OCEAN WORKGROUP
A four-part training in partnership with the Ocean Defense Initiative and Signal Group, designed for advocates ready to speak up for our coasts, communities, and ocean life.
OVERVIEW
Most of us came into this work because of something we saw, or somewhere we loved, or someone we were trying to protect. Very few of us came into it trained to talk about it on camera. This series closes that gap.
This free, four-part training series equips you with the skills to change that. Whether you are talking to a reporter, testifying before a policymaker, recording a podcast, or building your own digital platform, these sessions give you the tools to communicate with clarity, confidence, and power.
The first three sessions are led by the Ocean Defense Initiative and Signal Group. The fourth is led by the America the Beautiful for All Coalition with a focus on non-extractive storytelling, environmental justice, and the connection between ocean health and human health.
While the series is framed around ocean perspectives, the skills are vital for anyone working to steward nature and uphold justice.
SESSION ONE
Presented by: Signal Group, in partnership with Ocean Defense Initiative
Description: The foundation of effective advocacy is knowing how to tell your story when the moment arrives. This session covers the basics of modern media engagement: how to prepare for an interview, how to stay on message, and how to talk about environmental justice issues from a lens that resonates across political lines. You will learn how to frame ocean and conservation issues in ways that connect with journalists, community members, and decision-makers, without alienating the people you need most.
SESSION TWO
Presented by: Signal Group, in partnership with Ocean Defense Initiative
Description: Not every story fits a news segment. This session explores how to develop your voice for longer-form platforms: podcasts, panel discussions, op-eds, and thought leadership pieces. You will learn how to prepare for conversations where you have more than a soundbite, how to pitch yourself as a guest or contributor, and how to translate your expertise and lived experience into content that builds lasting influence. This is where you move from reactive media response to proactive public presence.
SESSION THREE
Presented by: Signal Group, in partnership with Ocean Defense Initiative
Description: You do not have to wait for a journalist to tell your story. This session focuses on creating your own content: short-form video, social media posts, blog entries, and digital narratives that put your advocacy directly in front of the people who need to see it. You will learn what makes digital content shareable, how to use the platforms you already have, and how to turn a personal moment into a public message. By the end, you will have a plan for creating at least one piece of digital content tied to the issues you care about.
SESSION FOUR
Presented by: America the Beautiful for All Coalition (Haleemah Atobiloye, Communications Strategist, and Suraida Nanez-James, Ocean Workgroup Co-lead)
Description: This is where the training series meets the movement. Led by the America the Beautiful for All Coalition, this session covers what it means to tell stories ethically, centering the dignity and agency of the people whose lives are at stake. You will learn the coalition's approach to non-extractive storytelling: your story belongs to you, you maintain creative control, and consent is ongoing. The session also covers how to use the coalition's evidence-based messaging research and how to contribute to the AtB4A Story Directory.
FINISHED WATCHING?
SHARE A STORY
Our coalition defines a story as a true account of a person or community's relationship with their ecological, social, and health context. Through storytelling, our coalition is able to advance our vision of conserving nature in a manner that upholds environmental justice and protects public health. Learn more and see prompts to get you started
Earn Your Storyteller Badge
Once your story is submitted to our Story Directory, we will issue you a badge. The AtB4A Storyteller Badge is a digital credential issued through Certifier. The badge signals that you can tell a story that connects nature, justice, and health in an ethical manner. You can add your badge to your LinkedIn profile under Licenses and Certifications, or share on any platform of your choice..
Join the Ocean for All Ready Bench
The Ready Bench is a roster of spokespeople from the AtB4A Ocean Workgroup who are prepared to talk to media, join Hill briefings, or represent the coalition when rapid-response moments hit. Being on the Ready Bench is not about having perfect answers. It is about having authentic ones, being willing to speak publicly on ocean issues affecting your community, and being available for rapid-response moments (with advance coordination).
How to join: Email Haleemah Atobiloye at hatobiloye@cehn.org with the subject line "Ready Bench: Ocean" and a sentence about what ocean issue you can speak to and what geography you represent. We will follow up with next steps and training access.
RESOURCES
Story Directory. Every story the coalition has collected, in one place. Read what others have shared, then add yours
Ethical Storytelling Best Practices. Our working principles for collecting and publishing other people's stories
What Americans Told Us About Nature, Justice, and Health. Our coalition's 2025 messaging poll results
Thank you for completing our media training. If you have a question, please reach out to our Communications Strategist: Haleemah Atobiloye at hatobiloye@cehn.org
