When Diana Ramos, a graduate student studying digital social media, joined the newly created “Leveraging Social Media for Social Impact” course, she was hoping to learn how to work for social good and leave a legacy of projects beneficial to the world. 

Now, after almost two months in the newly-created course, Ramos has used the class’ projects working with Whole Foods and Too Good To Go to secure a job. Ramos said the experience she gained is “definitely useful for future efforts.” 

The class, located on the fourth floor of Annenberg Hall, meets every Wednesday afternoon. It is a graduate-level four-unit elective designed to equip students with the digital skills needed to address sustainable initiatives professionally. Currently, 15 students are enrolled in this course.

The students will be evaluated on three major assignments throughout the semester, including a case study analysis and social media impact plan. Misha Kouzeh, professor of the course and part-time lecturer of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, said she designed the course plan in the hope that the student will become a “lifelong learner” by the end of the semester. Moreover, she aims for them to continue perceiving artificial intelligence as a skill and a way to drive social good. 

“We focus on helping students drive social impact, addressing environmental and social issues by using the power of social media,” Kouzeh said. “We use a combination of social media, books, case studies and [AI] tools.”

Kouzeh said she pitched the course idea to her program director because she considered the University to have many “sustainability goals and pillars.” Students will learn about sustainability and the foundations and concepts of greenwashing in the class, Kouzeh said. They will also gain a deeper understanding of issues including climate change; diversity, equity and inclusion; access; and other equity issues, Kouzeh said. 

Another core element of the course is the ethical and responsibility issues revolving around AI, according to Kouzeh. 

Kouzeh said she is trying to offer two perspectives on the usage of AI while focusing on its positive contributions to society.

“We do want to make sure we address bias, misinformation, potential privacy concerns, hallucinations,” Kouzeh said. “We do see that there is a fear and a lack of trust and also ethical dangers that come with [AI]. The textbook that we use in this class … talks about both the opportunities but also the ethical challenges and how we can overcome those.”

Sophia Leon, a graduate student studying digital social media, said her attitude toward AI has changed due to the class.

“Definitely during my undergrad, AI was a very big no-no. It was thought of as this negative thing,” Leon said. “Then, as I’m learning through this course, there’s a lot of different ways to use AI and a lot of different ways that AI can be helpful.”

Leon is currently working at the USC Peace Garden as the communications and social media intern. This job is also collaborating with the present sustainability internship program. Therefore, he describes the job as a “perfect way” to combine her future with what she’s learning in this course.

Since it is a graduate-level course, Kouzeh said she aims to help students find their career paths. She wants them to walk away with “practical skills” and a portfolio that “showcases their level of professionalism.”

Kouzeh hopes to continue the course in future semesters but said it is unclear as of now. However, she “foresees a very bright future” with her students.

Izzy Banatao, a graduate student studying global media and communication, said she would recommend the class to anyone who wants to learn in a “collaborative” environment.

“She’s an awesome teacher. I think the way that she leads discussions makes you want to participate,” Banatao said. “I would definitely recommend this class to other people.”