Class of 2026 with Professor Kristy Kroeker at the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve.
CSP students in their first year of the program participated in ‘Facilitating Change: Leadership and Communication’, an intensive week-long course led by Dr. Kristy Kroeker. This year, the course was held at the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve, just east of San Jose, which is part of the UC Natural Reserve system. Holding the course at this beautiful site helped build cohort cohesion and relationships that will help students excel in their careers.
The course is a unique offering that combines science communication and facilitation skills to help students develop their capstone projects as well as long term career skills. The course covers effective leadership and communication, including stakeholder engagement, facilitation, conflict resolution, team building, and introduction to project management. Communication training includes identifying audiences and objectives (public, philanthropy, policymakers, managers, scientist practitioners) and leveraging non-traditional communication platforms.
Students also helped welcome UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive and Science Dean Bryan Gaensler who came for a site visit and reserve tour on the last day of class. Please enjoy the photos below!
Cows on the hillside greeted us as we arrived at Blue Oak Ranch Reserve. The Reserve has a main barn-style room, labs, full kitchen, plus cabins and campsites for students.
Students take advantage of the beautiful outdoor spaces for portions of the course.
Students take turns cooking meals during the course.
Students practice communication and facilitation skills at Blue Oak Ranch Reserve.
Students enjoyed game nights and hikes across the reserve during the course.
Our class welcomed a visit from Dr. Cynthia Larive (in yellow coat), UC Santa Cruz Chancellor, and Dr. Bryan Gaensler (far right in group photo), Dean of UC Santa Cruz Division of Physical & Biological Sciences. CSP students Meher Datta and Eric Medina chatted with Chancellor Larive.
One final adventure when one of our vans got stuck in a rut in the muddy roads leading out of the reserve. Team work got us on the move again and we waved goodbye to the reserve (and one last cow).