Program Planning Task Force to Provide Training During Mid-Management Centra On May 11, 2010

Program Planning Conferences are one of the most important meetings conducted by a District Extension Administrator/County Extension Director and Regional Program Directors. This process provides an excellent venue to coach, motivate and encourage County Extension Agents.

As District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors begin thinking about establishing a Program Planning process that is part of a performance management system it is important remember that a program planning continuum is a series of related activities which includes the following;

• Distribution of Program Planning documents that provides expectations for programming, outlines key elements of plan (planning tasks with committees and task forces, marketing tasks, a series of sequential educational events, outlines evaluation methodologies, and outlines interpretation of results to elected officials and stakeholders, etc).
• Program Development Trainings and Workshops.
• Specialist Scheduling.
• Program Planning Conference.
• Plan review and feedback.
• Plan approval.
• Coaching and Feedback by District Extension Administrators and Regional Program Directors during the implementation of programs.
• Program Appraisal- this is where accomplishments are reviewed and goals for improvement in the future are established.
  

In an effort to improve processes related to program planning a program planning conference task force has been appointed. This task force has conducted a comprehensive review our program planning conference process and will be providing middle managers with recommendations during the Mid-Management Centra on May 11, 2010. The task force members include the following;

• Dr. Elaine Fries- Chairperson
  
• Hurley Miller
• Miles Dabovich
• Vincent Manniino
• Marvin Ensor
• Dr. Ruben Saldana
• Dr. Galen Chandler
• Dr. Susan Ballabina
  

This task force has been asked to accomplish the following;

1. Establish agency goals and objectives for program planning. These goals needs to be clear and concise and aimed to move our agency to the next level not just "we are going to plan good programs".
2. Review all current pre-conference documents developed to assist agents in preparation for program planning and establish consistent documents or templates to assist agents.
   
3. Review all current agendas and areas of emphasis for program planning and establish a consistent set of agendas and points of emphasis.
4. Review all processes associated with program planning and establish some best practices that are designed to ensure quality control.
   

As District Extension Administrators /County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors work with agents in developing programs in the future it is important to ensure that we are...

1. Focusing our efforts.
2. Developing our agents.
3. Optimizing our results.
4. Communicating our results to decision makers.
   

Remember, success in Extension is by design--it just does not happen! Extension Program Planning Conferences are the venue that District Extension Administrators/County Extension Directors and Regional Program Directors utilize to establish plans that will result in success.

Hurricane Ike: Landscape Recovery and Renovation Project in Galveston County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Increase Capacity to Allocate Resources to Maximize County Program Effectiveness the Hurricane Ike: Landscape Recovery and Renovation Project was initiated. Soon after the storm, Dr. Johnson, CEA-Horticulture, and the Galveston County Master Gardeners were asked to partner with the Texas Forest Service (TFS) to conduct a survey of damaged trees on Galveston Island. Over 40 Master Gardeners responded to the call for assistance. A day-long training session was conducted by TFS to prepare these master volunteers on the data collection process. Over the next two days teams conducted the survey, covering 9.47 miles, or roughly 5 percent of the 204 miles of streets in the study area.

Results from the study indicated that approximately 11,000 public right-of-way trees were dead or likely to die and another 31,000 trees on private property were in the same condition. Dr. Johnson and the Galveston County Master Gardeners also participated in a series of videos detailing the situation.

Throughout much of the recovery process, Dr. Johnson served as a liaison between Galveston County and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). At the County Commissioners' request, he conducted the initial tree assessment on Bolivar Peninsula. He then prepared documentation to support requests for tree/debris removal for the City of Galveston. These requests totaled in the millions of dollars and FEMA looked to him for the definitive word on the appropriateness of the applications. Dr. Johnson, working with Extension colleagues, has prepared numerous articles documenting the ecological disaster following Hurricane Ike. His collaboration with the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association has been instrumental in drawing the attention of industry professionals to the task of rebuilding the landscapes of Galveston County.

Replacing much of the landscape throughout the Texas Upper Gulf Coast represents a significant challenge. To address this critical issue, Dr. Johnson and the Galveston County Master Gardeners launched an initiative to rate more than 800 plant materials on their ability to withstand storm damage. These ratings were added to the Earth Kind Plant Selector Database - providing a comprehensive listing of adapted plant materials for the area. This tool will play an important role in ongoing efforts to rebuild Galveston County.

