This document provides guidance on community engagement and communications. It outlines 4 steps: 1) Know Yourself, 2) Know Your Community, 3) Craft Your Messages, and 4) Make an Engagement Plan. Each step includes tips and activities. The tips emphasize understanding audiences, developing tailored messages and branding, and choosing effective engagement strategies like events, education, and using a variety of communication channels.

1. COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
&
COMMUNICATIONS

4. 1. Know Yourself
2. Know Your Community
3. LUNCH!
4. Craft Your Messages
5. Make a Plan
TODAY

5. #1
Know
Yourself

9. Develop
flood
model
Identify and
prioritize
mitigation
projects
Write
school
curriculum
on river
science
Host river
clean-ups
and
paddles
Education
Watershed
collaboration
We value safety,
beauty &
prosperity!
Hands-on
Action

10. 1. Golden Circles
• (2 min) Individual Version
• (12 min) Group Version
2. Say Hi
• (5 min) Use Golden Circles to Introduce Your Team
• Why/How/What
• What you’ve accomplished so far
• One challenge you are wrestling with
ACTIVITY

11. #2
Know Your
Community

12. Develop
flood
model
Prioritize
municipal
projects
Develop
school
curriculum

13. PTO
Members
Elementary
Students
Food
Shelf
patrons
Bethel
Mafia
Conservation
Commission
Mobile
home
Park
Commuters
Sportsmen’s
Club
New
residents
New
Americans
Young
families Green Up
Volunteers

16. Inform
Consult
Involve
Collaborate
Empower

17. Inform
Consult
Involve
Collaborate
Empower
Bystanders
Contributors
Participants
Partners
Catalysts

18. 1. Audiences & Networks
• (10 min) Identify community networks & groups
• (5 min) ID connectors & messengers
• (5 min) Identify position on ladder & desired action
2. Prioritize
• (5 min) Choose top 1-3 audiences or groups for each activity
EXTRA CREDIT: Create a map of your community networks
ACTIVITY

19. #3
Craft Your
Messages

20. WHOWHAT
HOWEXPERIENCE

21. MESSAGING
TIPS

22. THINK OF OTHERS

23. THINK OF OTHERS

24. THINK OF OTHERS
Climate change
is a
scientific fact.
Climate change
is a social justice
issue.
Climate change
is a threat to
global security.

25. BUILD YOUR BRAND

26. CHARACTER/PERSONA
Friendly
Warm
Inspiring
Playful
Authoritative
Professional
TONE
Personal
Humble
Clinical
Honest
Direct
Scientific
LANGUAGE
Complex
Savvy
Insider
Serious
Simple
Technical
Fun
Whimsical
PURPOSE
Educate
Engage
Inform
Enable
Entertain
Delight
Sell
Persuade
Brand
Identity

28. BUILD YOUR BRAND

29.  Short
 Clear
 Emotional
 Unexpected
MAKE IT STICKY

30. CALL TO ACTION

31. ADD LOCAL FLAVOR

32. ADD LOCAL FLAVOR

33. DESIGN THE EXPERIENCE

34. DESIGN THE EXPERIENCE

35. DESIGN THE EXPERIENCE

36. MESSAGING
IDEAS

37. “CAN WE…”
NOTE BARRIERS
HIGHLIGHT DIVIDES
USE GLOBAL STATISTICS
“GLOBAL WARMING”
“HOW MIGHT WE…”
PITCH BENEFITS
FIND COMMON GROUND
USE LOCAL STORIES
“CLIMATE CHANGE”
CLIMATE MESSAGING

38. VERMONT FRAMING
WE MUST KEEP OUR FAMILIES & COMMUNITIES SAFE
LET’S PROTECT OUR POCKETBOOKS & DO OUR PART
ACTING TODAY WILL PREVENT FUTURE COSTS
VT’ERS DON’T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO FIX THINGS
VT’ERS LIKE TO BE SELF-RELIANT
VT’ERS LOVE OUR VILLAGES & RURAL LANDS
VT’ERS CARE ABOUT FUTURE GENERATIONS

39. MEMES

40. Photo: Flickr | Philadelphia Water Department
PUBLIC ART

41. INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS

42. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

43. Photo: YouTube | fouseyTUBE
ELEVATOR PITCHES

44. ELEVATOR PITCHES

45. TARGETED MESSAGES

46. TARGETED MESSAGES

47. TARGETED MESSAGES

48. 1. Elevator Pitch
• (2 min) Draft individual elevator pitches
• (12 min) Share and craft group elevator pitch
2. Targeted Messaging
• (15 min) Identify 1-2 top messages for each priority
audience group
EXTRA CREDIT: Build Your Brand Identity
ACTIVITY

49. #4
Make an
Engagement
Plan

50. ENGAGEMENT
TIPS

51. • Put a ‘warning’ in
the local paper
• Offer a 2 hour
lecture
• Make it the same
time as the
Superbowl or the
High School play
HOW TO MAKE SURE NO ONE SHOWS UP

52. • Provide incentives
• It is an EVENT, not a
meeting
• Choose the right time
and place
• Go to where they are
• Promote it!
• Build an audience
first
HOW TO MAKE SURE NO ONE SHOWS UP

53. • Make it
meaningful &
interesting
• Use the
feedback
• End on time
HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO COME AGAIN
This
better be
good.

54. HOW TO TRAIN & EDUCATE
“What I hear, I forget;
What I see, I remember;
What I do, I understand.”
Games
Activities
Stories
Discussion
Critical Thinking
Just listening

55. • Connect the
issue to their
own lives and
experiences
• (Personal
reflection,
sharing stories)
HOW TO GET PEOPLE TO CARE

56. HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER ON YOURSELF
• Piggyback on
existing networks,
places, groups,
events, activities
• Use the same
materials in
multiple ways
• Offer multiple
ways to provide
the same
feedback

57. DON’T FORGET THE KIDS

58. ALWAYS HAVE FOOD

59. ENGAGEMENT
IDEAS

60. THE USUAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

61. THE UNUSUAL CHANNELS
Photo: Grand Isle Art Works

62. TABLING

63. POP UP PARKS

64. CHALKBOARD WALLS

65. @GreenCitiesConf / Bobbe Besold /
Better Block Indy / Neighborhland
IDEA WALLS

66. MULTIMEDIA CONTESTS

67. Text your answer to:
802-458-0093
TEXT POLLS

68. NCDD / Austin / Heart & Soul of Essex
SURVEYS

69. ROADSHOW

70. Friends and Neighbors
NCDD / Austin / Heart & Soul of Essex
ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS

71. ON LOCATION MTGS, DEMOS

72. Public Events
BLOCK PARTIES, FESTIVALS

73. SUMMITS, FORUMS, FOCUS GROUPS

74. 1. Choose Your Channels
• (15 min) ID communication channels and purposes
2. Choose Your Activities
• (15 min) Identify engagement activities
EXTRA CREDIT: How will you measure success?
ACTIVITY

75. www.communityworkshopllc.com
david@communityworkshopllc.com
rebecca@communityworkshopllc.com
What good is an idea
if it remains an idea?
Try.
Experiment.
Iterate.
Fail.
Try again.
Change
The world.
Simon Sinek