Building Inclusive Futures: Effective Stakeholder Engagement for DEI Success

I’m often asked “why” questions related to Advisory Committees, focus groups, needs assessments etc.  To some it may feel like an extra step that there isn’t capacity or time for, but the truth is that stakeholder engagement is at the heart of what we do in Extension – ensuring that programs are based on community needs, and that we aren’t just doing what always has been done for simplicity or desire for continuity.  Annually, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) asks Cornell to submit a research and extension plan as it relates to federal funding.  The plan is broad allowing for us to navigate the nitty gritty, but the majority of the content asks about stakeholder engagement – how do we intend to get input from the public or underrepresented groups?  How will we intentionally identify audiences that represent diverse demographics and experiences?  And then, how will we consider their input?

Some have heard me say that assessing needs, and reaching out to community groups, leaders, and representatives does two things – it helps us gather input, but it also sends a strong signal to others that we really do value their thoughts and potential collaborations.  It is a way to better understand needs, but it is also a way to genuinely invite others into our programs, honor their lived experience, and grow our audience appeal to our communities.

Over the last couple of years, Extension Administration has renewed our commitment to developing resources for staff working with Advisory Committees.  You may have seen the Advisory Committee Handbook or attended a training session about the key elements.  If you are unfamiliar with the documentation on the needs for and actions of Program Advisory Committees take a look at the one-page summary about Advisory Committees. CCE Executive Directors and Regional Team Leaders will be most familiar with the standard requirements around Program Advisory Committees, but in essence, Associations are asked to embrace advisory committee work 4 times a year for all major programmatic efforts (as noted in your PDR program listing).

I’ve had some pushback on the idea of  recruiting external stakeholders (those not traditionally involved in Extension work) into Advisory Committees.  To that I typically will respond that Program Advisory Committees are intended to take an objective look at data and evaluations and “advise” – providing insights but not “doing the work” – (the doing is more aligned with the work of a program development committee; typically made up of enrolled participants and volunteers to help staff to do the work of putting on events and activities).  The difference is monumental – being a part of an advisory committee isn’t a large commitment of time, and considering input as opposed to doing it all…is a different animal.

There is a great example of an external group that provided advisory-level guidance to CCE Cayuga for their 4-H Youth Development program – complete with a report shared back to leadership.  The advisement wasn’t an edict, “though shalt” but rather a – “here is what we see based on data, talking with enrolled volunteers and youth, and public documents”. The external stakeholders that were engaged came into the task not knowing much about 4-H Youth Development, but left as huge fans that wanted to see the program implemented more widely.   The report was intended as an advisement to help grow the 4-H Youth Development program – not as a judgment, but as opportunity and advice.  There are many ways to approach Advisory Committees – and this example helps showcase how to meet the requirement without having one more full-fledged extension committee.


Summarized Actions found in the Cornell Research and Extension Plan of Work  Related to Stakeholder Engagement:

Actions to Seek stakeholder input that encouraged their participation:

  • Use of media to announce public meetings and listening sessions
  • Targeted invitation to traditional stakeholder groups
  • Targeted invitation to non-traditional stakeholder groups
  • Targeted invitation to selected individuals from the general public
  • Survey of traditional stakeholder groups
  • Survey of traditional stakeholder individuals
  • Survey of the general public
  • Survey specifically with non-traditional groups
  • Survey specifically with non-traditional individuals
  • Survey of selected individuals from the general public

Methods to identify individuals and groups:

  • Use Advisory Committees
  • Use Internal Focus Groups
  • Use External Focus Groups
  • Open Listening Sessions
  • Needs Assessments
  • Use Surveys

Methods for collecting stakeholder input:

  • Meeting with traditional Stakeholder groups
  • Survey of traditional Stakeholder groups
  • Meeting with the general public (open meeting advertised to all)
  • Meeting specifically with non-traditional groups
  • Survey specifically with non-traditional groups
  • Meeting with invited selected individuals from the general public
  • Survey of selected individuals from the general public

A statement of how the input will be considered:

