Climate Conversation Facilitators Program
What is the Climate Conversations Facilitator program?
We’re recruiting passionate people in Scotland to become Climate Conversations Facilitators. You’ll be trained on how to have effective conversations with your friends, family and wider communities on climate change, and how to give them tools and strategies to cut their carbon footprint and advocate for strong climate action. You’ll be supported by us every step of the way.
Who is SCCAN?
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network or SCCAN / Transition Scotland Hub is a network of community groups and organisations. Our purpose is to support community-led action to address the climate and nature emergency and work for a just, thriving and resilient Scotland. We are a volunteer-powered organisation. The Scottish Government is supporting us to pilot the Climate for Change programme, which is originally Australian, in Scotland. Climate for Change Australia has developed and iterated upon the Climate Conversations Programme model for the last five years.
With the Climate for Change programme, we seek to create the social and political environment to address climate change effectively. Our vision is a country in which climate action is a top priority and where community, business and government unite to make the courageous and urgent changes needed to return to a safe climate.
When will training be held?
Online and in-person training sessions are held regularly. It involves attending a climate conversation then joining a training that is either one full day, or spread over 2 half days or across 4 evenings. For updates, please email:
c4c@sccan.scot
The online sessions will be held on Zoom and you will be sent the joining link and preparation work beforehand. With in-person training we aim to develop regional communities of facilitators that can support each other.
What if I can’t make one or all of the training sessions?
We do require you to attend all training sessions so if you can’t make the sessions of the training please consider registering for the next one.
You can express interest now and we will be in touch.
What is the time commitment?
Once you are trained as a volunteer facilitator the time commitment is between 2-4 hours per week, depending on how many Conversations you organise.
- One or two 2.5-hour Climate Conversations
- Monthly Ongoing Facilitator Training online
- Contacting hosts
Many of our facilitators work full time and find that the time commitment is not a problem, as most people prefer to hold Conversations outside of standard business hours.
Do I have to be a climate change expert to become a facilitator?
No! We teach you everything you need to know. The most important characteristics for the role are good people skills, good listening skills and a passion for climate action. If you’re still concerned you don’t know enough about climate change, please give us a call – we’d love to hear from you.
How successful is the Climate Conversations model?
This approach is based on social research that explains that people process information – make sense of it, make decisions about it and take actions around it – through conversations with people they trust. This is how social change happens.
Climate Conversations uses the party plan model to facilitate discussions about climate change in people’s homes and among friends. This model of engagement is unique within the climate movement and has proven extraordinarily effective in reaching new audiences at both depth and scale.
Surveys show that nine out of ten participants leave feeling more empowered to take action, and four out of five were influenced to change at least one behaviour.
How many facilitators are needed?
We’re recruiting on an ongoing basis passionate people all across Scotland with a diversity of ages, genders, areas and cultural backgrounds. We want to keep the group smaller for now so we can properly support you over the next six months and create a good sense of community.
How will I run Conversations?
Either you or someone you know will offer to host a Conversation. This person will invite approximately 6-12 people (either online, or to their home, or to a local venue) and you will go along and present information you’ve been trained in, facilitate discussion, and motivate action.
You’ll be supported by us every step of the way with digital learning materials, live webinars, mentoring and workshops. You can even choose to partner up with another facilitator to run Conversations together.
Do I need to hold the Conversations online?
Facilitators can run the Conversations in-person or online. It also depends on your personal preference, but we do suspect that your friends and family will be looking forward to getting together in-person for a light meal or some cake to go with the Conversation!
Can I just host Conversations?
Yes! You can choose to host a Conversation at your home with a facilitator leading the Conversation. This is a great way to share the load.
How many Conversations will I need to run?
We would like the facilitators to kick off their Conversations as soon as they are trained. You can aim to run at least one per month, and doing two or more per month will keep you in good practice.
Can I sit in on a real Conversation?
Yes! We will offer the opportunity to attend a ‘real life’ Conversation in the week leading up to the training so you can get a feel for it, and be certain that it’s the right thing for you. This will provide you with the understanding for the training.
What resources will be supplied to me?
We will supply you with everything you need to plan and deliver Climate Conversations. This includes:
- Host Guide, including invitation email
- Pre-workshop attendee survey
- Powerpoint presentation
- Workshop resources and script
- Post-workshop attendee survey
When will the Conversations begin?
We would like the Conversations to begin as soon as you are trained.
How will I recruit friends and family?
We will provide you with content for invitational emails that you can use to invite your friends and family to a Conversation.