WOMENWORKINGFOR OCEANS

CASE BOOK

MADE IN CONJUNCTION WITHENGAGING URBAN COMMUNITIES INHEALTH AND MEDIA LITERACY

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INTRODUCT ION

CHRISTINA BARTONZIHANG LIU

REBECCA TODAROASHLEY CUNNINGHAM REBEKAH BRINKERHOFF

Women Working for Oceans (W20) is an entirely female group working to educate allindividuals, especially in the Greater Boston area, about environmental problemsafflicting our oceans to inspire action to save our blue planet. In the sea of oceanconservation organizations, W20 is unique because it brings female empowermentinto the conversation.

W2O, however, lacks a strong public narrative which has resulted in organizationstruggles with membership and getting the attention they deserve.

A public narrative can be a strong emotional catalyst for potential members and eventparticipants. SeaScope is a storytelling tool that pairs a member-only app with aninteractive map on the W2O website. SeaScope equips W2O membership with thetools that they need to craft their narrative, promote engagement with the community,document the organization’s influence, and motivate others to join the oceanconservation effort.

In collaboration with the executive board of Women Working for Oceans, we presentthe following process aimed at discovering their compelling public narrative. .

PROBLEM SPACE LANDSCAPEANALYSIS

PROTOTYPE EVALUATING IMPACE THEORETICALJUSTIFICATION

PROBLEMSPACE

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE

Ocean health may seem far removed from community concern, but in truth it has a tremendous impact on our own. Taking care of our oceans is critical to public health as ocean health is intimately linked to our own. The health of our oceans is tied to the quality of the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat . Globally, the top five issues concerning ocean conservation are overfishing, loss of species and habitats, pollution, and acidification. In Boston, we are especially at risk the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change, which has the potential to inundate low-lying coastal areas, damage infrastructure, and cost lives. Everyone has the power and responsibility to take action to save the ocean, not just locally, but globally.

Women Working for Oceans is an organization which seeks to chip away at these oceanic environmental problems by encouraging action through education. W2O educates their members and the surrounding community on environmental issues, and encourages them to take certain personal actions to reduce plastic waste, reduce their carbon footprint, and generally be conscious of the ways in which their actions affect the health of the ocean. W2O communicates important scientific information to the community through special events, social media, and blogging.

W2O is facing a unique challenge. While their community events are well-attended, the organization as a whole hasn’t been able to fully communicate the power of these events, the service they provide to a wider audience. In short, W2O lacks a strong public narrative necessary to help draw in future members and build a more diverse membership. W2O is full of stories of women taking action for the sake of a healthier planet, but these stories aren’t being told. These are stories which could inspire similar actions by others, which could encourage more women to join the organization, and which define what it means to be a W2O member at all. Sharing a clear public narrative would help spread the influence of W2O and, in turn, create widespread awareness around ocean conservation in general.

LANDSCAPEANALYSIS

eing a member of Women Working for Oceans comes at a relatively high financial cost with low expectations for

participation. Enjoying invitations to intimate, member-only events in exchange for $50 in dues annually, W2O members are

given free range to engage with the organization as little or as much as they’d like. At meetings, members participate by

sharing ideas, creating events, connecting the organization to speakers, and engaging in conversations on ocean conservation

efforts. On their own, many of these members make change happen locally, but it isn’t usually documented. For instance, a

member persuaded a local car dealership to stop serving coffee in Styrofoam cups, influencing other members to pursue

similar initiatives. Another member required women to bring reusable water bottles for entry to a meeting. Without a tangible

public narrative as a community, however, the definition of what it means to be a member remains vague, leaving little

incentive for potential advocates to feel motivated to get involved. At this time, the executive board is frustrated with the lack

of contributions from general membership. Outside of meetings and member-only events, the W2O community is

disconnected, making location a barrier. Additionally, the price of membership is a barrier to young, enthusiastic supporters of

ocean conservation and people of varying socio-economic statuses. While W2O’s events held at the New England Aquarium

are popular, this has not resulted in increased membership.

Women Working for

Oceans, in partnership with

the renowned New England

Aquarium, is a Boston-

based group working to

inform individuals about

the challenges facing our

oceans and inspiring action

to ensure a healthy,

sustainable blue planet for

tomorrow.

W2O’s membership consists of primarily white, upper class women between the ages of 45-55 years old that reside in the Greater Boston

area. Since W2O is not a fundraising organization, many of the events and speakers are put on as the result of membership donations and

connections. Like the audience members at W2O events, members aren’t experts in ocean conservation. These women have diverse

motivations for supporting W2O, including personal histories tied to the ocean, related career paths, passions for relevant eco-causes like

climate change, and/or an immense appreciation for the unique beauty of the ocean.