  • In the Budget Process
  • To Identify Emerging Issues
  • Redirect Extension Programs
  • Redirect Research Programs
  • In the Staff Hiring Process
  • In the Action Plans
  • To Set Priorities

Find out More:

Questions?  Feel free to reach out:

Between the lines | Book Read Announced for Fall – Nature-Study Idea and Related Writings

In a recent poll looking for ideas related to a group read of Nature-Study Idea and Related Writings, edited by John Linstrom, staff shared:

    • A love for reading and learning
    • An interest in nature
    • A desire to learn more about educational concepts – exploring how nature-based learning can be applied in programs like master gardener and stem education
    • An interest in book clubs and discussions
    • A concern that there is never enough time to read and discuss but an interest in trying to make it happen
    • A desire to learn more about including experiential learning so that relevant experiential learning is included in today’s education
    • A genuine interest in Liberty Hyde Bailey (the first dean of agriculture at Cornell) and the writer of the Nature Study Idea.

ESP Lambda Chapter will help to sponsor a book read of the book Nature-Study Idea and Related Writings once a month Oct, November and December – on Thursday’s at 11am (10/10, 11/14, and 12/5).  Sign up here!

Meetings will include – a short presentation from the book’s editor John Linstrom and dialogue/discussion among participants.

Goals:

  1. to better understand what the nature-study movement was and what it stood for, and
  2. to develop an understanding of how to use Bailey’s book in the work of 4-H and youth education today.

You can download the book for free  https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501773952/the-nature-study-idea/ (download the PDF rather than the EPUB so that we will all have the same page numbers) or order the book with a 30% discount code, 09BCARDhere. If on campus, copies of the book are available at the Cornell Book Store.

Plans for topics and Dates:

  • 10/10 11am: Pages xi-59:
    • Foreword by David W. Orr
    • Introduction by John Linstrom
    • “Bringing Education to Life and Life to Education” by Dilafruz R. Williams
    • “‘It Is Spirit’: The Genesis of The Nature-Study Idea” by John Linstrom
  • 11/14 11am: Pages 60-195:
    • Note on the Text by John Linstrom
    • The Nature-Study Idea by Liberty Hyde Bailey
  • 12/05 11am:Pages 197-293:
    • Major Sections Restored from the First Edition
    • Reviews of The Nature-Study Idea
    • Related Writings by Liberty Hyde Bailey

Questions can be directed to Celeste Carmichael.

Extension Book Club (Fall 2024) | Nature-Study Idea and Related Writings is brought to you by Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter and the CCE Admin Organizational Development Unit.

Turn “Ugh. Another Meeting…” into a Place that Others Want to Convene

Ugh. Another Meeting…

As a former teacher my entrance to cooperative extension came with lots of learning and very often beginning before I was ready. Great for learning but very uncomfortable and full of failures. As a teacher, I was a part of many meetings, but leading was less frequent. Of course, leading students and working with teams, but those didn’t feel like meetings to me. But why? Maybe because the word meeting has grown a less than stellar reputation. Or because working with elementary students always includes an element of creativity and fun to keep them engaged. Meetings were often a chance to connect with our teams after the students left for the day.  A chance to vent, share joys, and plan for the week ahead.

Meetings are at the core of our work in extension. I remember some of my first meetings after I was asked to join the leadership team. I often left singing the lyrics to a country song in my head. “a little less talk and a lot more action.” All we did was talk and often didn’t come back to it until months later when we said, “Didn’t we say we were going to…” And then when I was leading a weekly meeting with a group that was burnt out and disconnected, I knew I wanted to create something different. I, of course, did a little research on how to run a meeting. And found a meeting template. Some folks loved it, some found it too intense, and it didn’t always fit our needs. Here I was thinking there must be a right way to run a meeting and I went straight to logistics because by nature I love creating order, structure, and routine- perhaps the teacher in me. But that doesn’t always create meaningful and engaging experiences. So, there must be a way to balance the two.

