CRSP Future Visioning Facilitation Guide

Through the Climate and Rural Systems Partnership (CRSP), Carnegie Museum of Natural History partnered with a rural conservation district and learning researchers at University of Pittsburgh to build a learning network with two regional hubs. Each hub invited community organizations to join and work together to develop strategies to support productive, science- and community-based dialogue among network members and with public audiences. Together, we worked in a Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) to enhance climate literacy through a network that bridged urban and rural professionals. This Future Visioning Activity is a product of the RPP designed to spark group discussions about positive, climate-resilient futures to work toward. In Phase 1 of the activity, participants are invited to engage in future-thinking and respond to open-ended prompts to envision a thriving and sustainable future for their communities. In Phase 2, participants identify and discuss shared priorities, local examples, and potential opportunities to take action to implement individual and system-level changes needed to make future visions a reality. This activity can be modified and adapted to be used in different ways. It can be a helpful part of a public engagement process, professional learning program, youth engagement, or as an activity to help resolve differences, expand thinking, and surface common ground.