Conferences...Here We Come!

NFSEE has two conferences coming up and we are rushing around trying to get everything set (Check out our NFSEE calendar for more information!).

There is so much to do: posters, presentations, handouts, promotional items all need to be delivered and on a very tight budget! But as always with a little creativity in thinking "outside the box" we find there is much one can do on limited funds. NFSEE is no exception!

There is talk of "branding" ourselves among members of the NFSEE Executive Committee. We believe this is very important as we continue to Build the Big Pic.

So what are some things we need to consider when branding NFSEE? First we need to ensure our "name says it all." When a potential student member or specialist looks at our name they need to be able to determine in a moment if we are the organization for them. The National Future Scientists & Educators of Extension tells prospective supporters who we are and what we stand for as an organization.

Another important point to consider is "the package." This does not mean we are selling something necessarily, it is more about what we offer students, specialists and the public as part of the "whole package" of NFSEE. We are struggling with this one right now in developing handouts, posters, presentations and mailings for the upcoming conferences. We often will start with one idea and end in another, but as long as the materials match and color schemes go together smoothly it works well. Ideally, when someone sees something with the NFSEE name and logo on it we want them to make a connection to something else they have seen with the NFSEE name on it so that we have created "brand recognition" in their mind. They see the NFSEE product, logo, etc and know immediately that they are dealing with The National Future Scientists & Educators of Extension.

Two other points to consider are "history" and "reputation." While most people would fall asleep with a long drawn out history lesson on NFSEE or the Cooperative Extension Service, many are very interested in where the NFSEE organization came from and where we are planning to go. This can be very quickly outlined on our "About Us" page.

Our reputation is seen as even more important in that as a non-profit student organization, in order for others to see us the way we would like them to see us, we must work each day to live by our mission statement. Those of us on the NFSEE Executive Committee already do this in that we are actively participating in opportunities to recruit and inform students about the opportunities in the NFSEE or the Cooperative Extension Service. Our reputation speaks volumes to those who come into contact with NFSEE each day and our job is to make a positive difference in the lives of these students. Further our job is to serve as an integral part of the educational mission of Extension.


This leads us to our last point of important consideration in branding ourselves: "customer satisfaction." Students, professionals, specialists and funding sources are all "potential customers" for NFSEE. Their impression of NFSEE can make the difference in whether they support or avoid us as a professional organization. Our goal is that students will experience the benefits of membership in NFSEE the moment they join. Current NFSEE programming, brings students together with Extension professionals who are enhancing the quality of life for individuals and families across the United States. By providing students with challenging educational experiences, research and application opportunities, volunteer services and self-directed activities, professional development is enhanced and successful careers in Extension are launched. Deciding on a career is one of life’s greatest decisions. The NFSEE can help students make an informed choice about lifelong career goals.

Please stay tuned as we continue Building the Big Pic in branding NFSEE successfully for life.

Growing...

Hello Everyone,

I hope this post finds you well. It is a gorgeous Spring day today, sunny outside and a warm and welcome 70 degrees!

We added a new officer to the NFSEE Executive Committee this past week. I am excited to say she will be a true asset to the group! :)

We are currently working to implement the feedback we received from our first discussion with students about NFSEE. We now have a career widget from NCFR on our website. And we also have a new NFSEE list serve for the group. We are still working on the dues structure and introduction packet for new and prospective students.

Additionally, our goal over the next month is to prepare for the EHSN Conference We have much to do in putting together the share fair and round table sessions. Additionally, we will be speaking to new students and new Extension Specialists so we need to prepare materials for those potential members. We will also be charged with the closing session on Future Directions for Extension. We also want to offer some form of "useful" promotional items so we are brainstorming on how to accomplish that on a limited budget. :)

I am starting to feel as though this organization is more of a business than a student organization. Some of the things we are doing as start-up activities would be the same requirements for a new business. It makes me wonder how the two actually differ?

I spoke with a classmate at lunch the other day who has extensive experience in writing a business plan. She is going to send me the template she uses to ensure all bases are covered so we can design a plan for NFSEE

We would like to see the group continually grow and expand but I feel we need a plan to actually accomplish this goal. We have currently gone from being located at 2 institutions (The University of Georgia and The University of Kentucky) to now having representation at three! (Add in Auburn University)

We are very excited about our continued growth and will keep you posted as we move forward in Building the Big Pic!

