An award has been made to the New England Aquarium to develop the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI). The overall goal of the CCEP Phase I project is to establish a coordinated national network of regionally- or thematically-based partnerships devoted to increasing the adoption of effective, high quality educational programs and resources related to the science of climate change and its impacts. This project will strengthen the capacity of aquariums and related Informal Science Education institutions (e.g., coastal national parks, nature centers, and national marine sanctuaries) throughout the U.S. to interpret climate change and its impacts on coastal zones and marine life. Working with professional and volunteer aquarium interpreters and educators the partnership will provide training, tools, and support to help aquarium professionals interpret climate change for their visitors, making connections with collection animals. The initiative will serve not only the partner institutions, but also an expanding network of aquariums and informal science education institutions interested in bringing important messages about climate change and the ocean to their visitors. The specific goals include (1) grounding interpretative techniques with visitor research; (2) building a "community of practice" of interpreters; (3) deepening the scientific content knowledge of interpreters; and (4) expanding to reach additional institutions nationwide. By the end of this project, the PIs expect to (1) convene two conferences of stakeholders; (2) implement two pilot "Study Circles" facilitated by FrameWorks Institute; (3) conduct formative evaluation to deepen our understanding of the potential and scalability of Study Circles as a way to facilitate communities of practice; and (4) develop a realistic, feasible strategic plan for scaling up communities of practice to reach hundreds of institutions across the U.S. More information on this project is available by visiting www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503465, or contacting the PI.
(NNOCCI) developed an effective approach to specialized training for educators from informal science education institutions (ISEIs). The approach, called Study Circles, was effective in fostering a "community of practice"— a network of colleagues working together and supporting one another toward a common goal. Study Circles also increased hopefulness and willingness to engage in addressing issues of climate change through professional networks and interpretation. These conclusions are based on evaluation and studies of close contacts from participants’ personal networks. NNOCCI set out to build a partnership with the ultimate goal of increasing capacity among leaders at ISEIs to address issues of climate change with public audiences. We focused on Strategic Framing—an approach to communication grounded in multi-disciplinary communications research that explores how people think about a particular issue and identifying trends in thinking within a cultural group. Based on trends, specific communication elements are recommended to encourage more attention on an issue, and more productive thinking that is better aligned with the understanding of experts on that issue. NNOCCI phase I focused its work around two Study Circles, working groups of 23 people each that met 3 times over a six-month period, providing sustained learning for 46 colleagues representing 21 ISEIs. In addition, NNOCCI convened a "Leadership Learning Circle" made up of eleven key staff members representing four different NSF-funded CCEP- I projects. This group was similar to a Study Circle but reviewed theories at the heart of each CCEP project rather than focusing on learning about theory of strategic framing.
