Success StoryEnhancing Advisory Council Resources



Enhancing Advisory Council Resources

Author: Kimberly Henken

Planning Unit: Program and Staff Development

Major Program: Staff Development

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Advisory councils are an integral part of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, providing input and feedback to strengthen needs-based programming. To support agents and enhance effectiveness of County Extension Councils, resource materials related to Kentucky’s Extension Council System underwent a comprehensive review and updating process. In addition, two focus group discussions with select agent groups identified gaps in available resources. In August 2022, a new Extension Council Resources web page launched, providing a single location to access updated materials. A new orientation video and council meeting resources were introduced. Area professional development days in August 2022 and March 2023 provided training and planning activities for agents statewide. Quarterly new agent orientation sessions were enhanced, and a half-day core training session provided a more in-depth focus on effective councils. Since January 2023, the council resources web page has averaged 25 users and 40 file downloads per month. Additional resource materials are in final development and will be added to the web page by August 2023.