Climate + Health Peer Learning Circle, 2023-24

Use your health voice! Join a community of health leaders committed to taking action on climate. 

 
 
What is the Climate + Health Circle?

The Climate Advocacy Lab's Climate + Health Circle offers a transformative 6-month peer learning experience for health professionals who are interested or passionate about combating climate change. By participating in this program, you can elevate your knowledge and commitment to a new level, gaining valuable insights on effectively communicating and engaging your community in meaningful climate action. This virtual experience, taking place from August 2023 to February 2024, is completely free.

During the program, you’ll will have the exceptional opportunity to:
  • Enhance your climate advocacy and communications skillset through learning evidence-based strategies including crafting and sharing your own climate story, building personal influence, fostering self and collective efficacy, and reshaping climate narratives.
  • Acquire best practices for motivating and sustaining climate action within your respective community or audience.
  • Collaborate with the Lab's experienced staff to leverage your own channels for climate communication and activate your community.
  • Foster supportive relationships and learn from a vibrant community of peers who face similar challenges when it comes to effectively communicating about climate change.
Who We’re Looking For

The Climate + Health Peer Learning Circle is intended for leaders in the public health and medical fields who are interested in taking their curiosity and commitment to combating climate change to another level by learning all about how they can successfully communicate and engage their respective audiences and communities to take meaningful action on climate change.

Individuals should meet all the following basic requirements in order to be considered for this opportunity:
  • Must be based in the U.S.
  • Must identify as a medical or health professional (this may include but is not limited to health educators, health scientists, doctors, nurses, community health workers, mental health therapists, physicians, etc.)
  • Must be able to commit approximately five hours a month to participate in cohort activities
  • Must be at least 18 years or older
In addition to the basic requirements listed above, we’re especially excited about individuals who:
  • Want to motivate others to take action on climate, but just aren’t exactly sure where to start
  • Are already proven leaders within their respective communities
  • Are excited about and have the capacity to take what they learn and apply it out in the real world!
 
Benefits of Participating in the Climate + Health Circle
Marchers with Climate Change is a Health Crisis signs
'Doctors Agree, The Earth is Sick' Photo by Joe Brusky // Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0
  • Become a member of the Climate Advocacy Lab, joining 3,700+ climate “practitioners” working to build durable power for lasting climate action.
  • Receive personalized consulting, coaching, and technical support from Lab staff to help you engage your community in climate.
  • Join a cohort full of esteemed health professionals eager to take action on climate.
  • Gain access to free, state-of-the-art tools, trainings and thousands of evidence-based climate resources.
What’s the Commitment?
  • Participate in one (1) monthly two-hour full group session
  • Participate in at least one (1) monthly small group session
  • Check out pre-session readings and interact with peers through our virtual community Slack space
  • Complete all cohort evaluations (intake assessment, mid-program survey, closing assessment, 3 month out evaluation, 6 month out evaluation)
Course Overview
Full Group Sessions Small Group Sessions
Orientation Session
August 23, 2023 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Cohort participants are required to attend at least ONE small group session a month.
Foundations of Climate and Health: Building a Strong Knowledge Base
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Monday, September 18, 2023 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday, September 22, 2023 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Unleashing the Power of Your Climate Story: Crafting a Compelling Narrative
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Monday, October 16, 2023 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday, October 20, 2023 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Harnessing Influence: Maximizing Your Sphere of Impact
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Monday, November 13, 2023 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday, November 17, 2023 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Mastering Climate Communications: Inspiring Change through Effective Messaging
Wednesday, December 13, 2023 
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Monday, December 18, 2023 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday December 22, 2023 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Mobilizing Communities: Motivating Action for a Sustainable Future
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday, January 19, 2024 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Sustaining Momentum: Nurturing Long-Term Climate Action
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 1: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 2: Wednesday February 21, 2024 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET
  • Option 3: Friday February 23, 2024 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Hear from Past Participants
The Climate + Health Peer Learning Circle is great if you are working at the intersection of climate and health -- you'll learn real skills about how to be more effective and more importantly, how to make your work more impactful, plus you'll get to know and connect with a diverse group of people across the country thinking and working on similar issues.
The Climate + Health Peer Learning Circle provides genuinely helpful, actionable strategies and frameworks that you won't find anywhere else regarding climate change and health advocacy.
I had no idea what I didn't know! Now I have a structure in which to approach my climate/health work, and the ongoing support of the Lab means the world.
My favorite part of this experience was connecting with my peers in this program. Making these connections and having an opportunity to meet and learn from leaders in climate and health around the country was such a fun experience! We were able to bounce off of each other to problem-solve challenges we are facing, learn from each other, and set up opportunities for collaborations going forward. Knowing there is such great climate leadership occurring across the country in the space of climate and health provides me with a newfound sense of hope and motivation.
The facilitators, Rebecca and Diamond, were so awesome! The thoughtfulness of their presentations, in curating content in a way that was manageable and easy to understand, cannot be overstated. Also great to start conversations with amazing co-participants that hopefully will continue into the future! It was so validating to hear about other participants' experiences and know that even if we don't all have the answers, we are thinking through the same issues and we are not alone.
Thank you so much for this ground-breaking and thoughtful educational experience. I am sure it will continue to develop and blossom in my organization and me. The connections alone were highly generative. Definitely worth doing again.
Meet The Climate + Health Cohort Leads!

