Transforming young adults’ climate learning and actions through a co-created climate communication retreat

Figures & data

Table 1. Methodological approach of climate communications retreat.

Objectives	Methods	Principles of transformational learning
1. Explore climate change as a set of sociocultural meanings and communicative practices	Personal climate storytelling through objects Expert presentation on climate science and Austrian impacts Expert presentation on visual multimedia climate communication Expert presentations on climate communications research Discussion on decolonising climate movement through communication examples Participants share/discuss own examples of effective/ineffective climate communications Co-create a set of climate communication principles	Communication, experiential, emotional, Cognitive, rational, emotional Cognitive, communication Communication, cognitive Communication, active participation, experiential Communication, active participation, experiential Communication, active participation, collaborative project- based learning, relational
2. Foreground embodied and collaborative learning and sharing	Collectively agree a shared set of group rules Buddying up system Individual reflective journaling Sharing existing skills sets with each other Joanna Macy’s ‘Truth Circle’ Co-create a set of climate communication principles Collective sharing of feelings (impromptu) Group hike Collective music-making night Write collective manifesto on climate justice (impromptu) Final night ‘ceilildh’ and dancing by the lake	Active participation, relational Relational Reflexivity Cognitive, relational, experiential Active participation, intuitive, emotional, relational, embodied Communication, active participation, collaborative project- based learning Relational, emotional, intuitive, reflexivity Embodied, relational, experiential Embodied, relational, experiential Intuitive, cognitive, active participation, communication Embodied, relational, experiential, active participation
3.Co-create climate communications as a form of meaning-making and creative action	Co-create a set of climate communication principles Identify climate themes in small groups and work on climate campaign ideas Test first draft ideas with peer group and project team for feedback Write collective manifesto on climate justice (impromptu)	Communication, active participation, collaborative project- based learning, relational Cognitive, collaborative project- based learning, relational, communication Collaborative project- based learning, relational, active participation Intuitive, cognitive, active participation, communication

Figure 1. Discussing youth climate communication examples.

Figure 2. The ‘St Gilgen Climate Collective’ collaboratively writing their climate justice manifesto.

Figure 3. Collective group bonding in the inspiring setting of St Gilgen, Austria.

Figure 4. The final co-created climate campaign logos.

Table 2. Young people’s collaborative climate communication projects.

Campaign title	Aim	Story/message	Target group	Communication format
Vojo	Promote low-carbon travel through an attractive, informative web-platform set up to expand into an inter-modal, low-carbon route planner	Alternatives to flying are not out of reach (budget- and time wise) for young adults	Concerned young adults with an above average level of climate consciousness	Animated video and web platform
Sea it, heal it	Bring attention to the issue of ocean acidification through a human context	The ocean is like the human body and needs to be healthy	Young adults	Interactive advert with gaming element
Young humans of climate change	Use narratives of young climate leaders around the world to inspire action	You can make a difference and you are not alone.	Concerned young adults that do not know how to engage with climate change yet	Web platform
No time to waste	Provide a new frame for conversations about climate by thinking about how we use our time, what we value most in life and how we frame success	Low-carbon happiness is achievable. You just need to re-think some time-consuming, expensive and unsustainable behaviour traps.	Successful, hedonistic, consumption-oriented young adults	Postcard and social media campaign