On September 26, 2009, the Galveston County Master Gardeners Association conducted an Extension Educational Seminar focusing on Landscape Recovery and Renovation. The program, held at the Galveston Convention Center, was attended by over 284 participants. This Landscape Revival focused on a wide range of adapted plants, soil preparation and installation techniques. With an overall satisfaction rating of 80% and increase in knowledge/intent to adopt practice values well over 50%, the program was considered highly successful at meeting strategic educational goals and objectives.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service continues to serve the residents of Galveston County as they rebuild from the devastating effects of Hurricane Ike. Our Extension Office and the Galveston County Master Gardeners are committed to providing relevant, high quality Extension educational information to support the rebuilding process.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Monofilament Line Recycling Program in Chambers and Jefferson Counties

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Monofilament Line Recycling Program was planned implemented in Chambers and Jefferson Counties. The target audience was local fishermen.

Fishing is popular in the coastal counties of Chambers and Jefferson and from time to time the fishing line will break and need to be discarded. Improperly discarded fishing line can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. Even though fishing line has been discarded in the garbage, it can still end up in the environment due to the coastal wind and birds use of the line as nesting material. Fishing line is both a pollutant and a potential hazard for fish, birds, and wildlife. Therefore, a monofilament line recycling program was established in Chambers and Jefferson Counties.

Such a recycling program has been successful in other coastal counties. Therefore, the project was initiated in the fall of 2009 in Chambers and Jefferson Counties. Collection containers have been constructed by volunteers and included branding for the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the Sea Grant Program in Texas. News releases and signs have been created to notify the fishing public about the recycling project. Containers will be emptied by the Coastal and Marine Sciences Agent and/or volunteers and contents sent to a local recycling center. Final results will be a cleaner fishing area and reduced entanglement problems for fish, birds, and wildlife.

As of November 2009, six outdoor recycling bins have been placed in Jefferson County and six outdoor recycling bins have been placed in Chambers County at public boat ramps. Inside collection bins are also located at the County Extension Offices in these two counties. A total of 3 news releases and 1 television spot have been used to promote the program. Also, announcement of this program was made at other Extension educational activities. Over 2 pounds of line and a 600 foot gill net have been collected in late 2009.

This program will continue into 2010. More bins will be placed throughout the counties as volunteers and locations become available. Local sporting goods stores will be recruited to participate in the program as well.

This program will continue to address key environmental and recycling issues and reach out to the fishermen audience.

Women's Forum in Burleson County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the annual Women's Forum in Burleson County addresses key topic areas specifically for women. The Women’s Forum is an educational event filled with a variety of educational topics from which participants choose to attend. The day of learning and fun includes a luncheon and a fashion show, and is topped off with a keynote speaker. A committee, of 12-15 people, meets during the first few months of the year to plan and organize the event and identify topics and potential speakers.

The keynote speaker for the 2009 Forum was Michelle Bright, Director of Education, St. Joseph Health System. Concurrent sessions included the following:

• Dealing with Diabetes
• Gold Medallion Club (Opportunities for Seniors)
• Home Care for the 21st Century
• Operating a Bed and Breakfast
• Ms. Do-it-Yourself
• Preparing Your Family for Pandemic Events
• Self Sufficiency and Saving Money at Home
• Super Scrapbooking
• Looking Your Best for Less
• Toss It Up
• You Should Be On Stage
• Livin’ Simple, Livin’ Green
• Landscaping
  

The 2009 Women’s forum was well received with over 100 attending. Participants were very complementary of the topic areas and overall program. The overall rating of the forum was 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.

This program will continue to address key issues and concerns of women and reach out to audience.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Networking Conference Addresses Basics of Seeking External Funding

In support of the Administrative Priority to Increase and Diversify funding the Tarrant County Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) planned a networking conference for County Extension Agents in surrounding counties. The topic of the conference was “External Funding”. The LAB was instrumental in recruiting an excellent panel of speakers that provided an overview of external funding opportunities. The panel included Mr. John H. Robinson, Amon G. Carter Foundation, Ms. Linda McMillan, Funding Information Center, and Ms. Ellen Ray, Private Consultant.

Mr. Robinson provided information from the standpoint of the funder, what he is looking for in a grant proposal and steps one should take prior to and during the proposal process in order to be successful. A couple of specific things he mentioned that are quite important in the grant seeking arena are to do the research on the funder and to develop a relationship with the funder. You should know who and what the funder has supported in the past. It is also important to make the phone call and seek their suggestions for proposals.

Ms. McMillan provided information on the services that are provided to the non-profit sector by the Funding Information Center. They provide non-profit agencies access to a data base which includes donors across the U.S. who support a wide range of programs, projects and activities.
Ms. Ray is a consultant in the field of fundraising and has extensive background in working with non-profit agencies. She provided information to the group related to seeking local donors and sponsors who will support our efforts. In her message to the group two points which she emphasized, ask for support and build a relationship with potential donors.

Following lunch, Mr. Clint Wolfe, Grant and Program Coordinator of Texas AgriLife – Urban Solutions Center provided an overview of seeking grant funding opportunities, tips for success in the proposal process and guidelines for working with Texas AgriLife Contracts and Grants. Mr. Wolfe pointed out that “the best proposals we can submit are those that build on or expand the programming that we have in place” and don’t think that obtaining funding is the biggest challenge – successful management of funding is a challenge and how you manage and report to the funder will impact future success in seeking grant funds.