This community makes a difference by connecting the masses to crucial ocean conservation research, education, and issues. They desire

to be seen as not only a conservation organization, but also a woman leadership organization that empowers women making change. In

the words of one executive board member, “Women in countries that are being most affected by climate change and ocean issues are

often the ones trying to solve the problems, trying to keep their homes from falling into the sea.” This organization’s community represents

only one piece of that global story. Without a clear understanding of what it means to be a “W2O Member,” this community struggles

when it comes to encouraging participation, nurturing new leaders, and enticing potential members.

THE COMMUNITY

STAKEHOLDERS

The following groups are individuals who are either

directly or indirectly affected by Women Working for

Oceans. In an ideal situation, these groups would be

consulted with when creating a solution for this

membership community.

W20 Members W20 Executive

Board

Community

Partners

& Speakers

New England

Aquarium

Non-member

Event

Participants

Ocean

Conversation

Groups in Boston

PROTOTYPE

SEASCOPE IS AN ONLINE NETWORKCOMPOSED OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT

INTERACTIVE FEATURES DESIGNED TOCONNECT, DISPLAY, AND DOCUMENTTHE SCOPE AND IMPACT OF WOMENWORKING FOR OCEANS. IT’S AN APP

THAT’S LINKED TO THE HOMEPAGE OFTHE W20 WEBSITE.

WHAT IS SEA SCOPE

SHORT TERM: IMMEDIATE POSTINTERVENTION

1MEDIUM TERM:SIXTH MONTHS

LONG TERM: TWOYEARS

2 3

UPDATE: Update W2O membershipbenefits to include access to theSeaScope app. At six months,members should be aware of theSeaScope app and their role in itssuccess. Encourage members tocontinually update SeaScopecontent through the app.Reemphasize the importance ofSeaScope at membership events.

PUBLICIZE: Generate buzz about theapp on existing social mediaaccounts. Publicize SeaScope atmembership events and publicevents. Send information to W2Omembership about the exciting newopportunity, highlighting how itaffects them as individuals and howit affects the organization.ENCOURAGE: Either stronglyencourage or require participationin SeaScope as a part of W2Omembership.

EXPAND: Discuss the expansion ofthe app to include global influenceinstead of just Greater Bostoninfluence. If changes to the appneed to be made, Girls Who Code(or other partners) will need to bereached out to again.

FEEDBACK: Reach out tomembership to ask how the app isworking for them and how it can beimproved. Document this feedbackthrough a questionnaire. Ultimately,the community knows what is best.Trust their insights and opinions tocreate a better experience.SUPPORT: Hire a tech savvy internto monitor the map’s engagement.

ADOPTION PLAN

COMMUNICATE: If changes oradditions need to be made toSeaScope based on feedback ornew needs, reach back out to GirlsWho Code/ developing partner todiscuss how to make the newvision a reality. Theimplementation process outlinedin the short term section of theAdoption Plan may need to berepeated.

OPEN: Consider opening up appuse to the general public. Thedownside to this expansion wouldbe that the map would no longerbe a storytelling tool to outlineW2O’s influence. A second mapcould be created for the generalpublic.

ADD: Depending on the successand acceptance of the app, amessaging feature could be addedso that W2O members couldmessage each other aboutactivities, meetings, and events.Another feature that could behelpful, especially in locations withmany pins, might be a colorcoordination feature. Certainactions or events would beindicated through different colors,(e.g. blue would be a membershipmeeting, green might be a beachcleanup, yellow might be a policychange).

ARCHIVE: To declutter the map, anarchive feature may need to beintegrated into the design so thatuploads are not lost, but are alsonot displayed on the main map.Only recent uploads would beavailable on the map.

PLAN: Develop a flexible businessplan to create and implementSeaScope with the W2O executiveboard. Probe for possible additions tothe SeaScope structure, designatecoordinators for the process, andfinalize SeaScope plan to reflect thedesires of the community.Understand budget limitations, incase your community partnerrequires financial assistance to createSeaScope.

CONNECT: Reach out to Girls WhoCode to propose the app/websiteinterface and establish a communitypartnership. This proposal can besent through their website:http://girlswhocode.com. This designbook can facilitate conversation.

BUILD: With the technical expertise ofGirls Who Code, co-design theSeaScope app and interactive webpage. SeaScope should be co-designed with the W2O membershipso that the app is created aroundtheir needs for them to easily sharewhat they find important. If membersare involved in the design, they will bemore invested in using the app onceit has launched.

