August 26, 2025
Elevating the Ordinary
There are a lot of things we do in extension that happen annually. We do them year after year, and you settle into a nice rhythm once you’ve found a routine that works well. Some of these include elections, annual meeting, joint board meeting, 4-H achievement nights, 4-H club day, and county fair.
Programs can also be repeated year after year, especially some of the tried and true. Walk Kansas and wheat plots are two that come to mind. As a professional, once you’ve been in a few years, it can quickly become a process of updating last year’s materials, and the wheels are set in motion for yet another year.
This is where I’d ask you to pause and question: Is it time for a refresh? Have my intended outcomes changed or evolved over the years? Are my efforts meeting my objectives? Is there a more efficient or innovative way to deliver this program?
While we approach the new programming year on October 1, I would challenge each of us to pause and reflect.
• How do we breathe new life into our annual efforts?
• How do we create excitement around what can start to feel like the mundane?
Can you imagine if we hyped up our extension annual meetings like a major sporting event or stock show? It paints a somewhat humorous picture in my mind, and yet I’m somewhat serious at the same time. These repetitive, annual events and programs serve an important purpose, and they still have meaning and value to each of them. Let's not get stuck in a rut.
There have been a lot of conversations about elevating extension. I’d challenge each and every one of us to embrace the opportunity this year. It’s time to “level up,” as they say!