COMPASS Skill Sprint: Creating Strategic Materials

A clear communication strategy is essential, but what really matters is putting it into practice.

This workshop series is designed to help you do exactly that. Together, we’ll help you apply your strategy to create focused, effective materials that resonate with the people you’re trying to reach.

Over four sessions, you’ll move from clarifying your goals, audiences, and messages to creating tangible, ready-to-use materials for real-world contexts — whether that’s a written piece, a clear and compelling way to talk about your work, or a concise one-pager you can share with decision-makers.

Across the series, you’ll learn how to:

  • Build a strong foundation by clarifying your goals, audiences, and core messages
  • Write and edit with clarity and intent, tailored to specific audiences and contexts
  • Identify and shape a story that that helps people connect with your work
  • Create concise, high-impact one-pagers that communicate key points clearly and effectively

By the end of the series, you’ll have a set of strategy-driven pieces you can use and adapt in your work.

4-Workshop Series (Online)

Optional
Professional Certificate

$450

Workshops

The sprint includes four interactive, virtual workshops that build on one another to expand your skills. These workshops aren’t just lectures. They’re lively, practical, and grounded in communication research. Each session includes discussion and hands-on activities to help you apply what you learn in your own work. You’ll leave each workshop with concrete tools and guidance to create effective, compelling materials.

09
October

Writing With Purpose

Enhance your writing and editing skills for greater impact when communicating science topics in this 3-hour virtual workshop.

16
October

Finding the Story

Learn tools and strategies for developing stories that illustrate your key messages in this 3-hour interactive virtual workshop.

Certificate Capstone Project Options

If you choose to, you can also earn a COMPASS Communication Certificate as a meaningful recognition of your growth as a communicator. To receive a COMPASS Communication Certificate, you’ll need to complete all four workshops and at least one of the Capstone Projects below.

Real-World Engagement & Self-Reflection

Apply what you learned during your COMPASS workshops in a real-world professional setting, and then submit between 300-600 words by January 31st reflecting on your communication experience and what you learned from it, along with a copy of your draft Message Box that you used to prepare to communicate and one of the materials you created — either your one-pager, story, or written piece.

A COMPASS facilitator will review your submission to see how you applied the key concepts and skills practiced in the workshops, and contact you within 4 weeks of receiving your submission.

Group Feedback Session Option

Want more personalized feedback? Join a 75-minute online group coaching session with others pursuing certification and at least one COMPASS facilitator. All participants will have time to present the material they would like feedback on and an opportunity to get feedback from peers and the COMPASS facilitator.

This session will be held on November 6, 2026 from 10-11:15am PT and can be completed instead of or in addition to your capstone project for an additional $75 (select add-on at check-out).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your refund policy?

If you request a refund within 7 days of the first workshop you will receive an automatic full refund minus the Eventbrite processing fee. If you cancel within 7 days of the first workshop, you will receive a 50% refund minus the Eventbrite processing fee if paid through Eventbrite. If you cancel within 24 hours of the first workshop, you will not be eligible to receive a refund. If you cancel within 24 hours of the first workshop, have technological issues during the workshop, or unexpectedly need to leave the workshop early, we will determine on a case by case basis whether or not you can receive credit for a future workshop.

If you attended one or more workshops before requesting a refund, we deduct the standard value of the ticket(s) used from the purchase price. For example, if you attended one workshop before requesting a refund, we will deduct $150 (general admission price) from your refund.

If you have any questions contact us at: trainings@compassscicomm.org

I missed a session or can’t attend one of the sessions. How can I make it up?

We will be happy to provide you with a seat in a future workshop but our workshop calendar is designed to provide a variety of topics, so we cannot guarantee that workshops covering the same course content as the Skill Sprint will be offered again this year.

I’ve taken the Strategic Communication Workshop before. Do I need to retake?

If you’ve taken the workshop in the last year, you can sign up to start with the next workshop in the sprint (select the 3-workshop option at checkout). However, we still highly recommend taking the first workshop as each of our facilitators brings their own lens to the material, and our emphasis on practice and feedback in our workshops means you can always build your skills by focusing your Message Box on a different goal, audience, or topic. C. It’s also an opportunity to start getting to know your fellow Sprinters!

I’ve taken one of the other workshops before. Do I need to retake in order to receive a certificate?

We’ll consider requests to count previously attended workshops towards a certificate on a case-by-case basis. Whether a workshop counts will depend on how long ago you attended the workshop (no more than one calendar year), how much the workshop has changed since you attended, and whether you attended the full workshop.

I’m only interested in one/some of the workshops. Do I have to sign up for the whole sprint?

You can register for any of the workshops independent of participating in the sprint. If you want to attend more than one workshop, we recommend purchasing a class pass (which can be used for other workshops later on in the year as well)!