Posted on No Comments on Register now for the CCE Fall Book Read: Catalyzing Change Profiles of Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators from Greene, Tompkins, and Erie Counties

Register now for the CCE Fall Book Read: Catalyzing Change Profiles of Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators from Greene, Tompkins, and Erie Counties

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This fall, Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) invites you to be part of something more than a book club—an opportunity to reflect, connect, and grow through the voices of our own educators.

Join us for the Fall 2025 Book Read: Catalyzing Change: Profiles of Cornell Cooperative Extension Educators from Greene, Tompkins, and Erie Counties, New York—a powerful collection edited by Scott J. Peters, Daniel J. O’Connell, Theodore R. Alter, and Allison L. H. Jack.  As you may know, Dr. Scott Peters is a professor in the Department of Global Development at Cornell University and a nationally recognized leader in the civic engagement movement in higher education.

In three virtual lunchtime discussions (9/23, 10/28, and 12/2 Noon – 1pm), we’ll explore the personal narratives, professional journeys, and community-rooted commitments of CCE educators. These stories reveal how Extension work is not only about sharing knowledge, but also about building trust, adapting to change, and sparking transformation—within ourselves and in the places we serve.

Why should CCE staff join the book read?

  • Reflect on Our Shared Purpose: These profiles highlight real-life examples of how Extension educators navigate complexity, deepen relationships, and cultivate change—all while staying rooted in local knowledge and community priorities.
  • Build Connection Across the System: Whether you’re in your first year or your fortieth, participating in this book read connects you with peers who care deeply about CCE’s mission.
  • Fuel Your Work with Fresh Insight: The stories provide practical inspiration and honest reflections that resonate across program areas—from agriculture and youth development to nutrition, natural resources, and community development.
  • Engage with Thought Leaders: Dr. Andy Turner, Director of CCE, will facilitate our sessions, and Dr. Scott Peters—one of the editors—will join as a special guest for at least one discussion.

Details at a Glance:

The Extension Book Club series is co-sponsored by Epsilon Sigma Phi, https://blogs.cornell.edu/esp-lambda/, a staff development organization of CCE. Let’s come together to celebrate the everyday leadership, creativity, and courage that Extension educators bring to their communities—and discover how our own stories might continue to catalyze change.

Posted on No Comments on Focusing on Focus Groups for Extension Work

Focusing on Focus Groups for Extension Work

Our current CCE Program Development Leadership Cohort (PDLC) has been thinking about strategies for assessing needs.  While many of us are familiar with launching a survey or looking at service statistics to understand interests in programs, not everyone has had the opportunity to run a focus group.  This topic was of high interest to our cohort.  Why use a focus group?  And what are some strategies for running one?

Focus groups can be a powerful tool to help you understand community needs, refine ideas, and improve outcomes. Whether you’re exploring youth development, agriculture, climate resiliency, or nutrition education, a well-run focus group can give you valuable insight to guide your next steps – and develop a relationship with those who show up to share.  I like to use focus groups as an extension needs assessment or evaluation method because it offers an opportunity to listen deeply to people, and it uses a social environment that can help conversation to be more generative.

Here’s a step-by-step guide intended to help take some of the mystery out of running a focus group:

  1.  Define the Purpose. Start with a clear goal. What do you want to learn? Examples might include testing ideas for a new initiative, exploring community concerns, evaluating participant experiences. Keep your purpose focused and align your questions with that purpose.
  2.  Identify and Recruit Participants.  Aim for 6–10 participants with diverse perspectives relevant to your topic.

Consider:

    • Program participants (past or potential)
    • Community partners
    • Stakeholders (e.g., teachers, farmers, volunteers)

Use email, phone calls, flyers, or existing networks to invite participants. Be clear about time commitment and why their voice matters.   Share your purpose. Have individuals register so that you can remind them and thank them.

  1.  Develop Guiding Questions. Prepare 5–7 open-ended questions to guide the discussion. These should:
    • Prompt stories and experiences (“Tell us about…”)
    • Avoid yes/no answers
    • Start broad, then narrow in
    • Have back up questions in case there is silence.

Questions will relate to your Focus Group purpose – here are a couple of samples – “What types of support do you need to participate fully in our program?”
“How has this program impacted your daily life?”

  1.  Logistics Plan. Choose a comfortable and accessible location—or host it online via Zoom.

Plan for:

      • 30-60 minutes of discussion
      • Include a neutral facilitator (conversations should be lukewarm and not emotional…so at times, that means that we ask someone else to moderate/facilitate)
      • A notetaker or recorder (with permission of participants)

Offer refreshments or a small incentive, if possible, send reminders before the session, and thank you afterwards.