An example of starting before I was ready… I took a risk to bring a large yet completely disconnected team together. My hope was to help these teams, working in silos, to build connection and see how they were connected to the same mission and vision while valuing and respecting each teams uniqe contribution. To much for one meeting? Maybe. And my learning, for some, I provided way to much informaition leading up which bolged folks down in the building connection. Connection before content is better strategy. I had some work to do after that to ease some tensions.

We’re “cooperative” extension. When tensions arise and common purpose and values get fuzzy, this phrase often comes up for me. And when it makes sense, I find ways to drop it as a gracious reminder for myself and others. Cooperative- involving mutual assistance in working toward a common goal. If only it always felt that way! As an organization with a long, rich history and a framework that supports us in evolving and adapting our programs to meet the needs of communities- finding shared purpose and inclusive approaches are key to our success but getting there can be a challenge. Especially when values and purpose are breezed over to “respect people’s time.” But if we’re not clear on why we’re meeting and everyone is coming with a different purpose and the facilitator is keeping the meeting short, are we really respecting people’s time?

I promise you, I’m not an expert but I have learned a few things. Sometimes there doesn’t need to be a task. Adults still want to have fun. Connection comes before content. And always purpose before logistics. I’ll forever be learning and creating my masterpiece when it comes to meetings. And as author Priya Parker might describe it, the gathering is more like an art.

And the teacher in my also loves a good book club! If you are interested in exploring new ways to create engaging and meaningful experiences that have folks looking forward to gathering, you’re invited to gather with us! Grab a copy of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker as we, connect with colleagues, read, and reflect on new strategies, while supporting each other in planning or recreating more meaningful and inclusive spaces together.

Before you join, we ask that you come ready to fully engage in the process- including the reading, and the virtual gatherings and determine a specific focus area (meeting, group, team, committee etc.) for working through the reflective process. An opportunity to learn and reflect with others and apply directly to your work as we go. Our virtual gatherings will be held bi-weekly from 1pm to 2pm, beginning March 14.

(3/14, 3/28, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23).

Consider registering by March 1st to give yourself time to grab a copy of the book, read the first two chapters and get the details on how to prepare for our first gathering on March 14. But if your able to make that happen before we gather, were happy to accept your application after March 1st.  Registration: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0ivH1cCXIxN9gZE 

Let’s create some art together! And please reach out with any questions (kmc86@cornell.edu).

All the best,

Kelly Campbell


ESP Lambda Chapter is co-sponsoring/encouraging others to join this conversation as we hear that “getting people to show up and be engaged in advisory committees, boards, and leadership is a need.  Kelly Campbell will be our keynote speaker for our annual meeting in December – sharing lessons learned through the book reading series.  Join us if you can, share with others!  All are invited.

CCE Saratoga County is seeking hosts for Master Food Preserver workshops

The trend toward local foods and concern over where our food comes from, especially since the pandemic, has led to a resurgence of interest in home food preservation. Cornell Cooperative Extension has a long history of being a trusted and reliable source of information and education on this topic, and we strive to keep it that way. The goal of the Master Food Preserver workshop is to train CCE staff and volunteers so they have the knowledge and confidence to teach home food preservation to others.

The CCE Master Food Preserver program is taught by educators Diane Whitten, CCE Saratoga County and Karen Mort, CCE Albany County. The three-day Master Food Preserver workshop covers all the methods of home food preservation including: the scientific basis of food preservation, boiling water and pressure canning procedures, pickling procedures including fermentation and quick pickling, making gelled products, freezing and dehydration principles, plus other related preservation information.

Hosts are responsible for the cost of educational materials (copies of handbook, food, canning jars, etc.), hotel for the instructors, lunch for participants and a fee of $2500 paid to CCE Saratoga County. The host sets the price for attendance.

Maximum participants is 21. Participants may be staff, potential/current volunteers, or members of the public, they can be from one or more counties – the host can decide the purpose and the audience.   If you are interested in hosting a Master Food Preserver training in your county, contact Diane Whitten for more information at dwhitten@cornell.edu.

The following weeks are available for these three day workshops. Dates should be selected at least two months prior to the workshop to allow your association ample marketing time.

