Delta Workshop: Effective Communication through Improv

Facilitator: Anne Lynn Gillian-Daniel, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

This interactive workshop will illustrate how to use improvisational techniques to improve communication skills in a fun and encouraging environment. During this session, participants will engage in activities and games that will help them practice: 1) vocal and visual communication, 2) active listening skills, 3) responding quickly to unexpected situations. Participants will then explore how they can use these skills to effectively present their science to the public during outreach events, in formal presentations, or in classroom teaching. The activities presented in the workshop are used in the improv-based science communication course also taught through the Delta Program and developed in collaboration with a Madison theater company. All attendees are expected to fully participate in the workshop.