On This Page
About Courageous Voter Conversations
Join us in talking to every climate concerned person we know about voting in the upcoming elections! For the WI Climate Voter Campaign, we are using three methods to reach out to environmental voters: postcarding, climate voter conversations, and phone banking. Conversations with people in our social networks make a difference because:
- We can reach people that aren’t registered, aren’t on campaign lists, or don’t respond to phone calls from unknown callers.
- We can take more time to listen and respond to them, and talk more than once.
- We learn communication skills that are useful throughout our advocacy work and lives.
- We start or deepen relationships in our community
Our Plan
We know that conversations with the people around us are important, and yet it also can be hard to do. So our plan focuses on effective communications training based on proven research showing what actually works, as well as opportunities to support each other as we learn, practice the techniques, and set personal goals.
Our training has been provided by Brandyn Keating, the CEO of YOUnify. She has years of experience in voter engagement and mobilization, and in deep canvassing on a variety of issues. As the former field director for the 2008 Obama campaign in Wisconsin she also knows and loves our state. Here are the recordings of her three workshops:
- Mapping your Social Networks. Learn how to identify the people in your life that you want to have conversations with about being an environmental voter.
- Effective Conversations Using the BRAVE Technique. Learn and practice skills that help you listen well and activate people’s own stories that motivate them to be an environmental voter.
- Extending and Debriefing our First Courageous Voter Conversations. Share your experience of having your first conversations, learn from others, and get your questions answered as you plan your next steps.
Support is provided via a google group for the team and twice a month 45 minute Zoom check-in meetings. It’s easy to lose sight of our intentions to have these conversations, or to get stuck when we hit a road bump. Courageous Voter Conversations team leader Madeleine Para will facilitate most of these Zoom meetings so that we can stay connected as we try things, and keep ourselves on track to meet our personal goals. The meetings are held from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Central. and the first set is scheduled for May 9, May 23, June 6, June 20, July 11, July 25, and Aug 8. Go to our calendar for details and to access the zoom link.
How you can participate
- Join the courageous voter conversations team to stay in the loop.
- Make a plan for how you will connect with people around you about voting.
- Join our Thursday support meetings on Zoom starting May 9th.
- Share your experiences, successes and challenges on our CCL WI Voter Conversations google group (you become part of the group when you join the team).
- Learn and use effective conversation skills with our training workshop videos.
- Set your own goals for having conversations between now and November 5th.
- Keep count of your conversations and enter them in CCL’s action tracker.
Schedule
- March-April: 3 training workshops with our consultant, Brandyn Keating. Recordings available here.
- Thursday 6 – 6:45 pm Zoom support meetings before the primary on May 9, May 23, June 6, June 20, July 11, July 25, Aug 8. Go to our calendar for details and to access the zoom link.
Resources
- Join the team
- Brandyn Keating’s 3 workshop recordings
- BRAVE conversations handout
- Personal Narrative Guide by Brandyn Keating/YOUnify
- CCL National’s climate conversations training page
Citizens' Climate Lobby Wisconsin 