BEC Career Handout Website

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Behavior, Education, and Communication Career Services Information

“I believe that we cannot create truly sustainable change without addressing the human component of sustainability. SNRE sets itself apart by offering  a program that looks specifically at Behavior, Education, and Communication, and I’ve found my coursework to be both interesting and valuable.” -Ryan Whisnant, current BEC Student

"In addition to all the good knowledge and experience students have by virtue of graduating from SNRE, BEC students bring a perspective of the people side of the issues -- at the individual as well as group levels.  Affecting change requires an understanding of how people function -- what  do they need to know, why are so many efforts to provide them with the information ineffective, how do you incorporate their perspective in trying to affect change..." -Rachel Kaplan, SNRE Faculty

Favorite BEC Job Search Websites

EnviroEducation.com
Schmeeckle Reserve
Environmental Educators Link
SNRE Job Posting Websites

Employment Job Opportunities

These are just a handful...many more out there

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)  
Wildlife Clubs of Kenya
Environmental Resources Center (ERC)  
The Environmental Magazine
National Environmental Education Foundation
Zoo Atlanta's Conservation Education Initiative in China
Project WILD
Land's Sake
Colorado Youth Corps Association  
New Hampshire Project Learning Tree   
This database consists of organizations in the Environmental Education field in Asian countries
Montclair State University's School of Conservation 
Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Kids For The Bay
The Detroit Science Center 
Hidden Villa Environmental Education Program (HVEEP)
Michigan Alliance for Environmental & Outdoor Education
Earthwatch Institute Education Fellowship Program (only for K-12 teachers)

Employers of SNRE Graduates*

Ann Arbor YMCA
Children's Day School
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Deep Portage Conservation Reserve
Detroit Conference, United Methodist Church
Environmental Concern Inc.
FrontRange Earth Force
Gathering Waters Conservancy
Massachusetts Riverways Program
Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program
National Wildlife Federation
Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society
Orange County Public School
Western Michigan University, Science and Mathematics Program
Tahoe-Baikal Institute
Tahoma School District
Tetra Tech, Inc
The World Women Want, LLC
Thornapple Grand Conservation District
University of Michigan
Upstate Forever
Urban Ecology Institute
White Mountain School
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Habitat Council, Great Lakes Regional Office

Job Titles and Employment Sector of SNRE Alumni*

Non-Profit   

Youth Volunteer Corps Program Coordinator
Director of Admission & Communication
CEO
Environmental Educator     
Director, Outdoor & Retreat Ministries
Program Coordinator    
Wetland Educator
Executive Director    
Outreach and Policy Coordinator   
Campus Field Coordinator (global warming solutions outreach) 
Director, Great Lakes Regional Office
Pacific West Program Manager
Program Associate
Wastershed Project Director

Consulting and Industry

Public Outreach Specialist (Consulting)
Founder & CEO (Industry)

Academic

Chair, Sustainability Studies
Graduate Research Assistant
Recycling Coordinator

Government

Program Administrator
AmeriCorps Groundwater Educator
Science Teacher
Executive Director

BEC Focused Master’s Projects

“People, Parks and Partnerships”
“This Masters project was inspired by research showing the  benefits of nature on human behavior. Access to natural settings is difficult for inner-city residents and funding is limited, thus, the goal of this project was to provide specific, practical
recommendations for partnership opportunities between community-based organizations and the National Park Service to affordably provide access for urban residents to nearby wilderness areas.”
-Zach Fried, SNRE Alumni

Current BEC Students and Master’s Projects

Interested in BEC Focused Internships? 

Go to the SNRE Internship Website to view BEC student internship reports.

eRecruiter BEC Highlights

  • Search for BEC related jobs/internships
  • Network with fellow BEC alumni
  • Find career events on campus
  • Search for Employers who hire BEC students
  • Apply for BEC jobs/internship on-line
  • View our Document Library, full of helpful career related resources

What Exactly is the Study of Behavior, Education and Communication (BEC)?

The Behavior, Education and Communication field of study serves as a focal point for the study of the socio-behavioral aspects of natural resource and environmental issues. It views the science of behavior through an environmental prism and examines the role of education and communication in advancing a sustainable society for the individuals involved.   Our students learn the causes, dynamics and consequences of decisions and actions that impact natural resource and environmental values and concerns. Students study human behavior in the context of the environment, both present and evolutionary, and learn to design educational, communication and motivational techniques for promoting environmental
sustainability.

Why Should Employers Hire BEC Students?

Skills that BEC students can offer employers:

Negotiation, dispute resolution, knowledge of human behavior and psychology in relation to the environment, ability to plan and execute educational programming, outreach and communication of environmental issues,  and an ability to create buy-in for environmental policies and programs.

Examples of BEC Coursework:

Natural Resources Conflict Management
This course builds an understanding of the causes, dynamics and consequences of natural resource and environmental conflicts as well as the range of possible procedural interventions that can be used to manage these conflicts.
Negotiation Skills in Environmental Dispute Resolution
This course is a module that develops skills in bargaining and negotiation as they can be applied to the resolution of
environmental disputes. It will help a student prepare for and carry out a negotiation, become a more effective communicator, and understand the psychological dimensions inherent in negotiation processes.
Behavior & Environment
Environmental problems are people problems requiring an understanding of how people think, what they care about, and the conditions under which they behave. Human behavior makes the most sense when studied in the context of the environment. The course builds a model of human nature based upon research in the field of environmental psychology.
Psychology of Environmental Stewardship
One of the enduring challenges of crafting a sustainable society is to create one in which people will want to live. The issue here is how to reframe and then promote such a future so that people not only willingly accept it but actually seek it out.  To meet this challenge behavior change tools and strategies are developed - there is emphasis  on informational and motivational means of changing behavior.
Public Opinion and the Environment
This research seminar will examine trends in public opinion on the environment, influences on people’s concerns about the environment, and how such concerns affect personal behaviors and the political process.
Advanced Environmental Education
An advanced seminar with topics that include: assumptions and pitfalls implicit in different EE approaches, the challenge of reaching multicultural and urban audiences, the expanding scope of EE, EE in the international setting.
Cognitive Function
This course provides an integrated approach to perception, thought and emotion. In it we will examine such topics as problem solving, intuition, expertise, rationality and the maintenance of mental effectiveness. We will consider both theory and
application, using the constraints provided by psychology, evolution, neurophysiology, and human-environment relationships.

Conferences of Interest

Conferences are great avenues for resource sharing, resenting papers/poster, networking, and meeting possible future employers!

NAAEE Conference    
State Level Conferences - look for conferences that interest you - benefits are close to home and usually are less crowded than national conferences
EDRA Conference
Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference
International Symposium on Society and Resource Management (ISSRM) Conference  
View the SNRE Conference Website   

 

Professional Organizations to Join

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)   
Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE)
Other state-associated EE organizations, depending on plans for geographical location of desired employment (e.g., in Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA)  
Society for Human Ecology (SHE)  
APA Division 34
Other organizations associated with a student-specific realm of interest (e.g., ornithology)  

Need a help finding a job?

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg: Coordinator of Student Career Services
Room 1520 Dana Building
(734) 615-1633, yeeha@umich.edu

Need help finding an internship?

Kim LeClair: Student Services Specialist and Internship Coordinator
Room 1520 Dana Building
(734) 764-1402, kleclair@umich.edu

 *Data taken from a 2006 and 2007 survey of all SNRE alumni