March 2025 🍀 Newsletter

An Update on Recent News

Spring is just around the corner!! With each longer day, we hope you’re finding moments for rest and recuperation. Like the budding trees and flowers, we are all still in the midst of ‘winter’, but we also hope this time of change is one of new growth, providing the opportunity to ‘clear out cobwebs’, both physically and mentally. 

Updates on Grant Termination:
Just like the seasons, we shared last month that NNOCCI experienced a major change when our sole funding, a grant from the US Embassy of Canada, was terminated effective immediately. While this was a major setback, The Marine Mammal Center (our fiscal sponsor) has been immensely supportive of our Network and the important work we do. With their help, and the support of NNOCCI’s Board of Directors, we have been able to extend our Project Coordinator position through August 2025! This position, currently filled by Board President Kait Birghenthal, will be sustained via reserve funding and partial profits from training offerings. This means that we are able to continue our Crash Course scheduled for this April and May, as well as open the registration to ALL audiences (more information below)! 

During these uncertain times for most of our Network, we want to take the opportunity to make sure we are providing clear messaging, as well as hearing your needs. First, we want to emphasize two big points:

1. NNOCCI is not going anywhere. This organization is 15 years old, and this is not our first time dealing with these major political shifts - we made it through last time, and we’ll make it through this time. We have more than double the organizations we had in 2017, as well as more than 4x the number of members. We are stronger than before, in far more states, and this work is far too important to not continue.

2. We recognize that climate change is inherently a social justice issue; as such, we have not, and will not, remove any messaging related to our JEDI work (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). However, we do recognize that certain words are now ‘problematic’ in some states; to the best of our ability, we are working to add and teach alternative verbiage to help strategically frame climate justice discussions.

How Can Members Help? 

1. Sign-up and share registration for our Spring 2025 course, “Framing the Conversation: A ‘Crash Course’ in Effective Climate Change Communication”.
   1. More information below, or visit Spring 2025 Crash Course FAQs
   2. Share the Crash Course registration with colleagues, professional groups, friends, and any other climate communicators you know! We have an easy-to-use template here!
   3. Want to share even more about NNOCCI? Find our ‘who is NNOCCI’ messaging here to share both information about the coming Crash Course as well as who we are!
   4. Registration closes March 21!
2. The Governing Council met to discuss what our members need, want, and can do in light of the termination of grant funds. To assist in this work, please complete the five minute Member Survey toward the bottom of this email!

3. Coming Soon: 

1. Want a NNOCCI t-shirt? You’re in luck! Keep an eye out for coming newsletters…

2. Governing Council recruitment is coming! Details and applications will be included in the April newsletter!

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!!

“Framing the Conversation: A ‘Crash Course’ in Effective Climate Change Communication”

A virtual training opportunity for all Climate Communicators!

❓What is the ‘Crash Course’? The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) is excited to announce registration for our Spring 2025 ‘Crash Course’! This is a 7-week, 25-hour, online course for those interested in gaining strategic framing skills, find our FAQ & More Info.

🙋 Who is the ‘Crash Course’ for? Scientists, educators, communicators, and advocates looking to improve climate conversations.

📚 Why take this course? In the Crash Course, participants will learn basic framing elements including what NNOCCI is, why framing matters, and best practices in use of values, metaphors, and solutions. This course is ideal for those who have an interest in learning more about strategic framing. For more information on NNOCCI training offerings, visit https://nnocci.org/training/. 

🌍 Why join NNOCCI? NNOCCI is a partnership among climate scientists, informal science educators, and climate communicators with public trust and large audiences. Dedicated to fostering productive conversations about climate action, we operate as a supportive community of practice. We use and teach evidence-based, empirically tested tools to inspire hope and action. Together, we can shift climate change communications to be more positive, productive, civic-minded and action-focused.

📅 Dates: Weeks of March 31 – May 12, 2025

• Cohort A: Wednesdays, April 2 – May 14 (2-3 PM ET / 11-12 PM PT)

• Cohort B: Thursdays, April 3 – May 15 (3-4 PM ET / 12-1 PM PT)

💵 Course Fee: $300 

Note, this is a virtual course, with seven one-hour webinars over seven weeks, with about 2.5 hours of asynchronous coursework each week.

Please direct any questions to ContactNNOCCI@gmail.com. As much as possible, we do not want cost to be a barrier to participation; if cost is a barrier for you, please contact Adam Ratnera at ratnera@tmmc.org for more information on our sliding scale.

We're Stronger Together

📣 Share your voice—help strengthen NNOCCI’s future!

NNOCCI is more than a network—we are a community of practice with a track record of  supporting one another through challenges and change. With so many of us facing volatility and uncertainty, now is the time to come together. Your voice matters. Take just five minutes to complete our Member Feedback Survey and help shape NNOCCI’s next steps. Tell us what you need—whether it’s resources, connections, or support—so we can focus on what matters most to you.

Your feedback will help ensure NNOCCI remains a resilient, thriving force for ocean and climate communication and engagement. 

As a thank-you:

🎉 The first 20 respondents will receive a NNOCCI button!

🎟️ All participants will be entered into a drawing for a 1:1 Bridge and Pivot coaching session—a unique opportunity for guidance, inspiration, and connection with an experienced NNOCCI Trainer, where you can hone these important skills to help best move climate conversations forward.

Some Good News!

NNOCCI was recognized as a semi-finalist for the prestigious American Climate Leadership Award! This honor is bestowed upon the top 30 applicants in the country, and we are so grateful for this opportunity to share our important work on a broader stage. Check out our new video highlighting our work, and please share with those interested in learning more.