Education and Outreach: Moving from Awareness to Sustained Action
Introduction
An effective outreach effort moves the target audience from awareness to action. How does outreach differ from education? According to the University of Wisconsin Extension (2007) education refers to sustained efforts using the formal education system and outreach to short time limited duration events designed to excite wider public intersest. For more on the differences between educaition and outreach visit: http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/beps/documents/FAQsEducvsOutreachMay3004.PDF
Getting in Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed, offers the following six-step process to developing an effective outreach campaign:
- Define water resource goals and objectives.
- Identify and research the target audience(s) (i.e., the group of people you want to reach and how you want to interact with them*).
- Create message(s) (keep it short and compelling).
- Format messages (e.g., bulletins, flyers, fact sheets).
- Distribute messages (e.g., mail, door-to-door, Internet).
- Evaluate (what worked, what didn't?)
Following this step-by-step approach will help you avoid the common error of jumping directly to formatting issues. How many times have you heard someone say, "We need a Web-site!"?
The keys to an effective outreach campaign are: 1) begin with the ultimate goal in mind (for most watershed outreach campaigns, this means a water quality or other environmental goal) 2) identify a specific audience and determine exactly you want them to do that will help you accomplish your goal (e.g., adopt a stream protection ordinance, clean up after their pets); and 3) tailor the message and delivery method to suit the audience.
According to UWEX (2007) For any education or outreach initiative, you need to think about how you will interact with people. Do you need to get information to people? (information) Do you need to talk things over with a group? (communication) Do you need to help people knowledge and/or skills? (formal education) Or do you really need to change how things are done? (build community capacity for sustained environmental management including policy or institution changes).
Before you plan your outreach or education efforts it's important to decide what you want to accomplish. Before you proceed review the sections on the four strategies for outreach and eduction efforts at: http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/use/Decidestrategy.cfm
In this module, you will be creating a draft outreach a/or education plan or a draft version of a specific outreach and/or education product for one or more objectives that might be included in a watershed action plan.
Learning Objectives
After completion of this module you should be able to:
- Identify target audiences
- Develop a preliminary outreach plan and/or education product.
Background Readings
Required:
- US EPA. (2005) Build Partnerships. In EPA Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters. (Pp. 3-4 thru 3-18)
- MacPherson, C. and Tonning, B. Getting in Step: A Guide to Effective Outreach in Your Watershed. http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/gettinginstep/ located on the USEPA Watershed Academy web site.
Complete Part I "Developing Your Outreach Plan" Once you get to the site click "next" in the upper right corner to move forward through the module. - River Network (1998). River Talk! Communicating a Watershed Message. Washington, D.C.(pp.27-34).[Academy students receive a copy of this guide.]
- USDA Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, along with numerous project partners, have developed the National Extension Water Outreach and Education Web-site. This site has research-based information on best education practices for conducting water education programs: http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/index.cfm (read the steps under "Plan Navigation" including "How Do I Improve My Program" http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/Improve.cfmove" under this page review "How do I get Started?" and "Quick Tips" http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/use/quicktips.cfm
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Tools for Teaching http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/education/tools.cfm
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Teaching and Presentation Skills http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/education/TeachPresent.cfm Be sure to skim "A Continuum of Teaching Methods" and "Explanation of Teaching Contiuum."
References
University of Wisconsin (2007). National Extension Water Outreach and Education Web-site. This site has research-based information on best education practices for conducting water education programs: http://wateroutreach.uwex.edu/index.cfm