Diamond Spratling, MPH

Diamond is an impact-driven public health professional and passionate advocate for environmental justice. Her unwavering commitment is rooted in her desire to address health, racial, and environmental disparities faced by Black and Brown communities. As the founder of Girl Plus Environment, a national non-profit organization, she strives to educate, engage, and empower Black and Brown girls, women, and non-binary individuals to become advocates for environmental justice within their own communities. Diamond’s academic background includes a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Global Health with a specialization in Community Health and Development from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Additionally, she holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Policy and Analysis from Bowling Green State University.

Rebecca Tamiru

Rebecca is a trainer, facilitator, and program manager working towards a vision of just, resilient, and regenerative communities in a climate-stable world. As the Lab's Program Manager, she oversees key areas of the Lab’s strategic program work including co-leading the Climate and Health Peer Learning Cohort and managing the Climate Justice Microgrants Program, granting to environmental and climate justice organizations to capture case studies documenting campaign wins and lessons learned. Rebecca holds a bachelor's degree in Biology of Global Health from Georgetown University and a Climate Change and Health Certificate from the Yale School of Public Health and is based in Oakland, CA. She likes to bring mindfulness, compassion, principled practice, and integrity to her work and to her relationships.
 
 
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who do you consider a “health professional”?
The term “health professional” refers to individuals who self-identify as having a career in the health sector. This might include individuals working in the medical, mental health, community health, public health, environmental health fields, and more.
Is there a cost associated with participating in the Circle?
No, we are able to offer this opportunity free of cost with generous support from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.
Are any stipends provided for participants?
We want to ensure that participants are both honored and compensated for the time they invest in our programs. With that in mind, at the completion of the program, we are able to offer $500 stipends to support participation. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to receive research stipends and technical assistance to investigate questions they have regarding communication strategies at the intersection of climate and health.
What do you mean by "peer learning"?
In addition to being trained on a core set of content, a peer learning experience is responsive to the needs of the participants and will be co-created throughout the application process and program. It includes the opportunity to tap into the wealth of experiences in the room, learning from others as well as contributing your own expertise. We are committed to building a collaborative and interactive experience for everyone and we hope you will help us put the "peer” in “peer learning” as we share, learn, and grow together!
Do I have to be a member of the Climate Advocacy Lab to apply or participate?
No, participants do not have to be members, however, we highly encourage participants to sign up for free membership as we have plenty of amazing resources to help level up your advocacy work, regardless if you participate in this program or not.
Do you have accessibility alternatives for completion of the application for those who need it?
We are more than happy to provide additional support for those who would like to use an alternative process for submitting an application, like interviews or video/audio submissions. Please contact us with your request at one of the emails listed below.
I have a question about the program or application. Who can I contact for clarity?
Please feel free to contact either of the Climate + Health Leads, Diamond Spratling or Rebecca Tamiru with any questions.