Formula for Program Excellence
In my 35 years with community education and 30+ of those with Extension, I’ve tried many strategies and models to improve the quality and impact of educational programs. I am always looking for a quick and easy way to articulate what works especially for those new to or not familiar with our work. So what a pleasant surpirse to find a formula for impactful programming put forward by Dale Blythe from Extension in Minnesota in a recent issue of the Journal of Youth Development. He suggests:
real program impact = program design x program access x program quality (i.e. practice) x participant engagement
Does this look familiar? Can you see how this formula would help us improve our programs and affirm what is already going well? I can see I still have work to do to make our work the best it can be.