1. BUILDING PREVENTION CAPACITY USING ONLINE CONFERENCING Wendi L. Siebold, MA, MPH Senior Research Associate EMT Associates, Inc. 1752 NW Market Street, #402 Seattle, Washington 98107

2. Focus for Today  Learn specific ways to utilize online training as a prevention capacity-building tool across long distances  Understand ways that online learning can facilitate project collaboration between rural and urban communities 2

3. Basics of Online Conferencing What, when and how to use it

4. What is Online Conferencing?  Online technologies provide the ability to participate in training courses and discussion groups with a live trainer or consultant directly from the participant’s own computer  Also provides the ability to have up to 15 students in a virtual classroom or hundreds of attendees in a meeting 4

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6. Effectiveness of Online Conferencing  Online meetings and trainings are:  Accessible  Understandable  Helpful for building stakeholder relationships  Useful for building their knowledge and skills  Useful to their work 6

7. “Going Green”  Automatic calculator tracks CO2, cost, and travel reductions accrued by meeting online rather than traveling 7

8. When To Use Online Conferencing  Use on a project-by-project basis, and objectives are tailored to the needs of each project.  In general, online conferencing has the following objectives:  Participant learning of new skills and knowledge  Facilitate collaboration between project partners  Utilize a mixed learning style environment to facilitate increased capacity building 8

9. When To Use Online Conferencing  Large meetings  www.emtevents.org can host up to 1000 participants at one time.  Good for distributing information to large groups.  Use the ‘chat’ feature for feedback and discussion.  Small meetings  www.emtlive.org can host up to ___ participants.  Good for more interactive conversations, shared web or document browsing. 9

10. Using online conferencing for smaller group meetings and collaboration Connecting Rural Communities

11.  The accessibility of online conferencing makes it an ideal tool for rural and isolated settings  Connects across geographically isolated communities  Allows for meetings that would otherwise be canceled due to budget limitations (e.g., government partners)  When connected with other online networking sites (like SharePoint or My Prevention Community), it is a cost- effective way for practitioners to access resources and build relationships nationwide 11

12. Connecting Rural Communities The myth of inaccessibility  Rural communities are often the most well connected to the internet – cable and internet are a lifeline to the “outside world”  Internet usage can play an important role in building social capital in rural communities  Outages happen, but they are rare  Dillingham, Alaska compared to Kiana, Alaska For more info see: Cook-Craig, P., Lane, K., Siebold, W. (Submitted). Building the Capacity of States to Ensure Inclusion of Rural Communities in State and Local Primary Violence Prevention Planning. Journal of Family Social Work. Stern, M. and Adams, A., 2008-07-28 "Do Rural Residents Really Use the Internet to Build Social Capital? An Empirical Investigation" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society, Radisson Hotel-Manchester, Manchester, New Hampshire. 2009-05-23 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p238616_index.html 12

13. Highlights From EMT’s Rural Projects  EMT is using online conferencing to build the capacity of prevention practitioners and stakeholders across Alaska, Montana and Washington 13

14. What type of projects?  Alaska & Montana  Domestic violence prevention project – builds preventing planning and evaluation capacity of local domestic violence agencies, community coalitions, and state coalitions  Washington  Convening statewide advisory group of domestic violence agency Executive Directors to review and revise state standards for emergency shelters 14

15. How was it used?  Monthly Coordinator Calls (6 locations per meeting)  Monthly “Technical Assistance Trainings”  Quarterly State Steering Committee Meetings  Special Workgroup Meetings Seattle 15

16. What capacities were built?  How to conduct a local and state needs assessment  How to interpret local and federal data  Writing goals and outcome statements  Developing logic models  Introduction to process and outcome evaluation  Introduction to survey design and data collection  Organizational capacity-building for prevention  Asset Mapping: Explanation and Examples  Group Facilitation Methods: An Overview  Introduction to “Getting to Outcomes” and Empowerment Evaluation 16

17. Coolest features of these trainings  Interactive graphics – highlighter and pointer  Shared web browser  Record the meeting  Cache of meeting resources and materials to link to later (connect with SharePoint or My Prevention Community)  Pictures brought us together  “Chat” builds community and keeps participants engaged 17

18. Pictures and Live Streaming 18

19. Chat 19

20. Connecting to SV Prevention 20

21. What did workgroups do?  Viewed internet data sources for prevalence statistics and demographic data  Revised goals and outcomes of state prevention plan  Viewed example prevention curricula and campaign materials  Reviewed table of data sources and evaluation measures  Hosted guest speakers and expert trainers 21

22. How was it used?  Reviewed findings from statewide data collection  Reviewed draft revisions to state standards  Project updates and debriefing 22

23. Tips and Resources

24. Tips  Pictures of participants are mandatory for small meetings  Use all the bells and whistles (major strength of online conferencing)  The leader of the call needs to be familiar with the features of the technology  The call is only as good as the expectations set for it  Helps to have one facilitator (to engage in conversation) and one organizer (to field technical questions on the side)  Don’t “over explain” the technology – train your group and go from there 24

25. Tips  Always make a hard copy of the meeting materials available prior to the meeting. Consider numbering the presentation slides.  Tell participants if you are recording the meeting, and how they can access the recording later  Remind people they can access meeting materials from their invitation (and follow-up) emails  Keep slides simple, pictures are okay 25

26. EMT Media  Go to www.emtmedia.org for training video clips you can embed into your personal website (even FB!)  iLinc offers trainings  www.emtevents.org can host up to 1000 participants at one time 26

27. Questions? Contact information: Wendi Siebold, Ph.D. Candidate 206-962-0260 wendi@emt.org