Sustainability communications masterclass delivered to students & staff
Earlier this month, Anna Morfitt (Communications Officer, ESAY) delivered a climate communications masterclass for students and staff at the University.
On 7 November, a sustainability communications masterclass was delivered to 15 staff and students across the University, and as part of the newly launched MSc Environmental Sustainability Education and Communication. Led by Anna Morfitt, Communications Officer for Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY), the 2-hour workshop aimed to explore effective ways of communicating climate change using a positive approach, and how to reframe climate messages to motivate and empower action.
The workshop covered key topics, including understanding framing, avoiding communication traps, and promoting positive ways of seeing the world. Participants engaged in activities such as word association games and analysed videos to grasp the impact of language choices. The workshop also highlighted the importance of clear communication goals, knowing the audience, and defining success indicators. It also touched on the role of values in climate messaging, emphasising the need to reinforce enabling beliefs while avoiding barrier beliefs.
The session concluded with an interactive group activity where everyone was challenged to apply the workshop's principles in crafting a positive communication campaign addressing air pollution in schools.
A huge thanks to everyone who participated in this session. We are hoping to deliver this workshop on an annual basis to staff and students across the University who are interested in sustainability and climate communications. Keep an eye out for this opportunity coming up in the future.