As the conference concluded some things were worth repeating

• Build relationships with potential donors.
• Grants are one source of funding but seek other opportunities through local partnerships, donors and sponsors.
• Build on the successful programming that is already in place – could funding help expand the program and reach more people.
• Last but not least – ask!
  

Helpful websites shared by Mr. Wolfe:

• Grants.gov http://grants.gov
• Texas Register http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/index.shtml
• AgriLife Contracts and Grants http://agcg.tamu.edu

Content for this article was provided by Dana Tarter, County Extension Director-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

4-H Veterinary Science Program in Brazoria County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the 4-H Veterinary Science Program was implemented in Brazoria County. The 4-H Veterinary Science Program is a 5-year curriculum with 100 lessons and 50 activities. The program is career-oriented and job-training so students can determine if this is a career field they would like to pursue. Students who participate in this program will work with a licensed veterinarian at their practice. By doing this hands-on training they learn the knowledge and skills that are expected of a veterinary assistant.

In preparation for implementing this program, CEA Miles and two 4-H leaders attended a 4-H Veterinary Science Project Seminar in Montgomery conducted by Floron Faries, DVM. 4-H Club Manager training and aid in promoting and forming a new 4-H Vet Science Club was provided by CEA Miles.

At the introductory meeting of the new group, 27 prospective youth members attended with their parents. In addition to all participants receiving program information and resources, older youth who will not have time to finish the 5-year standard course of study were identified for “fast-track”status to accelerate their educational opportunities. Fifteen students were identified as accelerated students.

From the earliest days of program inception, contacts by youth and adult volunteers yielded ten county veterinary clinics into cooperative status with the program. These participating clinics are located county-wide and additional contacts are being made to increase the number of cooperating veterinary clinics. A group order of scrub tops (maroon of course) were ordered and made available to students for their clinical hours.

The Brazoria County Vet Science program began in August, 2009 with only a few students interested in studying for their Veterinary Assistant certification. By November, 2009, the club had grown to 40 members: 37 Jr. High or High School aged students and 3 adult volunteers. As of November, most of the students had been placed in local veterinary clinics to work toward the program requirement of gaining approximately 2400 work hours in small animal and large animal vet clinics. All students work as volunteers, however, by November the first student had been offered full-time, permanent employment.

Upon completion of the program, students will be considered Veterinary Assistants, and after the age of 16, they may test for three levels of certification to become Certified Veterinary Assistants. Students may also then complete a Veterinary Technologist course at a local Jr. College and become a Registered Vet Tech upon successful completion of the exam, with the ultimate goal of gaining admission to a Veterinary Medicine program at the university level.

This program will continue to provide an avenue for 4-H members to learn about veterinary science and consider a career as a Veterinary Assistant or Technologist.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Money Smart Program in Brazos County

In support of the Administrative Priority to Target Outreach and Expansion the Money Smart Program was planned and implemented to reach limited resource families. Many families face the constant challenge of managing limited resources to meet everyday expenses. The increasing complexity of the financial system and the lack of formal financial literacy education further burdens families who are trying to make ends meet, particularly low income families.

Money Smart is a financial management program developed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). While targeted at adults outside the financial mainstream, this curriculum can be used with adults who have low financial knowledge and skills to help them build financial knowledge, develop financial confidence, and use banking services effectively. The Money Smart program includes 10 modules, exercises, and participant guides. Each module includes an evaluation instrument that measures participant’s knowledge of the concepts taught before and after the class.

In 2009, Money Smart was used by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service to increase the financial literacy of a variety of Brazos County residents, including the general public, adult probationers and participants of United Way’s Individual Development Account (IDA) program.

Money Smart topics included:

• Introduction to Banking Services
• Your Rights as a Consumer
• Credit and Credit Cards
• How Your Credit History Affects Your Credit Future
• How to Choose and Keep a Checking Account
• How to Keep Track of Your Money
• What Home Ownership Is All about
• Loans
• Saving for the Future
  

In Brazos County, 47 educational contacts were made by conducting 30 educational sessions using the Money Smart curriculum. The CEA-FCS taught Money Smart Classes for adult probationers at the Brazos County Adult Probation Department in two lunch and learn series. An evening class was also conducted at the Brazos County Extension Office for families participating in the IDA program in partnership with United Way and Citibank as well as the general public. Participants were very position about this curriculum and improved their knowledge of financial management.

This program will continue to address its goal to increase financial literacy and reach out to limited resource families.

Content for this article was provided by Dale A. Fritz, Ph.D., District Extension Administrator-Texas AgriLife Extension Service.