ASTC is proud to announce the launch of Seeding Action, a new initiative to support science centers, museums, and other public engagement networks in their efforts to cultivate a culture of hope and action on planetary health issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Any institution with a commitment to prioritizing planetary health through content and programming, relationships and partnerships, and/or operations is invited to join the Seeding Action network.
Over the next 10 years, Seeding Action will provide the scaffolding that supports members to build capacity for impact through:
- Relationships: supporting connections between network members to share knowledge and provide mutual support, building relationships with experts and action-oriented groups, and creating cohorts of institutions undergoing similar changes
- Resources and information: providing access to funding; evidence-based messages, exhibits, programs, and other public engagement tools; data and interpretation materials; evaluation tools and guidance; and training and coaching
- Collective efforts: creating opportunities for members to participate in network-wide evaluation efforts and to use those insights for their own institutional case-making, leading advocacy for science centers’ and museums’ role in planetary health public engagement, spotlighting members’ efforts and impact, and creating opportunities for members to co-design content.
Participation in Seeding Action will enable institutions to increase their public reach with productive planetary health narratives and opportunities to act, make institutional changes that contribute to positive planetary health, contribute to increased community capacities to take proactive and adaptive action to improve the health of the local environment and community members, and to cultivate a growing number of people who are equipped to play a role in shifting our national culture toward one of widespread, meaningful planetary health action.
Seeding Action is one way that ASTC is implementing its strategic framework, which affirms our commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable future. We look forward to learning together as we embark on this crucial culture change initiative.