The Gerontological Society of America is offering its members an opportunity to advance their public advocacy and communication skills through the inaugural GSA Scientist-Citizen Storytelling Lab. Scientist-citizens are individuals committed to proactive public engagement that improves understanding of science and policies that support all of us as we age.

Program Details

Over the course of 8-10 weeks, participants selected for the pilot will be asked to commit to:

  • Attend two core virtual sessions, one hour each: Week of July 6 and Week of July 20 
  • Participate in weekly group discussion and engagement on GSA Connect
  • Complete between-session assignments
  • Participate in one 30-minute individual coaching session
  • Develop and publish at least one public-facing communication/content
  • Share lessons learned and feedback with GSA

    Participants should expect to spend approximately 20-26 hours total over the course of the 8-10 weeks. Most of this time will be focused on developing and refining real-world messaging and content that participants can continue using beyond the cohort.

    Participant Benefits

    Participants will receive:
    • Opportunities to help shape how research-backed perspectives on aging show up in public conversations
    • Practical training tailored for today’s digital communications environment
    • Individualized coaching and feedback
    • Support translating expertise into public-facing messaging
    • Guidance on audience engagement and digital content strategy
    • Access to peer learning and collaboration
    • Visibility opportunities through GSA amplification
    • Opportunity to help shape a future national GSA initiative

    Application Requirements

    Active, U.S.-based members of the Gerontological Society of America are eligible. We seek participants from diverse disciplines, backgrounds, geographies, and career stages who are interested in helping shape how the public understands aging. The application will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. When applying, you will be asked to provide three short open-ended responses; the fields are limited to 200 words each, and concise, thoughtful answers are encouraged.

    Applications are due Friday, June 5. Acceptance notifications will be sent the week of June 22. Questions can be addressed to GSA Director of Communications and Social Media Todd Kluss at tkluss@geron.org.

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