UNCG will host an Ocean Advocacy Workshop (OAW) March 25-26 at the Summit Environmental Center, Haw River State Park, Browns Summit, NC.
OAW was designed to increase college students’ literacy and advocacy skills around ocean issues (overfishing and plastic pollution). The multi-institutional team that has planned it comes from UNCG, NCSU, NC Wildlife Federation, and the Plastic Ocean Project.
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Biology Ann Berry Somers and Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Etsuko Kinefuchi led the planning team from UNCG.
The two-day workshop (attended by 130+ participants) is almost entirely sponsored by UNCG’s Green Fund and UNSU’s Sustainability Fund. So, the students from UNCG and NCSU are the main participants, although some community members (who are paying) are also participating. Green Fund-funded projects are chosen by UNCG students (the Green Fund committee), too. The event tells that UNCG students care about the environment and sustainability and that they are attending this two-day workshop as an extra-curricular activity to improve their knowledge and skills.
The workshop shows how UNCG’s commitment toward being a key part of the solution. Working collaboratively with other leaders in the community, the University is addressing pressing environmental issues that affect NC.
According to Somers, the event is “an opportunity for a new generation of ocean advocates to alter the course of our nation’s environmental trajectory for the betterment of our planet and future generations.”
Participants will learn how to communicate effectively with their federal, state, and local representatives and engage with their local communities on critical environmental policies and legislation. The workshop will address petitioning, procedural etiquette and how to dress appropriately for meetings with elected officials, effective ways to contact and follow through with representatives, and how to format and craft social media posts, letters, and emails.
