National 4-H Congress: A Retrospective Evaluation

National 4-H Congress is an example of a programmatic effort designed to help youth develop various life skills. For this study, demographic, event satisfaction, and application of knowledge data were collected from 2,154 past Congress participants. Findings revealed that the majority of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with their Congress experience, and 63% of the respondents had used information gained from the event. Continued efforts to ensure future delegations represent the diversity of 4-H are encouraged, along with continued evaluation of event satisfaction levels and the extent to which life skills are developed and retained

Social Impact Assessment in the Cooperative Extension System: Revitalizing the Community Capitals Framework in Measurement and Approach

Measuring program impact is continually placed in the forefront of discussions, efforts, and reporting when it comes to outreach and engagement efforts related to Cooperative Extension. However, the diversity of programs represented through program areas, as well as the complexities of local infrastructures present ongoing challenges to effectively addressing needs in community development and vitality. One of the greater hurdles in these efforts is addressing areas of social impact. This article argues for a deliberate attempt to parse out efforts that address social impact, while looking for ways to bring such impact full circle with existing efforts in economic impact. This article answers the following questions: (1) How is program impact defined as it relates to the land-grant university? and (2) How is social impact defined, and what are the common approaches to examining/measuring social impact? Based on this review of the literature, we describe and justify a proposed model approach for overall community diagnostics, directly supporting social impact assessment efforts. Such a proposed model would then have the capacity to lead to two very distinct and applicable outcomes that ultimately lead to measuring and examining program impact. The first is an immediate snapshot of a given community for diagnostic purposes; and the second would create a framework by which longitudinal data could be collected, which can then demonstrate changes and shifts over time. Such data can then provide a more holistic approach to program planning, development, and overall evaluation

Surfing Waves of Change: Building Organizational Capacity in Extension Through Leadership Programs

Leadership development is a viable solution to equipping Extension employees for administrative responsibilities at earlier career stages. Extend Advanced Leadership Training Program (Extend) is a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension cohort-based initiative proving to be a catalyst for enhancing the leadership skills of Extension personnel. This article addresses data from a mixed-methods study of the Extend program, which revealed findings on how changing self and changing others resulted in personal and professional growth within the cohort participant study sample