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Anthro Academy events are open to members and non-members. To register, create a AAA Community Hub account, if you do not already have one.

Anthros on the Public Stage

Interactive Workshop for Public Speaking & Writing

Are you an anthropologist eager to share your research experiences and insights to make a difference in the world? Have you ever wondered how to tell a compelling story that can help people understand each other better and resolve their differences? Would you like to learn some strategies for communicating persuasively with print/digital media? Or might you be interested in coaching peers, students, or groups you work with to relate their experiences?  If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, this course is for you!

This course has two overarching goals:  1) Take the guesswork out of speaking to and writing for general audiences, and 2) Equip you with the tools and strategies for successful public engagement. To accomplish these goals, we will build on four modules from the anthrocurious.com production of Anthropologists on the Public Stage (2022):

  • Develop an Idea Worth Sharing
  • Connect with the Media
  • Tell a Great Story
  • Promote Yourself and Anthropology

Four two-hour sessions represent the foundation for the course, with assignments in between. At the start of each session, we introduce relevant video and solicit your reactions to it. Then we springboard to exploring an idea you would like to share publicly, using tips presented in the video. In at least two sessions, we will be uploading one or more documents (e.g., working papers, articles, reflections) to an AI platform and will suggest some ways to query it. Then, it will be your chance to become creative as you see your initial idea in relation to the AI-generated text. You will work to extend your idea in new directions with strategies for developing your plan for media and public engagement. Opportunities will be available to get guidance from communication experts during the course.

Deliverables: By participating in this course, you will come away with a media and public engagement plan, which includes storytelling techniques and tools to move from idea to audience-ready, media outreach tactics, and promotional strategy.

Marketing: You’ve always believed you were a reasonably strong presenter at academic conferences or as a professor in the classroom. Members of the team that produced Anthropologists on the Public Stage are offering a course to help you take it to the next level! Participants will work to develop their own ideas and insights that can be shared publicly with different audiences, whether orally or in writing. Come work with us to develop your own media and public engagement plan!

Instructors: Adam Gamwell, Phil Surles, and Elizabeth K. Briody

Weekly Outline

Previous Courses

We want to express our concern for our members and colleagues in the potentially affected areas as we monitor Hurricane Milton. As we approach our Annual Meeting scheduled for November 20-23, we will keep you updated on any developments and how they may impact our plans in Tampa. In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe and takes the necessary precautions.

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