First Impressions is a proven tool for understanding how a community is perceived by newcomers and visitors. This structured assessment helps local leaders identify community assets, opportunities for improvement, and actionable strategies for growth. To enhance learning while providing a valuable service to Kentucky communities, Mercedes Fraser at Blueprint Kentucky partnered with Dr. Nicole Brezeale with the Community Leadership and Development Department at the Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment and Morehead/Rowan County Tourism to involve college students in conducting a First Impressions assessment for Morehead/Rowan County, Kentucky.

Morehead/Rowan County Tourism is currently a partner with Fraser at Blueprint Kentucky in the development of a Rural Tourism Institute, a rural tourism focused curriculum in planning phase funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) funding.

This innovative collaboration gave undergraduate students real-world experience in community development while delivering meaningful insights to local stakeholders. The course, CLD 260: Community Portraits introduces the social science concept of community and focuses on definitions of community, community basics and the different types of communities that exist in society. The demographics represented by the students (ages 18-30, some from Kentucky, some from out of state; a variety of racial/ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds) are some of the demographics communities are desperately seeking input from.  

Formal planning began in September 2024, and the assessment process was conducted throughout Fall 2024 semester. The final report and presentation were delivered to local leaders on December 2^nd, 2024.

Students in Dr. Brezeale’s course participated in the First Impressions process in one of three ways: as online evaluators, visitors to the physical community, or as data analyzers. 

1. Online Evaluators –  examined both the design and content they find online about the communities, visited state, county, and city websites, as well as looked at other online sources (such as Wikipedia, Yelp, TripAdvisor, etc.)
2. Community Visitors - drove through the community’s downtown space to examine the presence (or absence) of vibrant businesses, well utilized community services/resources, safe sidewalks, public art, etc.
3. Data Analyzers – reviewed the responses from both the online and in person visits and developed key takeaways from the data.

Dr. Brezeale and Fraser then synthesized these findings and developed 3 recommendations for the community based on student responses. Together the students, Brezeale, and Fraser developed a presentation to report to local stakeholders. 

The presentation was delivered virtually to local stakeholders invited by Morehead/Rowan County Tourism Director, Joy Brown. Students, Breazeale, and Fraser presented key findings, photos, and direct quotes from the assessment results. The Community Portraits course curriculum included the Community Capitals framework, which was applied throughout the Morehead/Rowan county First Impressions assessment, and students had the opportunity to talk about the natural, local business, education, cultural, and health care assets in the area with stakeholders. Community members expressed appreciation for the fresh perspective and actionable suggestions. The three recommendations shared were:

1. Increase signage and wayfinding
2. Prioritize investment in downtown spaces
3. Identify demographics to target for engagement

Impact Highlights:

• 71 students participated in the assessment process and reported increased awareness of community development concepts.
• Morehead/Rowan County received a professional-quality assessment and presentation at no cost.
• Of the 15 community members that attended the student presentation, 7 completed a follow up evaluation. Of those 7, 4 reported the quality of the program as “Excellent” with the other 3 reporting that the quality was “Very good.”
• All community members who responded to the evaluation shared that they would use the information received in their work. Specifically 2 responded they would use the information to design or improve programs or services, 2 responded that they would share the information with colleagues or stakeholders, 2 said they would educate or engage with the community using the information, and 1 said they would use the information to guide future research or data collection.
• 33 of the participating students completed a reflection evaluation on their experience with First Impressions. 97% of students selected “Yes” when asked if Dr. Breazeale should have future classes participate in First Impressions.

Student reflections included:

• “It was very engaging and an easy way to learn and also apply what we already learned.”
• “I liked getting to interact with people from the community and theming the data (I enjoyed getting to do something that felt different from what our in class content focused on)”
• “I learned how to facilitate a group conversation and I learned how some qualitative data can be organized”

This project demonstrated the power of bridging academic learning with local needs. Through Extension’s coordination, a community benefited from honest, outsider feedback while students gained real world experience and application of their curriculum.