Success Stories
IFAS Extension: 2009 South Central District
Video Transcript
Mary Beth Henry: Hillsborough County Extension Agent:
“The Tree and Landscape short course is an annual event held every year at the Florida state fair grounds. It’s been held here in Hillsborough County for about 30 years and it provides updated information to tree and landscape professionals."
“The short course is a solution for the lives of professionals in that we provide CEUs for them to update their licenses, networking opportunities, exposure to pests and diseases that they need to know about and introducing them to the next thing. (6:13) We also provide a real value to the general public in that landscape professionals do have an enormous economic and environmental impact on the state of Florida.”
“The short course is well attended and we see that as a real success. Traditionally it’s had 450 people as a normal attendance level.”
“This year we’re looking a lot more into how we evaluate our programs, how we can try to draw out a measurable impact on what we’re doing.”
“I’ve recently seen an evaluation tool that I would be interested in trying where people can call using their cell phones, similar to an American Idol type of thing, where you can find out what people think or what they have learned right there in real time.”
“We’re trying to demonstrate that Extension is relevant, effective, and meaningful for peoples lives. So I’m excited about that possibility for the future.”
South Central District Short Stories
Narrator: "Programs in the South Central District this year reach out to every group within theses communities."
"Agents Bryan Fluech and Joy Hazell created a bilingual newsletter to educate Spanish-speaking communities in Collier and Lee Counties about topics like ethical angling, food safety and proper disposal of household waste."
"In Pinellas County, Mary Campbell used Webinar technology that allowed live instructors to teach programs, answer questions, and collect feedback from program participants… watching on their home computers."
"And in Manatee Count, Jack Tichenor’s Mobile Irrigation Lab is helping the county conserve water and homeowners save money. Team members go out into yards throughout their community to educate residents on how to use their irrigation systems, rain sensors and the proper times to water. In seven years, the program has educated more then 8-hundred homeowners and saved the county millions of gallons of water."
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