What should I expect on an Hour of Action?
An Hour of Action is not a meeting or a training: in these calls, we’re actually doing the work to make our world a better place. But what actually happens?
As the name suggests, Hours of Action are all about climate action. TLDR; They are 60-minute events with live and productive action-taking where attendees advance U.S. climate policy through timely, strategic civic action. Hours of Action are available both virtually nationwide and in person in cities across the U.S. Wherever you show up, just bring a laptop and the host will have everything else you need, so no prep is needed, ever. Every time you drop in, expect a warm welcome and, by the end of the event, you will have accomplished something meaningful.
The first 10 minutes:
When you join a Climate Changemakers Hour of Action, expect a warm welcome and a facilitated event. We always start with a round of introductions, where folks say hi to one another either in person or in the Zoom chat (camera-on is more fun for everyone!). The host then takes 10 minutes to explain the current campaign and action opportunity. Our weekly Action Plans always feature one Issue Briefing and one Action Playbook – the host will share both and give a quick overview of why it all matters! All resources are approachable and jargon-free, without compromising on being the most high-leverage, tactical, and timely constituent advocacy resources available.
Once everyone is up to speed, we take action…
The next 45 minutes:
During each Climate Changemakers Hour of Action, we each spend most of the session working our way through an Action Playbook. In this way, Hours of Action are like “co-working” sessions: Each changemaker takes action at their own pace, leaning on the group for accountability, support, and inspiration, while the host is there to answer questions and share their experiences.
On Zoom, the chat is active with Q&A, helpful tips, and cheerleading, and attendees generally stay on mute during this segment. In-person, this segment is a mix of folks working quietly or chatting and collaborating, depending on the action.
The content of an Hour of Action varies according what policies are timely and high-leverage. We want to make sure our time is well-spent! For a sense of the climate solutions we focus on and the tactics we use to advocate, view our priorities here and preview the library of Action Playbooks here. We do everything from contacting Congress to writing an opinion piece for your local newspaper, advocating for everything from decarbonizing the U.S. power sector to policies that address environmental injustice to state and local initiatives that make our systems more sustainable.
The final 5 minutes:
Each Hour of Action ends with a brief reflection and share back, a fun (optional) group photo, and then we’re done by the 60-minute mark. Every time. We often say: get in, get out, get on with your week. You’ll leave the event having accomplished something meaningful and that’s an incredible feeling.
“Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during the workday, the single most important is making progress doing meaningful work.” – Harvard Business Journal
The community:
We’re all busy people who care about climate and want to be productive. If you attend the same Hour of Action consistently, you’ll start seeing familiar faces! Every event is also drop-in friendly and open-invite aka take breaks when you need to, show up when you can, and bring a friend anytime. This is how we make steady, persistent civic engagement not only possible but truly all more fun.
Since community is such an integral part of the Hour of Action experience, we encourage everyone to be present. This is the 60 minutes on your calendar that you’ve carved out for climate action — all you have to do is show up. At our virtual Hours of Action, this looks like changemakers keeping their video on when possible and participating in the chat. At our real-world Hours of Action, changemakers show up on time and minimize distractions while tackling the Action Plan. Joining an Hour of Action also means that you agree to our community guidelines.
Climate Changemakers hosts multiple virtual Hours of Action every week and recurring in-person Hours of Action are typically hosted weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on your city. Every Hour of Action follows the same general framework and follows the same Action Plan, so just pick the time slot or city that works best for your schedule!
Ready to get in on the action? Add an Hour of Action to your calendar or keep exploring the Action Teams here.
Want to bring a friend but not sure how to go about it? Check out this Bring a Friend resource!
We’re so happy you’re here and hope to see you soon.
Want to host Action Events for your community?
Awesome! Preview the organizer toolkit to learn more. The Climate Changemakers team will get you fully equipped to host Action Events for your friends, office, or wider local community. This could be a one-time special event, an official recurring Hour of Action and folks go-to space for climate action, or simply a level-up to bring a purposeful action to an existing gathering. Whichever you choose, our team, free resources, and community will be with you every step of the way.
© 2023 Climate Changemakers