TEST: Allow a sub-segment of W2Omembership to test out the app andinterface. This will not only helppopulate the initial launch ofSeaScope, but also troubleshoot forany problems or unmet needs.

DESIGNATE: Designate a member ofW2O to review and approve uploadsto the website interface. Make this arotating position, one that is availableto passionate members of thecommunity.

EVALUATINGIMPACT

It’s fairly simple to measure the effectiveness of a concept that relies almost entirely on engagement from the people using it. Success for SeaScope is largely quantifiable— it can largely be studied by just looking to the activity on the website to gauge its impact. However, with most new sites, it takes time for the virtual space to embed itself into the routine and practice of an organization. The success of SeaScope will not be immediate, and especially because the majority of W20’s current members are generally on the fringes of society’s internet-adoring generation, it

might take it longer for it to stick. But perhaps the technological learning curve is a silver lining. Perhaps it will require older members to rely, reach out to, and interact more with younger members. And it will possibly attract more younger members, too.

It’s easy to watch buzz online. Big data offers helpful tracking and insight into the success of a website because the numbers show a literal representation of how successful it is. However, only looking to online activity to measure the success of SeaScope is limiting. We’ll need to look outside the web and study the impact of the site on the community. We’ll need to ask:

• How is SeaScope’s online community deepening and widening connections in the real world?

• Is the site creating a bridge between older and younger members? • Members from different social, economic, or racial groups? • Members who live on opposite sides of the city? • How is SeaScope catalyzing relationships between people from varying

demographics?

W20 wanted to increase its membership and improve its diversity, and SeaScope offers an opportunity for these two things to occur. Online spaces foster the creation of unlikely connections and discoveries.

We’re looking to see not only whether SeaScope increases membership, diversity, and engagement with the community, but also how effectively it tells the organization’s narrative. We’ll be asking:

Is this an effective way to tell the story of an organization?

Last, we’ll measure success by whether SeaScope catalyzes environmentalist actions by its members.

THEORETICALJUSTIFICATION

The driving force of this project is the power of a public narrative. “Practicing leadership – enabling others to achieve purpose in the face of uncertainty – requires engaging the heart, the head, and the hands: motivation, strategy, and action” (Ganz). A public narrative is comprised of three parts: a story of why I have been called (“Story of Self”), a story of why we have been called (“Story of Us”), and a story of the urgent challenge on which we are called to act (“Story of Now”). While W2O members have their own unique reasons for being passionate about ocean conservation, W2O does not currently have a way to articulate the collective identity of the organization: How is this community different from others? W2O sits in an extremely powerful place, at the intersection of female empowerment and ocean conservation. By tapping into the public narrative of this organization, W2O has a greater chance of connecting emotionally with potential members.

In the early planning stages, we wanted to create an engaging storytelling tool that defined the membership community, amplified individual lived experiences, and articulated tangible impacts made by the organization. To offer a partial solution to the issue of disengaged members, we also wanted to nurture civic imagination among the current membership. Civic imagination is the capacity to imagine alternatives to current social, political, and economic conditions. “Superpowers to the People!” emphasizes the importance of helping individuals learn to trust their own voice in order to imagine themselves as active political agents. “Online, nonpolitical, interest-driven activities serve as a gateway to participation in important aspects of civic, and at time, political life” (Jenkins et al). By giving membership the power to share what they find impactful along with their peers, this fosters not only a sense of community, but also an expectation of participation. The geotagged map offers snapshots of W2O’s influence on the Greater Boston community and gives members ideas on how they can better engage with their own communities and make local change. We hope this sets the foundation for a participatory culture within W2O; a culture where there are low barriers to expression and civic engagement and strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations. It is a culture in which members believe their contributions matter and feel social connection with one another. Inspired by the work of Angela Cooke-Jackson on peer-to-peer mentoring with urban youth, SeaScope is built on the foundation that “empowerment comes from learning new media literacy skills and using them to transform knowledge into a public message that can be shared with peers” (Cooke-Jackson). By allowing membership to upload content, we hope that this increases confidence in their abilities as agents of change. With SeaScope, W2O’s membership now has the opportunity to co-create the public narrative that they are a part of. As an organization, W2O works to improve ocean conservation literacy by not only providing information, but by also providing tools and ideas to actively make change on a micro and macro level. Tools like SeaScope promote literacy by nurturing a peer-to-peer model of learning, sharing, and action.

