Workshop 1: Storytelling & Building Rapport for Climate Solutions
June 14, 1-3 PM ET
Presented by: Natasha Edmunds, Fable Smith, Alyssa Taburiaux

To build trust and vulnerability with people who are different from you, you need to be able to share vulnerably about why you hold your beliefs and find your lived experience with climate impacts. This can be challenging for many people who are not on the frontlines of extreme weather events and feel a sense of duty, but are not sure why. In this workshop, you will learn to dig deep to discover your motivates, feelings, lived experience, and dissonance with climate change.

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand the role of storytelling in deep canvassing and engagement organizing

• Can identify the key elements of an effective climate stakes story

• Can articulate a strong climate stakes story that demonstrates vulnerability, and focuses on lived experience and emotion

Workshop 2: Compassionate Curiosity and Gentle Assertiveness for Climate Solutions
June 21, 1-3 PM ET
Presented by: Natasha Edmunds, Fable Smith, Alyssa Taburiaux

Compassionate curiosity lets you dig deep to get to the root of why people hold their beliefs without judgment. This is a key skill to meeting someone with different beliefs where they are at and transforming the conversation from attack and defense to listen and empathize. People can go down rabbit holes that don’t move the conversation forward, learning to be gently assertive allows you to get the conversation back on track to find common ground and focus on core values.

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand the role of active listening and compassionate curiosity in deep canvassing and engagement organizing

• Know how to identify a ‘hint’ of a story while in conversation with voters and have the tools to elicit emotional stories by digging into those ‘hints’

• Become familiar with and able to apply key deep canvassing tools, such as the cone of curiosity and AAR (Affirm, Answer, Redirect) to gently assert and redirect the conversation

Workshop 3: Building Your Climate Communications Capacity 
June 28, 1-3 PM ET
Presented by: Montana Burgess

Most organizations have some form of external communications strategy. If you are looking to reach beyond your existing environmental supporters, you will have to communicate differently to be heard by on the fence, busy or unsure audiences. This workshop will give you some key messages, talking points learned from Neighbours United’s work, and help you practice integrating them into your communications.

At the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Understand key communications elements from Neighbours United deep canvassing programs

• Have strategies to integrate them into their communications to successfully reach new audiences and amplify support for climate solutions

• Have practice applying communications learnings to their work
  

Workshop 4: Deep Canvassing Training and Action Taking for Climate Solutions
July 5, 1-4 PM ET training and practice session
Presented by: Natasha Edmunds, Fable Smith, Alyssa Taburiaux

Now that you have learned the core deep canvassing skills, it’s time to put them all together. Join the Neighbours United team for a deep canvassing training on an active campaign, then make deep canvassing calls right away to practice the skills you have developed. This supportive environment offers calling options for people of all abilities and comfort levels.

At the end of the training and practice, participants will:

• Learn how to successfully have conflict resolving deep canvassing conversations with everyday Canadians on polarizing climate issues

• Participate in a real deep canvassing campaign

• Receive training, then phonebank residents through an online calling program

• Participate in a learning unpacking debrief session

• Receive radically hospitable support to deep canvass

Presented by:

Sponsored by:

OUR PRESENTERS:

Montana Burgess, Executive Director, Neighbours United

Montana lives on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt Peoples, also known as the South Slocan Valley. After working in the climate, energy, and environmental non-profit sector in BC, Ottawa, and internationally for over 15 years, Montana thinks deep canvassing and community organizing are desperately needed to overcome partisan politics and work together through our common struggles. Montana is a queer settler woman, who was born on Blackfoot traditional territory and grew up on the lands of the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc.

Natasha Edmunds, Organizing Director, Neighbours United

Growing up as a settler on the shores of a pristine lake in rural Quebec, from a young age Natasha developed a deep connection with protecting land and its people. Today, with over five years of community organizing experience, Natasha is moved by and determined to support people in finding common ground across lines of difference to transform conflict, build meaningful relationships, and solve some of our deepest environmental and social justice issues.

Fable Smith, Data and Engagement Coordinator, Neighbours United

Fable lives on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt Peoples, also known as Trail, BC. They were born on Treaty 2 territory on the traditional shared land of the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples. Doing community organizing for environmental and social issues over the last two years has given them hope for a better future for people and the planet in a time where they felt it was much needed.

Alyssa Taburiaux, Outreach Coordinator, Neighbours United

Alyssa grew up in a rural community in the Kootenays on the unceded territory of the Sinixt Peoples; swimming in crystal clear lakes and hiking in wild mountains, she developed a strong desire to ensure everyone would get the same opportunity to enjoy these places. Since she was a teenager, she has been involved in environmental and social organizing.