Extension > Community > Civic Engagement > Designing Community Meetings > How can Extension help?
How can Extension help?
We train facilitators
Regional educators provide training to those who facilitate meetings. Our goal is to build the facilitation skills of leaders and citizens so that the capacity to make group decisions effectively is embedded in communities.
Who has taken advantage of these trainings?
- The Western Lakes Superior Sanitary District in Duluth, Minnesota brought Extension's U-Facilitate training to employees who had moved from technical positions to project team leader positions.
- The Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation sponsored a U-Facilitate training to help local leaders conduct successful town meetings.
- The Hennepin South Services Collaborative sponsored a U-Facilitate training for staff and community members who were facilitating community-based parenting groups.
What do training participants say?
- (After the training) "I received feedback from a co-worker that my confidence had improved."
- "Good information; shared-modeling and role-playing really helped to demonstrate techniques."
- "Excellent materials, great opportunities to share and practice skills. Well-organized format; experienced, competent facilitators."
We provide materials
Resources available from the Extension store and web site provide local leaders and program organizers with guidance in making committees work, facilitating meetings, engaging the public in decisions, understanding social capital and more. Materials include fieldbooks, guidebooks, a video case study and more.
View the Extension Store for materials on these Civic Engagment topics:
We provide consultation
Extension's Leadership and Civic Engagement Educators provide design and facilitation consultation for community civic engagement efforts. Our educators work with local conveners to learn about the community and the public issue of interest, and together design a process that helps the community engage towards collective action and desired outcomes.
