Policy Training Sessions
Fellows participate in monthly workshop sessions over the course of the program. Through these workshops, fellows learn how to:
- Expand their ability to reach and transform non-scientific audiences through empathy, embodied persuasion, and the development of a compelling narrative to frame their research.
- Consider multiple viewpoints in order to develop a compelling story about their own scientific research and how to contextualize that story in relevant policy issues.
- Effectively communicate with policymakers in Japan and the U.S. at the local and national level by focusing on writing policy documents, public speaking, and engaging with the public, such as through the publication of op-eds.
2022-2023 Cohort Workshop Highlights
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Workshop 1: Embodied Storytelling
The first set of virtual workshops, run by Mycah Hogan and Jessica March of the Wilbury Theater Group, focused on the art of storytelling. Each fellow came to the first class with a personal story to perform and workshop with the rest of the group. This gave fellows the opportunity to learn how to better connect to an audience with real-time feedback. In the next sessions, fellows told a story about an “Ah-ha” moment they’ve had in their research– such as a frequently failed experiment that they finally got to work– and what they learned from that experience. Fellows came away from the workshop learning how to better frame a story in order to highlight the essential message.
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Workshop 2: Systems-Thinking Approach to Science Communication and Science Policy
In the next set of workshops, led by Dr. Kathy Takayama from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), the fellows learned how to apply a systems-thinking approach to Science Communication and Science Policy. These sessions built on the work done with the Wilbury Team, by demonstrating how to use storytelling to embed multiple, inclusive perspectives in articulating scientific narratives. Fellows were tasked with contextualizing their highly specified research into broader systems. By broadening the “lens” of their research, fellows were able to explore how their scientific discoveries will ultimately influence policy.
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Workshop 3: Science Communication and Policy in Japan and the U.S.
In the final set of workshops, Dr. Susan Hackwood and Dr. Julianne McCall were accompanied by many invited experts to offer perspective and insight on policy and media in the United States and Japan. These workshops were each accompanied with policy roundtables, in which experts provided practical insights into the field of Science Policy. Key topics included policy making at the national, state, and local level in both the United States and Japan, policy collaborations between Japan and the U.S., and policy/media writing from both a U.S. and Japanese perspective. Fellows were trained on how to effectively write policy briefs and op-eds, which became the basis for their policy portfolios. Fellows presented their policy portfolios at an in-person symposium, which was held in Okinawa, Japan at the end of February 2023.