2024 Master Food Preserver Program Dates

April 30 – May 2                               CCE Cattaraugus County

May 14-16                                           OPEN

May 29-31                                           OPEN

June 11-13                                           CCE Seneca County (tentative)

More information about the Master Food Preserver Program can be found here: https://ccesaratoga.org/nutrition-food/master-food-preserver

 

The Art of Gathering- Strategies for Boosting Attendance and Participation

ESP to co-sponsor book-read around boosting attendance and participation

You may have seen in Program Staff News, that Kelly Campbell and Tess Southern are co-leading a collective book read and discussions around the book The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering .  The topic is of interest to many right now, and ESP Lambda Chapter is co-sponsoring this initiative as we want to encourage participation.


A little more info:
Shared purpose and inclusive approaches within meetings and teams can be challenging. This six-week series of biweekly gatherings will help you connect with colleagues looking to create engaging meetings, read and reflect on strategies, and create a plan to transform your own meeting.

If you’re interested and ready to fully engage in the Art of Gathering, register by March 1st and we’ll share how to prepare for our first gathering. For more information or questions about the experience, contact Kelly Campbell kmc86@cornell.edu or Tess Southern tas264@cornell.edu.

ESP Lambda Chapter Announces Annual Meeting Date for 2024

Save the Date – December 12 – 1pm – 3pm Zoom

“Why announce annual meeting dates now? ” you might ask.  1. because we want you to come! and 2. because the topic  is one sure to be of interest.

“How to Energize Your Committee: Strategies for Boosting Attendance and Participation” is the professional development tied to ESP Lambda Chapter Annual Meeting this year.  The topic will connect with a book read – “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker being hosted by Kelly Campbell, CCE Volunteer Engagement Specialist.  

Getting volunteer committee members to want to come to meetings and to be actively engaged seems to be the topic of the year.  Is it post pandemic blahs?  Kelly Campbell  will share her insights and the insights and a recap of the book’s suggestions. Following the presentation and conversation, Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter will have it’s annual meeting. All are welcome to all or part of this event.
And yes, registration is up – sign up now and mark your calendar – https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlduqprjMjHtFo8B8ENxLeXV0xw4PilRvd 

Professional Development Offering – Generative AI and Extension Work | sponsored by ESP Lambda Chapter

March 7, 2024 — 11am — Zoom
All are welcome!

Generative AI is all the buzz. What is it, and how can it be appropriate for Extension Work? Join Epsilon Sigma Phi, Lambda Chapter for professional development on this relevant topic. Learn about generative AI techniques like brainstorming with you, helping build drafts of lesson plans, and revising text for plain language. Ethical considerations are also addressed, ensuring that participants understand the responsible use of AI in extension work. We will leave time for peer-to-peer sharing as well (so bring your experiences to share).

Register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlce2vqzsjG9C-GRZGUF5X3aJnx7dJBgOE 

“Hybrid Harmony: Enhancing Meetings Through Seamless Online and In-Person Collaboration” – December 14 – 1pm

with Charlie Pane – Outreach and Engagement Manager, CCE Ulster County + ESP Lambda Chapter member

Register: https://staff.cce.cornell.edu/professional-development-opportunities 

We are often hosting meetings for an in person and online team – but just how do we make those meetings run well?  The convergence of virtual and physical spaces is essential for fostering meaningful connections and maximizing productivity.  In this webinar Charlie Pane will share his experiences for mastering the art of seamless hybrid collaboration. The webinar will cover three key pillars:

  • Program Design Mastery: Strategies for crafting engaging agendas that cater to both virtual and physical attendees – balancing content delivery, interactive elements, and inclusive participation to ensure everyone feels connected and valued.
  • Production Setup and Technology Logistics: How do you use the technology at hand to do the job or what would help if you have a budget?      From audiovisual setups to camera placements and hybrid-friendly software, what are some secrets to a flawless technical execution?
  • Optimizing Hybrid Meeting Dynamics: Uncover techniques to facilitate smooth communication and interaction between online and in-person participants. We will also talk about tips for managing group dynamics, fostering engagement, and addressing challenges unique to hybrid setups.

