In 2019, We, the World partnered with the University of Florida Extension to create the Climate Collaboratory. The United Nations Association of Gainesville hosted an intergenerational event called “Our Climate, Our Future.” I shared (with a few key people) the concept of a community-wide game show. Alachua County would challenge other counties in the UF Extension system to engage children, youth, adults and elders in a climate conversation-to-action program. Soon after, the City of Gainesville and Alachua County both declared a climate emergency. Game On!
In 2020, the Climate Collaboratory launched a 9-month program focused on sharing climate stories. Our final project was the Welcome to WE! Show in April 2021.
Now in Year 2, the Climate Collaboratory is bringing our collaborative storytelling adventure to life with support from the Martin Luther King Association of Florida, the United Nations Association of Gainesville, Star Center Theatre and others. We have been producing short sketches on Zoom each month, leading to “Climate Collaboratory! The Musical” to be produced on Zoom for Earth Month, March 20 to April 22.
In January 2022 I offered the Climate Collaboratory as a tool for Alachua County’s Citizen Climate Advisory Committee. We will help them to find out Who is doing What for a sustainable, just and peaceful future with our interactive theatre productions. By June we intend to submit a proposal to the City and County governments to develop the Climate Collaboratory to engage all ages in the climate conversation-to-action program. Funding should be available on October 1.
In September, the characters in our collaborative storytelling adventure will visit the Gardens of Global Unity, and see what Seed Ideas are growing in our project incubator. We want a project from Alachua County for each of the 11 Campaigns for Change. I’ll work with the campaign coordinators to provide our networks of support.
Here we grow in the Gardens of Global Unity, where all things are possible!