Students in a strategic communications capstone class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication created plans to help Dubuque meet its "50% by 2030" carbon footprint goal. To accomplish this, Sustainable Dubuque needs to expand public knowledge of the plan, increase awareness of tools and methods for lowering carbon use, and boost participation by various community sectors.

Students worked in four teams to create strategic communications plans for the following sectors: Adults 24+; Youth 15-24; Large Businesses; Small Businesses. Each group assessed how Sustainable Dubuque is currently communicating with these sectors, broke down targeted subgroups (e.g., college students, food service businesses), identified key messages, and provided goals and tactics. To support their recommendations, they created social media calendars, templates for social media posts, flyers, and other templates for specific programs, such as a monthly profile of a small business that is a strong partner of Sustainable Dubuque.