March 2022 NNOCCI Newsletter

[Liz Ellsworth]

 Hi NNOCCI- Help us recruit for the upcoming Crash Course!

March 2022 Newsletter Hi, NNOCCI! Spread the news about our crash course and hear from the Transition and JEDI teams!  Spring 2022 Crash Course  We need your help to spread the word about our Spring Crash Course! NNOCCI's crash course is a 7-week, 25-hour, fee-based online course for those interested in gaining strategic framing skills around climate change communication.  Do you know individuals who are looking to deliver positive, civic-minded, and solutions-focused climate communications AND want to be part of a supportive community? Encourage them to sign up for the course. We're relying on members to spread the word! We are asking you to share NNOCCI's crash course postings on your personal social media pages. We are excited to welcome new climate communicators! Registration for our Spring Crash Course is open until April 11th. Register for NNOCCI Spring Crash Course Transition Team Update In December of 2020, the NNOCCI Governing Council met to outline a 10-year vision for the network. At that meeting, the Council declared that the vision for the future was “a financially stable, independent network that harnesses members and partnerships to direct and complete our work, that integrates a greater diversity of expertise, that is able to conduct/provide researched communication tools that keep up with evolving public discourse, and that provides/trains a greater array of climate communicators with tools to influence action that protect our communities!” As a direct result of this vision, the Governing Council identified a need to research potential business models to ensure financial stability. And from there, the Transition Team was created as a subcommittee of the Governing Council.  The Transition Team spent 2021 researching various business models and tax statuses and evaluating how they might support or hinder our vision. Ultimately, they narrowed the options to two: Fiscal sponsor relationship model like we had with the New England Aquarium and currently have with the Marine Mammal Center Establishing NNOCCI as an independent 501(c)(3). Currently, the Transition Team is discussing the options with the Board of Directors and Governing Council committees to reach a consensus on which model will best meet the network’s needs in the short- and long-term. Once consensus is reached, the Governing Council and Board of Directors will create a transition plan that will outline our next steps and goals over the coming years. March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month was first recognized in March of 1987 by President Ronald Reagan to bring public awareness to the cause. Developmental disabilities can include physical and mental disabilities, including hearing loss, vision impairment, and more. Learning about this diverse group of people is important.  The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a group committed to promoting online resources that have a high degree of usability for people with disabilities. The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is an initiative of the W3C that includes disability organizations, government, accessibility research organizations, among others. They focus on developing accessibility guidelines for web content and applications, browsers, and authoring tools; developing resources to improve web accessibility evaluation processes and tools; and supporting education and outreach on web accessibility. Engagement opportunities in-person can include taking part in discussions and activities with groups like Best Buddies. Open communication is necessary for highlighting the best ways to interact and encourage mutual reciprocity. Interested in learning more? Check out the World Wide Web Consortium at https://www.w3.org/ and Best Buddies at https://www.bestbuddies.org/. Copyright © 2020 NNOCCI All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are part of the NNOCCI network. Our mailing address is: National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation 1 Central Wharf New England Aquarium Boston, MA 02110 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.