revealed in a conversational way. Recording the stories shows that we value people's stories and creates connection. The podcast "studio" is also be used to train older adults on the equipment and technology to create their own podcasts or recordings.
The podcast crew has recorded 77 podcasts, with a total of nearly 6,000 listens. The crew has learned new skills, including technology skills, sound engineering skills, and even interviewing and recruiting skills. The Town has learned more about its residents, residents have had a venue to share their stories, and we have reached an audience that we may not have otherwise.
The new Deputy Town Manger even keeps the link to the podcast on her email signature as a method of introducing herself.
Key takeaways from Stories from the View:
- Technology can enable a senior center to reach a larger audience.
- Collaborating with the local cable access channel, ELCAT, and the channel's student intern, gives technical assistance support and education.
- The ongoing podcast expanded recently to include two live intergenerational broadcasts, where local students asked older adult panelists questions about growing up, and the audience was able to participate.
About the East Longmeadow Council on Aging
The East Longmeadow Council on Aging "supports and promotes the independence and social, physical, and emotional well-being of East Longmeadow elders by implementing and maintaining quality education, nutrition, recreational, and wellness programs."
