Whether it’s getting people to adopt more sustainable agriculture or to better manage a protected area, the conservation field is becoming more and more focused on mastering the art of social and behavioral change. A Master’s Degree in this arena is an idea whose time has come.

In partnership with the Sam Donaldson Center for Communication at the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP), Rare has launched a first-of-its-kind training program that provides conservation practitioners with an M.A. in Communication. Administered by regional university partners in four languages, and globally accredited by UTEP, the degree is awarded to Pride campaign managers who complete all coursework, as well as implement a successful 2-year Pride campaign at their site.

>>Read about Rare's partnership with UTEP here

>>Read PDF with details of the University curriculum and field-based training

A Master’s for changing the world

Pride campaign managers do not simply study social change theory in the classroom. The majority of Rare’s training takes place in the field where campaign managers complete the toughest assignment possible – applying theory to real people in their communities. They do not graduate until they’ve made a difference in the way people think about and practice conservation in their small, but important corner of the world.

This is not easy! So, in addition to 17 weeks of classroom training, each campaign manager receives a dedicated Rare Pride Program Manager for two years; support from technical experts at problem-solving workshops and online forums throughout the campaign; visits to his or her site by Rare alumni mentors and staff; and tailored supplemental reading and guest lecturers during return trips to the university.


Regional University Partners

• English: English-language training is conducted in the United States in collaboration with the Executive Education Office of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business in Washington, DC. Participants in the English-language program come primarily from Africa, the Caribbean, the Western Pacific, and Southeast Asia. 
• Spanish: All Spanish-language training is conducted at the ITESO Jesuit University of Guadalajara (Instituto Técnico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente)— one of the largest and most respected institutions of higher learning in Mexico. Participants come from all over Latin America.
• Bahasa Indonesia: Training in Bahasa Indonesia is offered at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (Institut Pertanian Bogor - IPB). Participants in the IPB-Rare program come from Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Mandarin: Training in Mandarin is provided at Southwest Forestry University in Yunnan Province, China. This is Rare’s most recently added university partner with the first cohort of campaign managers launched at the end of 2008.
  

How does conservation today become conservation for life?

For social and behavioral change to not only take hold, but last for years to come, several key elements must be in place. Local conservation organizations must have the ability to raise funds, build strong local partnerships, and have a clear plan of action to reach their goals. That is why Rare addresses sustainability before even launching a new campaign, and then again at each stage of the planning process. As you read in the previous seven pages, we have multiple tools to help partners plan for long-term success. In addition, partners who complete the 2-year Pride campaign become part of Rare’s Global Alumni Network and are eligible for the following support mechanisms, designed specifically to enhance their conservation work and the work of others around the globe.

• Alumni Project Grants:  Partner organizations that have completed Pride campaigns are eligible for Alumni Fund grants to support follow up work at the site or train others in Rare’s methodology.
• Rareplanet.org: Partners gain access to Rare’s online network from the moment they launch a campaign. Post-campaign, partners gain alumni status and lifetime access to resources, expertise, and tools from the Rare community.
• Regional Workshops: Rare offers periodic workshops in each region to foster learning and innovation around community-based conservation issues. Both current and alumni partners are invited to these workshops and are often involved in leading sessions or presenting case studies.
• Mentoring Program:  During the campaign, each partner is assigned an alumni mentor. Post-campaign, partners can become mentors themselves and take part in a global program of top Pride leaders.
  

Frequently asked questions…

What does Rare Pride campaign training include? Rare offers a two-year program of training and technical support designed to help local conservation organizations improve their ability to engage communities in conservation. Participants learn how to change attitudes and behaviors; mobilize support for environmental protection; and reduce threats to natural resources. Each partner organization selects a staff person to attend the university portion of the training, which is completed alongside 11 practitioners from other sites tackling the same threat.

Rare also dedicates an expert team to mentor the partner organization and campaign manager as they plan and execute a campaign in the field. Eligible campaign managers who successfully complete both the coursework and a successful Pride campaign receive a Master’s Degree in Communication from the University of Texas, El Paso. The partner organization gains a whole new toolkit for ongoing community outreach, lifetime membership in Rare’s Global Alumni Network, and most importantly, a reduction in threats to conservation at the site.

What is the actual curriculum? Tying social change to conservation requires a wide range of tools and skills. This includes everything from threat analysis and multi-disciplinary strategic planning to marketing and messaging to project management and evaluation. The university curriculum is based on pedagogical theories, as well as Rare-specific strategies for creating an iterative learning program for adults.

How long is the program? Rare provides continuous training and technical support throughout the two-year Pride campaign. The participants (campaign managers that are selected by Rare’s local partner organizations) spend approximately 17 weeks at the university, divided into three separate visits. The campaign managers spend the remaining 84 weeks at their site implementing the campaign itself. Assignments and reports are completed continuously over two years, and the final trip to the university includes a formal graduation, a final report, and the creation of a long term plan for sustaining impact.


Training and campaign implementation at-a-glance

• Preparation 4 – 6 weeks
• At home
• Pride participants complete advance reading and
  exercises, including studying the basics of social marketing, and communication, conservation science, research methods, and leadership skills. They also prepare an initial site summary. 
  
• Weeks 1 – 9
• At university
• Classroom training and hands-on activities prepare participants to build a comprehensive project plan, including ground truthing their concept models and threat ranking analysis, as well as identify potential solutions to barriers at their site.
  
• Weeks  10 – 35
• Back in the field
• Participants conduct surveys, engage volunteers and technical experts, set objectives, build consensus, and finalize a draft Pride campaign project plan for review and final approval upon returning to the second university phase.
• Weeks 36 – 40
• At university
• Participants refine campaign plan and study/practice skills for actual implementation, including marketing, media relations, design, advanced project management, conflict resolution, measuring impact, and more.
•  Weeks 41 – 101
• Back in the field
• Campaign implementation begins! With full technical support from Rare, partners launch a multi-media social marketing campaign designed to change attitudes and behaviors and reduce threats to biodiversity.
• Weeks 102 – 104
• At university
• Participants return for final university phase to present campaign results, build a long term plan for sustaining impact, and officially graduate from the program.
• Sustaining Impact
• Back in the field
• Alumni of the Pride program continue to receive support from Rare in the form of follow-up grants, membership in the RarePlanet online network, regional workshops, and peer mentoring. Rare is committed to helping all partners sustain social and behavioral change in the long term.