Students: Eva Galleazzi Bruno + Jayden Adjodha
Mentor: Ellen Siegel, The CLEO Institute
Semester: Spring 2025
Working with The CLEO Institute, students took the lead in designing and carrying out a dynamic climate communication and outreach campaign, Let’s Talk Climate. They crafted social media posts and web content to share timely climate stories, conducted interviews with local climate activists , helped organize and support public events, and actively engaged with community members and leaders.
Through these hands-on activities, students developed skills in storytelling, advocacy, and civic participation while directly contributing to raising awareness and motivating action on climate issues affecting inland Gulf communities.
Why It Matters
Climate change impacts are deeply felt in Gulf communities, affecting public health, environmental sustainability, and social mobility. Effective communication and outreach are essential to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and community action. This experience equipped students to be climate advocates who listen to and amplify the voices of diverse stakeholders, fostering inclusive dialogue and motivating local solutions to global challenges.
Student Activities
- Conducted interviews with climate activists and community leaders in Alachua County
- Created introduction letters, interview questions, and written and video summaries of interviews
- Attended climate-focused events and participated in public workshops and interfaith climate summits
- Collaborated with The CLEO Institute Communications Team to design outreach materials
- Edited and produced interview videos while maintaining ethical representation and storytelling integrity
- Advocated for climate solutions by meeting local officials and speaking at public forums
- Developed easy-to-read chapter summaries of Alachua County’s Climate Action Plan for accessibility
Student Reflections
Eva Galleazzi Bruno:
“Through direct engagement with climate activists and community leaders at the local level, I was challenged and encouraged to think critically about the ethical implications of climate inaction and the unequal distribution of climate impacts. The interviews opened my eyes and deepened my understanding of how cultural, social and financial factors directly influence the problems and solutions related to climate change. Therefore, throughout this internship I was encouraged to engage in moral reasoning in terms of issues of justice, equity, and community voice.”
Jayden Adjodha:
“This internship pushed me to draw from multiple academic fields including political science, environmental studies, and media production. Creating interview content about climate justice involved synthesizing knowledge about policy, communication strategies, and grassroots activism. I learned how to translate complex scientific and policy-oriented issues into accessible
storytelling. This integration helped me approach climate advocacy as both a
technical and human issue.”
Project Deliverables
Final polished interview videos and communications materials will be shared once CLEO HQ Communications completes post-production.
Climate Action Plan Summaries
Students also developed easy-to-read chapter summaries of Alachua County’s Climate Action Plan.