CONCLUS ION

Women Working for Oceans is an organization distinguished by its female-only

membership. It stands at the crossroads of female empowerment and

environmental conservation. At a time when we’re fighting climate change, sea

level rise, and pollution, while women are still fighting for equality across the world,

the story of W2O is especially resonant, and deserves to be heard by a larger

audience. Communicating a strong public narrative of Women Working for Oceans

would help separate this organization from others, and allow people to emotionally

connect with the organization and its cause. SeaScope would build this larger

narrative story by story as they are submitted by members. It would allow W2O to

represent visually and digitally what they experience as a collective. Inspiring

action, encouraging potential activists, and cultivating more members are all

possible with a newly defined narrative and a tool to communicate it.

"Even if you never have the chance to see or touchthe ocean, the ocean touches you with every breathyou take, every drop of water you drink, every biteyou consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably

connected to and utterly dependent upon theexistence of the sea.”

Dr. Sylvia Earle

APPENDIX

IDEAS IDEA 1: Honor women working for sustainability

Summary: Members of W20 can nominate women in the Greater Boston Community working on issues of Sustainability and Aquatic Health. They can be scientists, politicians, artists, moms, etc. Three women are chosen, honored at a ceremony or summit, and their work is featured on the W20 website/social media.

Who uses or engages with this? Members of the organization (typically middle-aged women) would be able to nominate any woman of any age working on relevant issues. Website and social media content could be viewed by anyone.

Why do they use it? W20 would use this to establish their organization as one that empowers and recognizes women who are committed to improving the future of our planet, especially the oceans. The competition can generate press and awareness of the organization and its narrative.

When do they use it? Once a year. The length of the nomination and decision process would need to be determined by the actual women who are doing it.

Potential Impact This could re-frame W20 as an organization which empowers women taking action rather than as an organization of women who are concerned about the same thing.

Challenges for Implementation Members may not have incentive to nominate anyone.

IDEA 2: Utilize Socrative App. During Events

Summary: Since a good deal of their programing is lecture based, the Socrative Quiz app could make their lectures more engaging. The app allows for real time responses to questions from the lecturer, including responses that involve open ended answers.

Who uses or engages with this? The people would would engage would this would be those who attend their events. This could be anyone from members of the organization (currently moms and middle-aged women), as well as their potentially expanded audiences.

Why do they use it? They would use it to keep themselves interested in the lecture and to test their knowledge of ocean issues, as well as express their opinions and thoughts in a safe manner. It would allow for engagement on all parts of the audience. Some people are afraid to raise their hands to ask questions; this eliminates the fear.

When do they use it? They use is during events when they have a questions, thought, or an answer.

Potential Impact Further the education of the audience and the engagement of the audience.

Challenges for Implementation The audience could not download the application or interact with it.

IDEA 3: Video

Summary: To be featured on the organization’s website, a video detailing the “Story of Us” in regards to the organization’s founders would articulate the narrative to the public. Utilizing engaging graphics and the stories of the members, the video would outline why the organization was created and what it means to the members.

Who uses or engages with this? This video would engage with everyone who comes into contact with the site. This video could also be posted on different social media pages and able to be shared.

Why do they use it? This would be used to learn more about the organization in an engaging way that brings to life the narrative more so than text on a webpage. It’s less effort to watch a video than to read, but allows for the information to stick just as well, if not better.

When do they use it? It would be available 24hrs due to the nature of the internet.

Potential Impact

It would force the organization to distill their narrative in a sharable way, therefore allowing for a formed public narrative.

Challenges for Implementation Technical difficulties in designing something that is more engaging than just a camera and a person talking at the camera could be an issue.

IDEA 4: Podcast

Summary: “A Day in the Life” is a podcast or video series that explores and shares the experience and knowledge of locals who directly work with the environment. These experts are celebrated to empower other women and by sharing their narrative they help us understand how climate change affects us locally. It’s an intimate peek into the life of a woman who works with oceans.

Who uses or engages with this? Members of Women Working for Oceans engage with this material and they are followers of the podcast on social media. The series is also public, and therefore available to anyone who searches the interwebs for information about Boston, its oceans, and the people who are connected to the cause. It would have a search feature—use hashtags or other forms of tagging.

Why do they use it? Users engage with the series to learn, to be entertained, and to be connected.

When do they use it? Users listen or watch the series while they ride the train, commute to work, cook dinner at home. It’s consumed similarly to other entertainment that’s also educational.

Potential Impact “A Day in the Life” celebrates and shares the narratives of women who are intimately connected to the ocean, simultaneously empowering other local woman to take action to help the sea.

Challenges for Implementation To implement this, the organization would need an employee who could essentially be a journalist. The series is akin to an ongoing collection of feature stories focused on the theme of feminism, the environment, and the oceans.

