the platform can eventually be expanded to include DPP data from other states and eventually report on other health programs. Jarvandi’s team is starting with the DPP because this program has standardized implementation guidelines and evaluation measures set by the CDC. A com- mon platform “would allow us to aggregate data to demonstrate Extension’s impact nationally,” Jarvandi says. “Currently, that impact gets lumped in with all CDC-recognized organizations delivering the [DPP] program.” She adds that the new platform would benefit Extension by replacing available platforms that are costly, cumbersome, and not tailored to Extension’s needs. NO MORE SECRETS A typical challenge in communicating the impact that CES has on its com- munities has been that educators and county Extension agents lean toward different types of measurement. “Some counties love numbers,” Hanson says. “Other counties and regions really love a great success story. For many years, I thought quantifiable numbers were more important, but I have come to appreciate the emerging practice of turning qualitative data into measurable content.” Dr. Karin Bump, a former Cornell University Extension professional who mentored Hansen’s team, agrees: “You get richer data when you ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, because you can understand what causes movement in quantitative data.” This how and why data provide critical direction to the thousands of Land-grant university and county-based Extension employees and over two million volunteers who bring science-based resources to the people and communities who need them most—and to grant programs such as NTAE and organizations like the Extension Foundation that help CES tell a story that deserves to be heard. ·
CONNECT with your colleagues. Connect Extension is a closed social media network for Co- operative Extension and other Land-grant university profes- sionals, their community partners, and federal partners. With Connect Extension , you can disseminate information and resources across the system and promote your Extension events to colleagues in other states and to the public.
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You get richer data when you ask ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, because you can understand what causes movement in quantitative data. —Karin Bump Project mentor Extension professional (formerly of Cornell University Extension)
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