The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
(Vol. 20 No. 33)
IN THIS ISSUE...
WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Summer is upon us. The round of
4-H camps will soon be wrapped up, and county fairs will be springing up
all over the state. This is a time when our attention in local programs
does turn heavily towards the youth. The pressures of wrapping up the
4-H projects and getting them on exhibit at the fair are bittersweet for
many. You, as professionals working out there, can help keep the focus
towards the youth and not so heavily on the project exhibit. Remember it
is that young person who is the 4-H project being developed, and not the
rabbit, dog, steer, dress, pie, chest of drawers, or any other exhibit
being brought to the fair. As questions or controversies arise with
respect to the judging or placings of the exhibits, keep asking yourself
and others the question, "What is it we want to teach our youth as an
outcome of this situation?" Regardless of the decision, know that
impressions of the way in which the issue was handled will remain in the
minds of those youth for years to come. I'd hope we call it a county
"fair" because it is.
I'd offer one other challenge to you.
Look around the K-State Research & Extension and 4-H Youth Development
fair exhibits and information provided to the public. Get a group of
volunteers tasked to look for ways your 4-H program can become even more
inviting to young people in your community you may not be reaching. Look
for ways to incorporate these ideas into the coming year to assure that all the young people of your community are
afforded the opportunity to experience the best youth development
program in the country, and likely the world!
And, have a great week! --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu
MONETARY AWARDS FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
A June 4 email from me announced four new recognition categories to be presented at the K-State Research and Extension Annual Conference. This recognition will also include a monetary award. These are:
- Outstanding Local Unit - $1000 to the unit to be used for programming
- Outstanding County or District Extension Professional - $1000 to the agent's local budget for programming
- Outstanding State or Area Extension Professional - $1000 to the specialist's department for their programming
- Outstanding Program Focus Team - $3000 to the team for programming
The above new awards will be in addition to the awards we have presented in the past: - Builder
- Diversity
- Mentor
- Team
- Unclassified Employee
- Local Unit Office Professional
Nominations are due August 7 and will be made via a Qualtrics survey'. A maximum of three pages in a pdf document can be uploaded into the survey.
I encourage you to help us recognize K-State Research and Extension’s programming impact with your nominations. --John Floros floros@ksu.edu
KANSAS YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM WORKSHOPS
It is time to recruit workshop
instructors/presenters for the 15th Annual Kansas Youth Leadership Forum to be
held in November at Rock Springs 4-H Center. This conference, designed for youth,
ages 14-18, will include speakers, workshops, consulting groups and the
election of the next Kansas State 4-H Youth Leadership Council.
We are recruiting proposals for workshop session instructors/presenters for
Saturday, November 22. Topics should center on leadership. Some ideas might
include, but are not limited to, community service, citizenship,
communications, conflict management, ethics, motivation, decision making,
leading by example, time management, international citizenship, multi-cultural studies,
diversity, business etiquette and getting involved after high school. The
Kansas State 4-H Youth Council members hope that you will be interested in
sharing your expertise or talent with this opportunity.
The letter and proposal submission information are both on the State 4-H website, on the KYLF page. Proposals
are due by July 15, and will be submitted online.
Questions can be directed to Beth Hinshaw, bhinshaw@ksu.edu. --Beth Hinshaw or Sarah Keatley Keatley@ksu.edu
GET READY TO REV YOUR ENGINES!
“Extension Professionals: Racing into the Future” will be the theme and the activity, October 6-9, when the Alpha Lambda chapter hosts the 2014 Epsilon Sigma Phi Annual Conference.
Opportunity for professional development, networking, and much to see and do within walking distance of the conference hotel – the historic Crowne Plaza in Downtown Indianapolis—Union Station.
Full day and partial day pre-conference tours will be available Monday, October 6.
Conference keynote and capstone speakers and topics include:
Dr. Fred Whitford – Connecting Extension’s Past and Present
Dr. April Mason – Reaching the Audiences of the Future: Who Are They and How Do We Do It?
Dr. Will Miller – Letting Life Change You
Three general sessions, four concurrent session time slots, a special life member session, poster session, silent auction, Ruby luncheon and lecture and more . . .
Registration is now open at http://conference2.espnational.org/ and Early Bird registration ends July 31!
Start packing your bags and plan to join Extension professionals from across the country–racing to the future!!!
--Chuck Otte, ESP Alpha Rho Chapter President cotte@ksu.edu
NEW GRANT WILL PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT FOR FARM & RANCH SUCCESSION PLANNING
Kansas State Research and Extension and Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services (KAMS) recently received a North Central Risk Management Education Center grant in order to educate and provide resources for Kansas producers as they develop and implement farm and ranch succession plans. The grant will also aid in training Extension agents, attorneys, financial analysts and mediators to act as planning facilitators and advise families on the process of succession.
The grant is three-fold and will include:
1) statewide awareness conferences;
2) in-depth web-based educational materials; and
3) facilitator training to help families with their succession plans.
The grant team looks forward to working with Extension agents and other professionals on these efforts. Please be watching for more information promoting this important project.
Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services supports Kansas producers in resolving a variety of agricultural-related problems including: ag credit issues, farm foreclosures, USDA Farm program and Farm Loan Program decisions, USDA Rural Housing loan issues, USDA Risk Management issues, and USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service decisions. Information and guidance on any ag-related issue will be provided at no cost through our toll-free hotline, l-800-321-3276, or visit our website at http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/kams/.
