April 2025 🌷Newsletter

Table of Contents

🌍 Happy Earth Month, NNOCCI Members and Friends! ☀️

We know that you, like us, celebrate the earth every day, but right now you may be feeling it’s hard to celebrate. That’s where we come in. In this issue there are lots of opportunities for you to engage in hopeful and action-oriented ways as part of our community of climate communicators!

Read on for more information on how to:

🎉 Join Us in Action: Applications NOW OPEN for NNOCCI Governing Council

👐 Share Hope & Success: Sign up for May of Momentum

📚 Learn Something New: JEDI’s New Monthly Resource Share Out & FREE Members-Only Webinar, ‘Let’s Talk Electrification’ (May 15th)

✨Tell Us What You Need: Member Survey

🥳 Give Gratitude: Thanks to our 2024 Governing Council Members!

Join NNOCCI’s Governing Council

Applications Now Open!

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for anyone interested in joining NNOCCI’s Governing Council, a group of committees actively engaged in sustaining, deepening and expanding the work of our powerful network.  We are currently recruiting for a variety of volunteer positions to join our committees, including a new Regional Leader subcommittee:

• • Communications
  • JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)
  • Training
  • Science and Evaluation
  • Membership Engagement
  • Regional Leaders

Positions are open to all, with no previous NNOCCI training required (see full descriptions in Council Position Description document below for preferred qualifications).  Some specific skills and interests we’re looking for: social media, environmental justice, learning module design & Canvas LMS experience. Please share with any colleagues who you think might be a good fit. 

• • For full position descriptions, visit: NNOCCI Governing Council Position Description
  • To apply, visit: NNOCCI Governing Council Application

Applications are due by April 30th, 2025 at 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT

Please contact ContactNNOCCI@gmail.com with any questions.

May of Momentum 

Share the Hope. Spread the Momentum 💬

Let’s be honest—many of us could use a little more encouragement and climate optimism these days. So this May we’re turning our social media into a beacon of hope, resilience, and forward motion—and we want your help to do it.

Nobody knows better than you where the good stuff is happening—whether it’s a project you’re proud of, a conversation that lifted your spirits, or a piece of good climate news that gave you hope.

✨ Got something to share? We’d love to feature it!

Submit a quick post idea—something you’ve seen, read, heard, or done that reminds us what’s possible when we work together. Like this example.

📝 It only takes 5–10 minutes to fill out our quick submission form. Our social media mavens will take it from there—spreading the good news to lift our whole community throughout the month of May. Click the button below ⬇️ to submit your post idea.

Let’s build momentum together—one hopeful message at a time.

📚 Learn Something New

May Member Event: Let’s Talk Electrification! ⚡
Thursday, May 15 at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET

Electrification—think solar panels, induction stoves, EVs—is a top strategy for cutting carbon. But what’s it really like to take on these projects at home?

Join us for a lively conversation between NNOCCI’s Treasurer Adam Ratner and Membership Director Lisa Yeager as they dive into the real-life adventures of going electric—the wins, the laughs, and the occasional surprises.

After this free Members-only event, you’ll walk away with relatable stories, practical insights for your own electrification journey, and fresh examples to use in your climate interpretation work.

Let’s spark ideas—and maybe a few giggles—together.

******

JEDI’s New Monthly Resource Share-Out

We know that the current political system has created messaging hardships for some, especially when it comes to inclusion and social justice. Starting this month, the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee will be sharing resources and research on how to navigate these conversations and connect these principles to the communities we serve. This month we’re consolidating some content that we teach in the newest Crash Course. It was designed to help course facilitators, and communicators more broadly, feel confident including issues of justice and equity in their climate conversations, even in polarized communities or when certain language has been suppressed.

📁 NNOCCI + JEDI Best Practices (Spring 2025)

Stronger Together

📣 Final Call: Shape NNOCCI’s Future-Share Your Voice! 📣

Big thanks to everyone who’s already taken our Member Feedback Survey! If you haven’t yet, there’s still time—but only a few days left! Deadline for submission is Friday, April 18.

We know this community is strongest when we listen to each other. Your input will help us focus on what matters most to you—whether it is new resources, deeper connections, or more support for your climate communication work.

⏳ It only takes 5 minutes to make a difference. Don’t miss this chance to help guide NNOCCI’s direction in the months ahead.

🎁 As a thank-you: Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for a 1:1 Bridge and Pivot coaching session—a personalized, energizing opportunity to connect with a seasoned NNOCCI Trainer to sharpen your climate communication skills.

Let’s keep NNOCCI strong—together.

🥳 Giving Gratitude 

Thank you to our 2024 Governing Council Members!

As we recruit for the 2025-2027 Governing Council, we have a number of members who are rolling off. The Board of Directors wants to send a huge THANK YOU to and hugs of appreciation for the contributions of our outgoing members:

• • Rochelle Germano, who served on our Membership Engagement Committee for many years and, per the Membership Director, was “the best anonymous chipmunk, ever”. Rochelle is rolling off to pursue law school. We wish her the best of luck!
  • Andy Gould, who served for many years on the Training Committee! Per our Training Directors, “Andy has been a huge asset over the years and was instrumental in our early Crash Courses and mentoring new members and facilitators”.
  • Ariel Hunter, who served for several years on the Communications Committee, exemplifying exceptional leadership in brainstorming our media boosting opportunities and helping shape our social media.
  • Sarah Johnson, for her Communication Committee work to help streamline the monthly newsletter and other email communications, as well as thoughtful suggestions that helped rename our training offerings to make them clearer, and created quarterly community engagement to the Governing Council.
  • Rob Lara, for his passion and excitement serving on the Membership Engagement Committee. He also assisted in developing ideas for our Fourth Friday webinar series.
  • Alayna Robertson, for her support on social media as part of the Communications Committee this past year, including the launch of our first ‘Plastic Free July’ campaign.
  • Elissa Schuett, following her Board tenure as Vice President and President. Elissa assisted the Science and Evaluation Committee in the analysis of our Spring 2024 US Embassy of Canada Crash Courses.
  • Stephanie Stinson, as part of both the Communications and Science and Evaluation Committees, Stephanie shared her talents in many ways, from providing website support, to data analysis, to helping interpret a suite of NNOCCI materials into Spanish!
  • Amber Suto, who served on the JEDI Committee for more than 2 years and was a major contributor to a library of JEDI resources for the Trainer Course in 2022 and an accessibility audit.

Thank you to these wonderful Members for helping make NNOCCI stronger, and know that this isn’t a goodbye--it’s a ‘see ya real soon!’