IDEA 5: Aquarium Art

Summary: This is to create a visual representation of W20’s narrative in the NEAQ, or a public space near the NEAQ (maybe their parking garage?) W20 can field designs from female artists/art students in Boston, and the community can vote on which they want to be implemented.

Who uses or engages with this? Any visitors to the aquarium.

Why do they use it? Viewers can use it to learn more about W20. W20 would use it as a tool to communicate their story to the public.

When do they use it? Anytime the aquarium is open

Potential Impact. Beautifying a space, creating awareness, another opportunity to emphasize the female perspective.

Challenges for Implementation W20 may not have the money, or physical space for a piece of public art.

SKETCHES SKETCH 1: College Chapter Program

User Persona: The College Chapter program would engage female student leaders who are interested in environmental and sustainability issues, science communication, and the oceans. Perhaps the easiest women to connect with would be those who are already members of their college or university’s environmental organization. These women are already knowledgeable in areas related to environmental science, climate change, and pollution, which means they can be trusted to spread the influence of W2O. They want to make change on their campuses, and in the world. The College Chapter program would also require a liaison member of W2O to communicate with the chapters when necessary. Ideally, W2O could tap into these chapter bases for assistance on projects, volunteers.

User Scenarios: • The leader of the W2O college chapter wants to connect her school’s environmental club

with the boston community→ W2O puts them in contact with a partner organization that needs volunteers for an event.

• W2O needs someone to film an event→ they reach out to members of their college chapters to find a willing volunteer. The volunteer can later use the experience to build their resume or portfolio.

• The W2O college chapter organizes an event to raise awareness about microbeads among their student population. This spreads the information W2O puts out to a new demographic.

User Constraints: • College students may not have the time to be involved in this in addition to their own

environmental club (this might be avoided by making W2O a branch off of their already established club)

• The initial pitch of the project requires an established “in” at the school. • It requires at least one member of W2O to remain in contact with established organizations • College chapters won’t sustain beyond the initial establishment unless a solid leadership base

continues year after year.

SKETCH 2: W2O Introductory and Informational Videos

To showcase the individual narratives of the W2O members, 2-3 minute videos would be crafted focusing on select members who are engaged and passionate within the organization. Placed prominently on the W2O website, these videos would offer an answer to the question: “What’s being a W2O member like?” Like any effective story of self, each video should have an emotional spark about why that specific individual is passionate about Working for Oceans. Additional videos could be made in conjunction with W2O events to sum up the takeaways of each event, highlight important facts, and ways to take action. This videos function as windows into the W2O organization.

User Persona: The videos would be available on the W2O website, so any potential website visitor could interact with them. This could range from potential members, to current members, to community partners, or to friends and family. Founders, board members of W2O, and a few members of the organization who have demonstrated a passion for the work would be the community members in the films.

User Scenario: • Person interested in W2O visits the website, watches the video and learns! Maybe they take

that information and share it, use it to take action, or become a member. • An event participant grabbed some information about W2O on the way out of a speaking

event at the aquarium. She looks up the organization on Facebook, where she sees a new video posted on the page. She makes a small donation, passionate about the cause, but unsure about whether to join yet.

• A W2O member is proud of the video that was made of her. She shares it with her friends online who didn’t know that was so passionate about ocean conservation. They travel to the website to learn more.

W2O is looking to gain the attention of a community partner. They send the community partner a few videos to showcase the organization. User Constraints: • To create a video that is engaging and compelling would require the assistance of someone

with filming and editing expertise. • This could be a long term commitment if the videos are going to continue being made as

new passionate members join. • There are no guarantees that the videos will be “sticky” enough to go viral. • While the videos can last a lifetime, this is ultimately a temporary marketing attempt and not

a consistent tool.

WORKS CITED

Cooke-Jackson, Angela, and Kaitlin Barnes. "Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Among Urban Youth: The Intersection of Health Communication, Media Literacy and Digital Health Vignettes." Journal of Digital and Media Literacy (2013). 1 Dec. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

Ganz, Marshall. “Public Narrative, Collective Action, and Power.” Accountability Through Public Opinion: From Inertia to Public Action. Ed. Odugbemi, Sina, and Taeku Lee. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. p. 273-289. 2011. Print.

Jenkins, Henry, Sangia Shresthova, Liana Gamber-Thompson, and Neta Kligler-Vilenchik. "Superpowers to the People!: How Young Activists Are Tapping The Civic Imagination." Print.

Mihailidis, Paul. "Digital Media Culture and the Civic Potential of Media Literacy." Media Literacy and the Emerging Citizen. New York: Peter Lang, 2014. N. pag. Print.