Collaboration and Impact

Public Narrative Workshop

Learn how to harness the power of storytelling to help make your work in climate change and health more impactful.

Stories hold the power to inspire change, motivate action, and build community—and personal stories about the real-world impacts of climate change in particular can shift beliefs by increasing emotional engagement and empathy. By crafting narratives that weave together your personal experiences with the challenges we face and the urgency of the moment, you can help your work reach a wider audience and inspire collective action. 

The Public Narrative Workshop is an initiative of the CAFÉ Research Coordinating Center of the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative based at Boston University’s School of Public Health and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The workshop will support members of our community of practice to learn about change-oriented storytelling and establish a narrative that expands the social impact of their work—a skillset that can help individuals reconnect with their values, find community, find their voice, and mitigate burnout.   

The workshop will provide a space where participants can articulate their personal stories in a way that connects their individual experiences to broader themes around climate action and public health. Participants will have the opportunity to:

  • Reflect on their narratives and develop a deeper understanding of their motivations and the collective challenges they face. 

  • Integrate their personal stories with a shared purpose, mobilizing individuals for climate and public health action, building community and making change in society.

  • Explore different approaches to storytelling and discuss the importance of activating people at an emotional level. 

The workshop is offered to researchers and practitioners who are part of the CAFÉ Community of Practice and who are interested in establishing a public narrative that expresses their purpose, supports their community engagement, and expands the social impact of their work.

Research Translation Lab


Research Translation Lab (RTL)

The RTL is designed to create a collaborative space where researchers involved in the CAFÉ community of practice will have the opportunity to advance their policy impact and community engagement. RTL participants will work on diverse issues at the intersection of climate change and health; develop new knowledge and skills around research translation; expand their influence on policy and practice; and advance their own individual research agendas. Participants will learn from one another and identify best practices, challenges, and strategies to promote their research translation efforts.  

During the fall of 2024, the first online cohort of RTL was supported by the CAFE Research Coordination Center and led by Rebecca Pearl-Martinez (BU IGS), Natalia Escobar-Pemberthy (BU IGS), Lilly Nichols (BU Center for Climate and Health), Gaurab Basu (Harvard C-CHANGE). CAFE is a joint effort between the Schools of Public Health at Boston University and Harvard University and funded by the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative.  Additional cohorts will be recruited for 2025. Join the CAFE Community of Practice to stay connected and learn more!

We're thrilled to announce the members of CAFE’s Fall 2024 Research Translation Lab cohort! These 19 climate-health researchers represent 8 states across the U.S. and 5 other countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Chile, Namibia and Pakistan, and are working on a variety of topics and career stages.

Join us in celebrating the Fall 2024 Research Translation cohort and their contributions to driving impactful change!