A C L A S S I C A L L Y D E S I G N E D P R O J E C T W I T H J A Z Z Y O U T C O M E S *

MOBILIZING THE NOAA SEA GRANT NETWORK FOR COASTAL

COMMUNITY CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Washington Sea Grant Minnesota Sea Grant

Grand Marias Maine Sea Grant

Maryland Sea Gant North Carolina SG South Carolina SG

Florida Sea Grant

Pilot Communities

MY FRAME TODAY

• As Co PI looking at the overall process

• Not a final report, but what we know now

• Take Home Message: the process did more to increase the capacity of SG participants to engage local stakeholders than it did foster scientific learning among those stakeholders (But that’s okay!)

FORMAL PROCESS TO INCLUDE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH TO ASSES

LEARNERS

• Focus is understanding audience in order to better communicate climate science

• Included surveys, focus groups, mental model interviews with stakeholders, comparing stakeholder “mind maps” with an expert model

• Despite step-wise model, participants used what worked for them in their circumstances(And that’s okay too!)

PROCESS OBSERVATIONS

• Sea Grant is a diverse group of professionals

working with diverse learners in a diverse set of circumstances. One approach does not fit anyone, much less “all.” (Classical/Jazz)

• This project gave permission for SG educators to approach stakeholders and engage them on a topic they normally would not

• Requiring the use of social science tools (esp mental model interviews) to find out where your learners are “at” was challenging to educators

• Educators were stretched in their use of social science tools, and honed skills (especially cognitive interview skills)

• This can be lonely work and a SG Network helped smooth out bumps and turnovers

• SARP dollars were fairly minimal ($14k) and this

limited the time capture of the educators and the limited local attraction

• States that combined with CCCAI funds completed more work

• State that incorporated graduate students completed more work

CONTENT OBSERVATIONS

• Stakeholders tended to reflect the norm:

• Most felt that there was something going on, but there

was little connection between what they were seeing (less snow in winter) and the science of climate change.

• Little “causal connection” of climate change to local impacts

• Less evidence of a systems view among stakeholders interviewed

• Little sense of “adaptation” as a concept relative to mitigation. Yet, they’re doing it already, in support of sustainability goals

• Less sense of urgency than self identified scientists

POLITICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL REALITIES

• Clearly a left/right ideological issue (50/50)

• Local leaders want leadership first from the State; the State wants leadership from the Feds; the Feds want leadership from the electorate.

• If an elected leader or top manager got an invitation to participate, they often passed it on to a “relevant” department head—often an environmental department.

Relevant issues tended to cluster around:

• Environmental quality, usually water related

• Coastal hazards, usually erosion/storms

• The local economic impact of the above

CONSIDERATIONS FOR SEA GRANT

• Importance of understanding OUR mental models

and worldviews as educators (e.g. academics focus on “causes”, stakeholders focus on “impacts”)

• Appreciating and balancing the tension between these polar impulses. Using those effectively as educators

DANCING WITH DUALITIES

• Content vs. Process

• Physical science vs. Social Science

• Subject Matter driven vs. Learner driven

• Classical vs. Jazz strategies*

• “Predict and Act” vs. “Test and Evaluate”

Sea Grant Educators

Mostly, I just liked the imagery of this recent comic… But, “You People” might include: Notions of SG educators confined to being neutrally biased conveyors of technical information; hesitancy by supervisors to let SG educators get involved in such “messy” topics; stakeholders who don’t want SG involved in “climate change”; cut-backs in climate change grants for education and engagement; and any other real or perceived impediment to doing this work.

Mobilizing the NOAA Sea Grant Network for Coastal Community Climate ResilienceSlide Number 2My Frame TodayFormal Process to include social science research to asses learnersProcess ObservationsSlide Number 6Slide Number 7Content ObservationsSlide Number 9Political and Ideological RealitiesSlide Number 11Considerations for Sea GrantDancing with DualitiesSlide Number 14