Southern Region Middle Management 2003 Reaching Underserved Audiences

Today Group interaction Points of reference Implementation strategies in Virginia Sharing efforts and successes in your states

Why be concerned about underserved audiences? We already: Promote educational programs through print media Market on radio and TV Circulate flyers to schools and other public locations Inform our Extension clientele through newsletters

Why be concerned about underserved audiences? We already: Advertise programs as nondiscriminatory and “open to the public” They must not think our programs are beneficial Some of them say they want our programs but never show up We have great educational programs for them but they don’t seem to be interested

Why should we be concerned about underserved audiences? Cooperative Extension has a history of not serving all segments of the community Preconceived notions about our programs Potential clients unaware of our needs- based programming process Inability to access our information Multiple differences among clientele base Changing demographics in communities

Why should we be concerned about underserved audiences? Diverse groups of people and organizations should be engaged in a collaborative process for determining community needs Groups should be demographically representative of the community True engagement can create a sense of ownership and support for programs Federal, state, and local expectations dictate that programs be far-reaching

Considerations for Underserved Age Class Community status Culture Disabled Educational level Ethnicity Gender Geographic location Income Language Limited access to technology Literacy Race Religion Sexual orientation Transportation availability

How do we identify the underserved in a community? Conduct a situation analysis to determine population makeup of community/area to be served Develop community/area profiles Determine if program participants are (contacts) reflective of the defined community demographics? Determine which segments are not participating in our programs

Basics for reaching underserved audiences Involve a diverse cross-section of people in the identification of community needs Facilitate community participation in Extension education programs Express the expectation that faculty and staff be committed to reaching underserved populations Evaluate outreach strategies, efforts, and outcomes Leadership must be committed to “doing the right things”

Virginia practices for reaching underserved audiences Agent Personal Action Plans include specific planned outreach strategies and educational activities for including underserved audiences Consider more than just race and gender Planned strategies and efforts are discussed and approved by District Director Strategies, efforts, and outcomes are considered during annual evaluation

Extension Leadership Councils (ELCs) The primary means for Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) to facilitate community participation in Extension educational programming.

Extension Leadership Councils Are representatives of the community Primary partner for community involvement Key to VCE Being a Community Resource that is Meeting the Needs of Virginia’s CommunitiesKey to VCE Being a Community Resource that is Meeting the Needs of Virginia’s Communities

ELC Mission To develop and implement a program plan that will direct Extension’s resources toward the resolution of identified issues and concerns.

ELC Vision To identify the needs and concerns that exist in their planning area and share a commitment to determining solutions, implementing them, and evaluating and reporting results.

Membership The group will be diverse in terms of race, ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age, veteran status, national origin, disability, or political affiliation.

Membership The diversity of the group enhances discussions, deliberations, and actions. There is an acknowledgement that each person brings unique experiences and information that will contribute to the process.

Membership Consider personal characteristics, access to community resources, geographic representation, skills and expertise, current involvement, self-interest, and a willingness and ability to commit and participate in the ELC partnership.

Roles and Functions of an ELC Identify community problems, concerns, and issues Assess current Extension programs Identify other possible opportunities for cooperation and collaboration Design and implement program plan Monitor and adjust program efforts Evaluate and report results Advocate for Extension and its programs