Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing technology for communication and outreach has been critical for staying in touch with our community. Throughout 2020, Powell County Extension was able to provide evidence-based information on how to handle the crisis brought by COVID-19.

Families and individuals were now able to sign up and participate in virtual programming offered at both the local and state level throughout the year. By transitioning from a traditional paper newsletter, clientele were also able to receive an interactive electronic newsletter that would enable them to easily register for programming or have access to relevant news and information.

Since taking a more virtual approach to Extension marketing and programming, the Powell County Extension Facebook page has reached over 14,400 people and gained over 1,200 followers. The majority of followers gained were between the ages of 25-45 years old, an age group that can often be hard to reach with traditional programming due to their busy lifestyle.

From this experience, the virtual format will be a useful tool moving forward and will benefit Powell County Extension in reaching new clientele in the future.