  1.  Facilitate Conversation. Set a welcoming tone. Begin with introductions and ground rules:
    • Respect all voices
    • Listen actively
    • Confidentiality matters

Use your guiding questions but stay flexible. Let conversation flow naturally while ensuring all voices are heard.  Avoid dominating the discussion yourself (see note above about including a neutral facilitator).

  1.  Analyze and Apply What You Learn.

After the session:

    • Review notes and recordings
    • Look for themes and key insights
    • Summarize takeaways in plain language

Use what you learn to refine your program design, identify gaps, and support grant proposals or reports.

  1.  Share Back. This one is important and often forgotten (amongst all the other priorities—I get it). Participants appreciate knowing their time matters. Share a summary of findings and how their feedback will be used. This builds trust and encourages future engagement.

Focus groups aren’t just about collecting data but about listening deeply and building relationships. Done well, they strengthen programs and make them more responsive to real needs in our communities.

Here are a few resources for further information:

If you’d like tools or a sample focus group plan, contact me – Celeste Carmichael, cjc17@cornell.edu. 

Let’s keep learning, together 😊

Posted on No Comments on Managing, or perhaps someday, be in control of our time

Managing, or perhaps someday, be in control of our time

At our recent Program Development Leadership Cohort in-person Kick-Off, I collected ideas for follow-up professional development. One of the suggestions that came up was “Time Management.” It’s not a surprise—it is a perennial request. I often think, ” There are time management experts, and then there are…the rest of us.” I often feel overwhelmed by deadlines and search for tips, tricks, and practices for managing and, ideally, mastering my time.

A couple of years ago, while looking for sage advice about getting up earlier in the mornings (and going to bed earlier at night), I stumbled across a blog I liked from Laura Vanderkam, a writer, author, and time management specialist.   I enjoyed her writing style and candor about life and getting more things done that we want to be known for.  At the time, her book, Off the Clock, helped me to track my time, shift my schedule, and make decisions that helped me to get things done that I prized (over just doing what I had to do). I’ve gone on to read or listen to most of her books, and I do my best to follow her guidance (and then sometimes relisten. I have no shame in saying that I am a work in progress 😊).

I thought I’d share a couple of her tips, including my application, in case they are helpful to you…

  1. Plan on Fridays. Vanderkam advocates for planning your week on Fridays (rather than Sundays or Mondays). This approach allows you to prioritize tasks, set goals, ensure a balanced schedule for the upcoming week, and, most importantly, wrap your head around next week before you are in it.  I love this, and yes, I still need a refresher on Monday on what is to come, but reviewing the upcoming week and sometimes moving and shifting meetings so that I have enough time blocks to get deeper work done is monumental.  Additionally, Laura encourages making time for this in a way that I look forward to that planning time (which doesn’t feel the same way if I wait until Monday).
  2. Establish a Consistent Bedtime.  Yes – this will help you with your time management! Sleep is crucial for productivity. By setting a regular bedtime, you ensure adequate rest, which enhances focus and efficiency during the day…and certainly makes an early start much more achievable. Full disclosure: (for me) when going to bed early equates to scrolling through Instagram, it does not have the same benefits.  However, 20 minutes of diving into a book read for joy…is restful and restorative.
  3. Embrace a ‘Three Times a Week’ Rule. In her book Tranquility by Tuesday, Vanderkam expounds that habits don’t have to be daily to be effective. Engaging in an activity three times a week can establish a consistent routine without overwhelming you or your schedule. Whether it is “make time to walk 10K steps a day 3 times a week”, “make time for deep work ( a 2hr block of no distractions) 3 times a week”, or “bring lunch 3 times a week”…this is a step toward progress without fear of failure.  You can always do more than 3x a week – but there are no bad feelings if you only do 3 times a week (which isn’t too tough). This takes the pressure off, and helps me give myself a little grace when the day or week just doesn’t go as planned. Most of the time – 3 times a week is very achievable.

Implementing these strategies can transform your approach to time management, leading to a greater productivity and…whallah – a more balanced life. For more insights and resources, visit Laura Vanderkam’s website. https://lauravanderkam.com/

Recommended Reading or listening (from me 😊) from Laura Vanderkam:

  • Tranquility by Tuesday
  • 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
  • Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
  • I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time
  • Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
  • What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

Other books about time management that I’ve found helpful:

  • Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
  • Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen