1. Title: Using Effective Environmental Education and Communication Principles and Tools In Your Work to Improve Outcomes, Foster Wellness, and Cultivate Community

 

2. Length: half-day

 

3. The theme of this workshop is how the principles and tools from the field of environmental education and communication that research has shown are particularly effective can be used to improve the outcomes of environment-related programs, with a focus on principles and tools that foster wellness and cultivate community.

I believe this workshop is justified as many members of AESS are involved in forms of environmental education and communication but may not be familiar with the research and literature in this field. Therefore, it will benefit them to be introduced to this field and to these principles and tools, as AESS members are likely to be able to use these skills and knowledge in their daily practice. In particular, environmental education and communication addresses questions about how to get community  members interested and involved in environmental issues -- how to motivate them to care about the environment generally.  This caring for the environment is often at a local scale, and can take the form of community activism or development, where stronger bonds between community members are created through working on environmental projects that matter to the community.  This often leads to empowerment of the community, particularly groups who are traditionally less powerful in society.

Wellness can be increased in a physical sense by these community projects, where local environments become cleaner and healthier, meaning people in them are not exposed to toxins and are able to be outside more, which is an additional health benefit.  There is also a mental and emotional aspect to wellness.  The empowerment and ownership people feel when they succeed at a project increases their feelings of wellbeing.  Social bonds develop which also increase general wellness.

I have used the example of a community action project, but a similar network of effects happens when students are involved in a class project, or when people join an environmental volunteer organization.  I believe that community development and wellness are inseparable from good environmental education.  Of course, the specific form these take is unique to location and context.

Additionally, a field such as environmental education and communication clearly falls under the interdisciplinary mantle of AESS but is not well-represented at AESS currently. Finally, environmental education and communication research is deeply concerned with issues of the environment, wellness, community, and their interconnections, and can add substantially to the dialogue around the conference’s theme.

 

4. Goals and Learning Outcomes

The goals/learning outcomes for this workshop are

-for participants to discuss definitions of “environmental education” and “environmental communication”

-for participants to gain introductory level knowledge of some principles and tools of environmental education and communication (EEC)

-for participants to experience some of the EEC activities as learners

-for participants to brainstorm how they could use the EEC tools and principles in specific ways in their own practices

 

5. Outline

-group icebreaker that involves moving around the room

-introduce workshop presenter

-acknowledge First Nations land

-participants briefly introduce themselves

-go over plan for the workshop: all references to research available at the end

 

-definitions of “environmental education” and “environmental communication” – popcorn style, take notes on board

-note multiple perspectives, no one authoritative “right” answer – important in EEC and in cultivating community

-I will add that I have my idea about a definition of EEC, but that others working in the field may disagree, which is absolutely fine and important to academic scholarship

-I am speaking from my own experience and understanding and reading, but not as an authority on EEC in total

-pull together, questions?

 

-topic 1: Connection to Nature

         -quantitative scales/surveys

         -qualitative: significant life experiences (Rachel Carson, Chawla’s research)

         -participants’own life experiences in the outdoors (share in small groups)

         -large discussion: impact of experiences – particularly, sense of community and wellness

         -reflection: how could you use this in your work?

         -what really lingers from these experiences – facts, emotions, values?

 

-topic 2: Communicating Emotions and Values

         -videos (Apple ads, Obama campaigns, etc.)

         -Lakoff and Kollmuss – why knowledge doesn’t change people’s behaviour

         -value line activity

         -how to communicate wellness and community as valuable? Are they valuable? Why/why not?

         -reflection: how could you use this in your work?

 

-bathroom break

-reconvene and go outside

 

-topic 3: Place-Based Learning and Relationships with More Than Human Others

         -meet a tree activity, in pairs

         -grounding activity, solo

         -wellness benefits of being outside (PNAS, Nature, etc.)

         -discussion: examples of outdoor communities?

         -discussion: how is the experience of being outdoors different than being indoors?

 

-return indoors (or remain outside, depending on weather and participant comfort)

-research on place-based learning and relationships with more-than-human-others (Orr, Abram, Kimmerer)

-reflection: how could you use this in your work?

 

-topic 4: Systems Thinking

         -small group discussion: what does this mean to people? Examples of systems?

         -Meadows’ book

         -discussion: how can applying systems thinking foster wellness and cultivate community, generally or specifically?

         -when we consider (environmental) education and communication as part of a system, what are some of the elements of the system that are also interacting? – small group discussion/draw diagrams on board

         -what does this mean about our role in controlling the outcome?

         -reflection: how could you use this in your work?

 

-wrap up:

-Naess’ idea about taking action in our sphere of influence, small conversations on our front door step: nudging the system where we can, as best we can, through the relationships we build, through education and communication

-gratitude and thanks

-questions?

 

6. Workshop Leader: Elizabeth Beattie.

She will be leading the workshop. She has almost 20 years of experience teaching outdoor environmental education, a Master’s degree in Environmental Education and Communication, and her her doctoral research focuses on environmental learning.

 

7. This workshop will introduce several research-based principles and tools of environmental education and communication that are particularly effective for improving the outcomes of environment-related programs, fostering wellness and cultivating community. We will practice techniques hands-on and enjoy interactive discussions.