RELATE

making science communication a conversation

RELATE (Researchers Expanding Lay-Audience Teaching and Engagement) is a lay-audience communication training and outreach program for STEM graduate students at the University of Michigan.

2025 Summer Workshop

This summer, RELATE invites you to participate in an intensive, interactive communication training workshop on Thursdays between June 5th - July 31st (4:00 - 6:30 pm). The workshop will be held in person in the Rackham Building. The workshop is designed for STEM graduate students, postdocs, and researchers who are interested in developing their communication skills and preparing to discuss their work with any audience.  

If you participate in the STEM Communication Fundamentals Workshop, you will:

  • Learn effective lay-audience communication fundamentals, including how to adapt to any audience and use storytelling tools when presenting research 

  • Build a polished talk, aimed at a lay-audience, on your research project or an area of interest in your field 

  • Put your developing communication skills into practice through public engagement and outreach opportunities

Complete workshop details, including a workshop schedule and how to apply, are outlined in our 2025 Summer Workshop Information Packet. To access the Information Packet as well as the online workshop application, visit https://www.learntorelate.org/workshop-application.

Applications are due on Friday, May 2nd by 11:59 pm.

Please contact RELATE leadership at RELATE.coordinators@umich.edu with any questions or concerns you may have! We look forward to reviewing your application! 


Below is the tentative schedule for our 2025 Summer Workshop

Date Content

June 5 Logistics and Audience

June 12 Central Message

June 19 Narrative

June 26 Language

July 10 Peer check-in

July 17 Sticky Messaging

July 23 Audience Engagement

July 31 Panels: Final deliverable