This workshop will describe eight methods used to evaluate impact of a five-week class series for ex-offenders in Newark, New Jersey called Money Talks: Building a Brighter Future. A triangulation approach, with multiple methods of quantitative and qualitative data collection, was used. Program methods, materials, and impacts will be discussed.
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Issues that urban county officials deal with are a direct match with the research based resources of cooperative extension. One way to increase relevancy of extension in the future is to identify ways local extension professionals can enhance their knowledge of county government and then match extension resources with county needs.
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- Social Media: Increasing Programming Efforts and Outreach for Extension Programs
Jane Scherer (University of Illinois Extension)
Co-Presenter: Greg Stack (University of Illinois Extension)
Extension teaching must adapt to new approaches in technology integration. Illinois Extension is delivering horticulture and gardening information using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, podcasts, online expert libraries, online courses and mobile friendly websites. Our model is adaptable to any program area. Join us as we discuss the challenges and rewards.
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Rutgers Cooperative Extension has launched a Green Infrastructure Initiative that helps cities identify green infrastructure opportunities on abandoned properties and brownfield sites to mitigate environmental health impacts from water pollution and flooding. Additionally, the program provides job training opportunities for adults and educational opportunities for the urban youth.
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The mission of the Sioux Falls Urban Agricultural Taskforce is to grow and strengthen neighborhoods through urban agriculture. Learn how the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service is fulfilling this mission by focusing on a classroom, afterschool and summer gardening program.
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Minutes south of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Campbell County Environmental Education Center is the only site of its kind within Kentucky. A unique collaboration between the University of Kentucky Extension Service and Campbell County Government makes this possible. Come learn how to reach higher levels of impact with environmental education programming.
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- Bridging the Ethnic Economic Divide: The Case of Ethnic Chambers Business Retention and Expansion Program
Claudia Cody (University of Minnesota Extension)
This workshop is based on participant-centered learning, by applying the Ethnic Chambers BR&E program as the venue to immerse participants in diverse urban economic development, teach certain strategies utilized by presenter in moving the Ethnic Chambers into program implementation, and assist participants to initiate development of strategies in their own working contexts to similar issues.
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Iowa State University’s PLaCE program uses Extension resources to link student classroom projects with community development needs. This paper will present research findings about community impacts of the PLaCE program. Project examples will be shown, and recommendations will be given for successful community engagement and service-learning activities.
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This presentation details the process of building an urban garden in a highly diverse and economically distressed neighborhood, essentially demonstrating the use of gardening as a tool to develop people.