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ENV 951b () / 2024-2025

Strategic Environmental Communication

Credits: 3.0

Spring 2025: M,W, 1:00-2:20, Sage 41c
 
 
This is a seminar course with a strong emphasis on active participation and discussion, so the enrollment is limited to 12 students.
 
Please note that this is a hands-on course, in which you will be developing a communication plan for or analysis of an actual organization, as described below. Please do not apply if you will be unable to do this.
 
Throughout the class, you will either: 1) develop a strategic communication plan for an organization of your choice, ideally one that you have a direct relationship with; or 2) analyze an historical communication campaign that an organization of your choice has implemented in the past.
 
The organization could be a company, a non-profit, a candidate or elected official, a government agency, or a center or program within the Yale School of the Environment, Yale College or other administrative unit. The organization must be facing or have faced some issue, opportunity, or obstacle related to their environmental mission – your job is to either develop a strategic communication plan to help the organization address this situation or analyze a past communication campaign. By the end of the class, you will have a full campaign plan that the organization could implement, or an assessment of a prior campaign.
 
To apply, please provide short answers to the following questions and email your responses + your current resume/CV in one PDF with the subject line “ENV 951 application” to michaela.hobbs@yale.eduno later than 5:00 pm EST on Monday, January 6. You will be notified no later than 5:00 pm EST on Friday, January 10. 
 
  1. Why are you interested in taking this class?
 
 
 
 
  1. What organization and/or project are you planning to develop a communication plan for or to analyze?
 
 
 
                                                                 
  1. Do you have an existing relationship with that organization and/or project? If so, what is it? Have you asked if they would support your project (not necessary, but very helpful)?
 
 
 
 
  1. Are you a graduate student or undergraduate? What is your specialization or major?
 
 
 
 
 
  1. When do you expect to graduate?

Strategic communication is a powerful means of achieving an organization’s mission, especially when informed by insights into human behavior and social systems. By the end of this course, students are able to develop communication strategies and apply insights from the social and behavioral sciences to improve the effectiveness of their communication campaigns. Enrollment limited to twelve.
Limited to 12