A Community of Practice
Climate Extension and Outreach Professionals Provide Timely Information to Decision Makers
Coastal decision makers have expressed a need to incorporate the implications of climate change into their existing planning practices.
However, these decision makers often lack sufficient climate literacy and context to incorporate climate information into their work. Within the Southeast and Caribbean regions of the U.S., the needs are acute and urgent. Decision makers require more guidance on effectively communicating climate impacts to government officials and other stakeholders, and in assisting these users with options for adaptation strategies. The information and guidance they receive must be accurate, useful, and timely.
The Sea Grant Programs in the Southeast and Caribbean are teaming with NOAA partners to build internal capacity on climate change in our region. The goal of the project is to build a community of practice of climate extension and outreach professionals to enhance their capacity to provide accurate and timely information, tools, and assistance.
More than 50 people attended a 3-day workshop in May to help facilitate the development of the community of practice. (Workshop Executive Summary)
Why A Community of Practice?
- Facilitates exchange and collaboration between science and policy communities
- Provides a forum through which successes of others can provide models to jump start new projects
- Makes expertise in SE climate service groups accessible to developing projects
- Allows members to ask for help from others
- Promotes stronger, more unified voice when seeking funding
Shared Presentations
The presentations from the initial Community of Practice workshop have been uploaded to the Southeast and Caribbean Climate Extension and Outreach Community of Practice page of the Coastal Climate Adaptation web site.
Click on the ‘Groups’ tab at the top, then select the Southeast and Caribbean Community of Practice group. Presentations are in the folder in the top ‘Documents’ section. There are additional workshop materials in the ‘Climate Outreach Workshop - May 2010’ folder including the participant list.
Last Updated: July 9, 2010
