February 2024 – January 2025
Woodland Park Zoo’s Advancing Empathy program exists to foster empathy and compassion for animals, motivate people to take caring action towards animals and nature, and inspire them to make conservation a part of their lives. The program leverages the unique abilities that AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums have to reach and engage millions of people every year as visitors observe animals, learn about science and nature, and share memorable emotional experiences.
Team Soapbox was initially hired by Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) to develop a strategic, multi-year communications plan for the Advancing Empathy program. In 2024, Team Soapbox began implementing the plan by providing communications support to the zoo’s Advancing Conservation Empathy (ACE) for Wildlife Network.
Highlights of our 2024 project work included:
Communications Toolkit: Team Soapbox created a toolkit to support Network participants in communicating clearly and consistently about their work and the benefits of empathy for wildlife. The toolkit, hosted on the Network website, included an expanded message framework, frequently asked questions, an “About Us” presentation template, and boilerplate language to describe the Network’s history and the Zoo’s associated empathy grant program. We developed toolkit materials in collaboration with Network co-creators who reviewed drafts and provided feedback based on their expertise.
Introduction to Empathy Publication: Team Soapbox created a new microsite intended as an accessible and engaging online publication that could introduce zoo and aquarium professionals who were new to empathy for wildlife to the concepts and benefits of using empathy to engage visitors. Through careful design and user experience testing, we wrote, designed, and developed a Squarespace website that made empathy easier to understand and engage with.
Communications Training: Team Soapbox developed customized virtual and in-person training experiences to upskill Network participants and Zoo staff who were seeking to communicate more effectively about empathy topics. Our trainings covered topics such as improving networking and message delivery skills, as well as becoming a more effective presenter in group settings. We tailored trainings to incorporate specific and recognizable real-world scenarios and incorporated hands-on practices and exercises to support participants’ engagement with the training material. Post-training, we also offered 1-on-1 coaching sessions to support trainees in applying the skills they had learned to upcoming events and meetings.
