Effectively sharing our Extension Story is critical, but not easy. Whether presenting a brief impact report to elected officials or taping an interview with the local media, explaining Extension concisely and effectively can be a real challenge. To help Extension professionals prepare for both written and oral communications with key stakeholders, we offer the following resources.

In addition to impact writing resources and examples of effective county, state and multistate impact reports, we have added information about a communication tool called a "message map." This tool can help Extension professionals develop brief, to-the-point impact messages that can easily be used in communicating with stakeholders.

We encourage you to keep impact reports brief, but to tell specific ways your programs make a difference in people's lives. In developing a message map, you will be able to focus on the many positive ways Extension impacts people and to combine them in a way that is easily understood. Using a message map will help you control most communication situations by providing your key messages at a glance and a systematic way to access them quickly.

MESSAGE MAPS

Developing a message map. A message map is a visual communication tool developed by Tripp Frohlichstein, a St. Louis media consultant, and George Stenitzer to help individuals tell their organization's story more effectively to the media and other stakeholders.

University of Missouri Outreach & Extension Message Map. Example of message map developed by University of Missouri Outreach and Extension to represent how the organization improves people's lives.

University of Missouri Outreach & Extension message map resources. Examples of state program message maps developed in business & workforce development, agriculture & natural resources, 4-H youth development, community development and human environmental sciences. Also includes a worksheet to help create county message maps, as well as basic templates in Word and PowerPoint.

RESOURCES FOR WRITING IMPACTS

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Writing Program Success Stories. Components of quality success stories, including problem, program response, participants, partners, impact & conclusion. Several brief ex amples.

Southern Region, Program & Staff Development Committee. More than 50 links to evaluation & accountability resources.

IMPACT EXAMPLES: COUNTY

Colorado State University Extension, Pueblo County. Impacts of 7 major program areas.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension--NYC Programs (urban environmental issues). Three examples of 1- to 2-page impact statements & success stories.

• 4-H environmental success story
• Urban gardening impact statement
• Youth science education impact statement

The Ohio State University Extension, County Highlights. 2-page impact summaries of county programming, organized according to 4 program areas.

University of Missouri Outreach & Extension, St. Louis County (minority homeownership). 1-page program impact includes client quote, purpose, how it helps people, how it works, & partners.

University of Missouri Outreach & Extension, St. Louis County (nutrition). 1-page program impact features client quote/photo, program summary & impact.

IMPACT EXAMPLES: STATE

National Science & Education Impacts, USDA-CSREES. Searchable database contains key extension impacts from all states since 1996.

Missouri Small Business Development Centers, University of Missouri Outreach & Extension.

Agricultural Science & Education Impact--Purdue.

NEAFCS Program Impacts. Brief impacts by state from National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences.

University of Georgia. Impact database searchable by county, legislative district, program, etc.

University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension. Impact database searchable by county, action plan, key words, etc. (Programs, EARS)

IMPACT EXAMPLE: MULTISTATE

Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Stations (NERA). Impacts of multistate research projects organized according to 5 goals

PREPARED BY:

Gretchen Ferenz (Chair, 2001 & 2002 National ESP Public Issues Committee)
Senior Extension Associate
Environmental Revitalization & Management Issues
Cornell University Cooperative Extension--NYC Programs
16 East 34 th Street, 8 th Floor
New York, NY 10016-4328
gsf4@cornell.edu

Roxanne T. Miller (Member, 2001 & 2002 National ESP Public Issues Committee)
East Central Region Information Specialist
University of Missouri Outreach & Extension
121 S. Meramec, Suite 501
St. Louis, MO 63105-1725
MillerRT@missouri.edu

Jane K. Frobose (Member, 2001 & 2002 National ESP Public Issues Committee)
Program Director, Family/Consumer Sciences
Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
Denver County Extension Office
110 16th Street, Suite 300
Denver, CO 80202-5202
jfrobose@coop.ext.colostate.edu