Join us as we consider ways to redefine how we implement hybrid meetings…and stay if you are able for the Epsilon Sigma Phi Lambda Chapter Annual Meeting.  More peer-to-peer topics on the ESP-Lambda chapter page: https://blogs.cornell.edu/esp-lambda/

Generative AI and Extension Work

I had to chance to facilitate an “unconference” session for the professional development group, National Association of Program and Staff Development Professionals (NAEPSDP) about Generative AI.  The “unconference” format just means that it is less of an orchestrated presentation by an expert and more of a facilitated discussion.  I offered to lead this one because I’m a regular Chat GPT user,  taught first by my grown children and strengthened by my curiosity, mostly to summarize lengthy extension reports (often my own) quickly.

I wanted to share a couple of items that may be of use to our own staff and teams.

First I should share – Extension Connect provided a very thorough webinar and resources in June that was recorded with resources.  A great basics how-to for those who may be new to the technology: https://connect.extension.org/blog/resources-from-ai-basics-for-extension  

Equally, there was a good briefing in the Journal of Extension Ensuring Responsible and Transparent Use of Generative AI in Extension that includes usage as well as cautions.

In the NAEPSDP “unconference” chat I started with my experiences, suggestions for prompts, and suggestions for how staff new or not so new to AI might want to dabble in it for Extension work, colleagues from across the country contributed to the dialogue, adding their experiences, hesitations, and questions.

  1. My usage of AI (I use chat GPT):
    • Use to summarize lengthy reports; leveraging technology to succinctly express impacts
    • Summarizing qualitative data (in quantitative ways) – similar to what qualitative research software can do
    • Brainstorming – responses to questions, providing a framework for stories or issues, or lesson planning 🙂
  2. It is all about the prompts.  For those who use generative AI, you will know that you need to consider how to ask the question so that the responses are what you are looking for.
    • My top three:
      1. “Summarize the following in plain language” (where I’m providing the content and asking for dialogue that is written in a way that the lay reader could understand the content.
      2. “Can you group these into buckets of insights, with their associated weight (in %), and list so examples of associated responses for each insight?” (where the results turn qualitative results into quantitative responses)
      3. “Possible titles for the following abstract” (where I’m looking for help giving a clever but understandable title to a story)
    • More prompts for consideration include this great list from our colleagues at Virginia Cooperative Extension that includes prompts for lesson planning etc. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GpEhmp2oJPuXS28CPKNHTc74HW_cpXr1WgW43ywIagk/edit?usp=sharing

For the new and not-so-new to generative AI…here are some fun/interesting ways to make use of it:

  • make me a grocery list for x # people and organize it by section in the grocery store. Make a meal plan from this for 3 dinners, 3 lunches and 3 breakfasts” (seriously…try this out…provide any details you would like about the people – it is remarkable)
  • Summarize a success story from colleagues or yourself (drop the text into the prompt) – you will land with a few bullets succinctly written from your words in minutes.   Amazing way to help you focus on a few key points.
  • Review of survey responses– no names and not for research purposes (community example)  (dropping text into the prompt) – whether you have 5 or 50 responses – this will at least provide you with a framework for how to talk about the responses.

Would be interested to know your experiences!

Gamification or “Jobification” – Applying Game Design Approaches as a Bridge to Workforce Skills

I recently wrote a blog post for an outside ag tech project that I work on with Virginia Tech.  The project has paired a cohort of Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Ag faculty with Virginia Tech Ag faculty to focus on instructional design that is aimed at helping students gain (and acknowledge the gain of) greater workforce skills.

One design that has prompted a bridge between out-of-school and formal learning is badging to help students reflect on the experiences that they have had outside of class so that the course materials feel more relevant.  One VCCS faculty member aptly named this practice of building gamification in as “jobification”.   I thought this might be of interest to some of my CCE colleagues.  The idea of instructional designs that bridge learning environments is what my own research focus is on.

You can find the blog post here:  https://awt4collaborativeleadership.blogspot.com/2023/10/gamification-or-jobification-applying_18.html 

We are currently working on a journal publication to describe more of the documentation that went into this component of the project.  Stay tuned :).