--Forrest Buhler, KAMS Staff Attorney, fbuhler@ksu.edu
--Char Henton, KAMS Mediation Coordinator, char@ksu.edu
--Janel Koons, KAMS Extension Assistant, jksu@ksu.edu
--Gregg Hadley, Assistant Director, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Community Development, ghadley@ksu.edu
ASK THE OEIE EVALUATOR: CREATING STAKEHOLDER FRIENDLY DOCUMENTS: DATA VISUALIZATION
A variety of data visualization techniques can be used to explain a process, present results, or demonstrate impact. In this installment,we discuss how to create an easy-to-follow one-page graphic timeline.
Q: How do I create a stakeholder friendly graphic that helps demonstrate my program’s impact?
While comprehensive reports often contain tables, charts, graphs or other visuals, creating a one-page graphic representation of your program may resonate with readers more strongly, especially if you are trying to illustrate an entire process, collection of activities, or program outcomes and impacts. There are numerous data visualization techniques that allow for the presentation of large amounts of data, in a concise, easy-to-read, visually pleasing format. Examples of these techniques include word clouds, GIS maps, and social network analysis, but one of the easiest one-page data visualizations for you to create and for stakeholders to follow is a data visualization timeline. This type of graphic conveys a snapshot of a program to an audience.
When creating a graphic timeline it is important to first determine the timeframe of interest as well as whom the timeline’s audience will be. Display the results to pertinent questions the audience would want answered. Ask yourself which data is most important to them? Or what is most important to represent or highlight about your program to stakeholders? The following steps will guide you through the process.
Step 1 – Collect data such as participation numbers, number of programs offered, pre- and post-assessment results that measure knowledge/skills gained, or post-assessment results measuring participant satisfaction.
Step 2 – Analyze data for milestones, themes, or significant findings. Consider using quotes from participants to highlight specific activities, knowledge/skills gained or satisfaction with a program.
Step 3 – Use software that is easily accessible. Templates for creating timelines can be found in Word, Excel, Publisher, and PowerPoint.
Step 4 – Create your timeline. Use text boxes and graphic elements to highlight milestones, themes, and significant findings either by using the shapes and text boxes provided in the template you’ve chosen or by adding additional graphic elements. Below are some additional things to keep in mind as you begin to construct your timeline:
o Document size – make sure that the data will fit with easy readability. o Timeframe– timelines can span a week, a month, quarters, a year, or years. o Use of basic shapes and connectors – located in the insert tab of a word document. o Use appropriate colors – if your program has a logo, make sure that you use those colors or complimentary ones. o Be consistent with your use of fonts, colors, bullets, and graphics. o Adding pictures from activities personalizes the timeline. o Allow your creative side to show – utilize various shapes and colors or bold text to emphasize certain aspects of your timeline.
An example of a data visualization timeline is provided on the Extension Evaluation Resources website. We created this graphic in Word by inserting Shapes, SmartArt, and Text Boxes into a blank document. This one-page document highlights all 11 Program Focus Teams (PFTs), and documents things such as participation rates, number of programs, and impacts/outcomes using sample data.
Remember data visualizations can be stand-alone documents or accompany reports to highlight findings. You may also find that your visual encourages stakeholders to read the full report. The ultimate goal is to create a one-page document that provides your audience with a complete picture of the program or activity with data that is important to them.
Questions about evaluation? Visit the Extension Evaluation Resources website, http://apps.oeie.ksu.edu/extension/index.php, or contact Allison Teeter at amt8968@ksu.edu or 785-532-0640, at OEIE. --Office of Educational Innovation and Evaluation
DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
Our summer programs are officially in full swing in the Diversity Programs Office (DPO). Having the students on campus motivates our staff every day to work hard for them to have a great experience! The summer staff for the DPO is Carolina Camacho, Coordinator; Sogand Sabahfar, Data Analyst; Megan Carroll, Graduate Assistant; and Lachelle Marshall, Undergraduate Assistant.
Here is a look into how our summer programs are progressing:
• Kansas State Research & Extension (KSRE) Multicultural Undergraduate & Graduate Summer Research Fellowship program would like you to save the date for their research presentations. Their presentations will be given on Wednesday, July 23, at 10 a.m. in Waters Hall, Room 137.
• Transfer BRIDGE (Building Relationships to Internships and Diverse Group Experiences) Program would like you to save the date for their research presentations. Their presentations will be given on Tuesday, July 22, at 1:30 p.m. in Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center, Room 2002.
• Nicodemus Educational Camp was held from June 16 - June 20. The first two camp days took place at the KSU campus. Students had the opportunity to visit the Dairy & Agronomy Farms, the Grain, Mill & Bakery Science Tour, KSU Community Garden, and the KSU Rec Center Ropes Challenge Course. The DPO’s K-State MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) chapter hosted the Nicodemus Educational Camp for a presentation about MANRRS, Agricultural majors, and career opportunities. The camp was a success and we are planning to collaborate with them again next year.
• MAPS: The Project IMPACT Summer Bridge Program students have finished their first week of college classes! The students started off the program with the Guaranteed 4.0 Learning System Seminar given by Dr. Donna O. Johnson on Saturday, June 14. It was a great way to help our MAPS students get focused and prepared to start their college classes.
• The DPO is intricately involved in the 2014 Summer New Student Enrollment and Orientation by conducting parent sessions to address their student’s transition to college, as well as, meeting incoming students and communicating to them about the resources and opportunities the DPO has for them.
Please continue to look for more diversity events as we continue to advertise. We appreciate your support. For more information about upcoming events or to collaborate with the DPO, please call 785-532-5793 or contact Dr. Zelia Wiley, Assistant Dean of Diversity, zwiley@ksu.edu. --Zelia Wiley
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