COMPASS Skill Sprint: Communicating Science in Complex Settings

Communicating in complex settings is part of everyday work for many scientists and technical experts — especially when working on environmental and social issues.

Whether you’re called on to present complex evidence to people outside your field, explain potential impact and tradeoffs in decision-making, or engage with others who have strong perspectives different from your own, this Skill Sprint is designed to help you build skills and confidence to communicate more thoughtfully and effectively in those real-world situations.

Over the course of four weeks, we’ll focus on building practical communication skills, while also addressing the broader communication context that often comes up when science meets public concerns, conflict, and decision-making.

Together, we’ll explore how to:

  • Communicate scientific information in meaningful and relevant ways
  • Help people understand risk and make informed decisions about their health, safety, and environment
  • Respond productively to conflict and disagreement
  • Identify meaningful pathways for engaging with decision-making in U.S. policy

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 strategies, and the confidence to approach complex conversations with more clarity and intention.

17
April

Communicating Risk

Apply insights from risk communication research to help our audiences better understand risk and make more informed decisions about their health, safety, and the environment.

24
April

Responding to Conflict

Learn about different types of conflict and ways to recognize and manage them, as well as practices for building your own resilience and skills.

01
May

Policy Pathways

Identify meaningful pathways for engaging with decision-making in U.S. policy and develop a plan for engagement that aligns with your goals and strengths.

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 August 1st 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.

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 opportunity to get feedback from peers and the COMPASS facilitator.

This session will be held on May 15, 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)!