Quint State

I went to the 33rd Annual Quint State (The Southeastern Symposium on Child and Family Development) last month at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It was the first time I had spoken to students outside the executive committee about NFSEE.


The students were very interested in the organization and offered a list of ideas for creating a place conducive to helping students become successful in Extension.

Suggestions for NFSEE:

I. Student needs facilitated by NFSEE:

1. Internship experiences
1. Contact information of colleagues
   
2. Projects and research opportunities
3. Facilitate undergraduate experiences
2. Provide opportunities for roundtables and networking with faculty/specialists
3. Solicit for a student advocate at each institution who will touch base with new students interested in Extension.

II. NFSEE Member Suggestions

1. Provide a List serve but use only controlled posts

2. Deliver a Newsletter (monthly, quarterly, yearly, special announcements)

3. Collect Annual Dues- ugrad, grad, professional

a. Keep price down: under $50.00 total

b. Lifetime membership dues?

4. Solicit from members:

a. Concise research brief on areas of expertise

b. Articles for website

c. Front page news, etc.

III. The NFSEE Website can post:

a. Research opportunities

b. Conferences

c. Job postings

d. Resources/ curricula already in use in extension

We have already started putting some of their ideas into practice.

Stay tuned as we continue to Build the Big Pic!



Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible. ~Francis of Assisi

Here we are...

So here we are, Building the Big Pic. For those involved, we spend the one day we would normally have to ourselves learning how to construct an organization piece by piece, brick by brick. Creating something where there was nothing...

Let me back up for a moment and explain. My name is Marissa Stone, I am a student working on my PhD. When most people hear this they immediately think research. Well yes, that is part of it. But for my educational career I wanted more than a lab and some data. I wanted to be applied. As luck would have it, along with the insight from a very wise professor, I landed in the middle of the Cooperative Extension Service.

Wow! What an excellent place to carry out my degree requirements. I can work with the people who need community services, giving back to my community while still meeting all the requirements for my graduation portfolio. I can have my cake and I can eat it too! :)

While working in Extension however, I began to notice the absence of students. My background prior to grad school is psychology. I am used to having students everywhere, involved in everything from research to counseling. Why then do we have an absence of students in Extension? I thought maybe this was an anomaly, happening only at my institution, so the idea quickly lost out to more pressing matters.

The next thing I knew, I found myself at the Extension Family Science Network Biennial Conference in 2007. I was rather surprised to find that only 5 students attended. And the ones that did attend were working directly under the planning committee members. I looked around the room and realized very quickly that the demographics at this conference spelled retirement.

For a moment I found myself afraid. Who would carry on all the community projects these Specialists were heading up? What would happen to the people benefiting from the services being provided to the communities across the nation once those benefits were gone? It was the hard work of the Extension Specialists at this conference and beyond making things happen in their respective communities. And when they finally walked away to enjoy a much-deserved retirement, who would carry on? Again I found myself asking...where were the students? I could not get this pressing question out of my head.

So, wait a minute, is this not how it works? Do we not pull in others who are passionate about our work and teach them how to do what we have done? Do we not cater to their new ideas to help kindle the drive they have for continuing our work as well as starting their own? Do we not want all our hard work to continue after we leave the scene? Am I missing something here? I am new to Extension yes, and because of that maybe I am missing The Big Picture?

I tossed and turned all night thinking about it.

The next day I gathered the 5 students in attendance together for a lunch meeting. I asked each one in turn how they felt about the Cooperative Extension Service. I gained their input on where they felt Extension was headed. I asked if they felt there was a lack of knowledge among college students about the opportunities in Extension and we all agreed that yes, there was a serious knowledge deficit.

My next move was to speak to the leadership at the conference. I wanted to know where the students were. I wanted to know if there were plans in place for replacing the soon-to-be-retiring workforce of Extension Specialists through-out the country. I wanted to know if there was a student organization for Extension and if not, why not?

Long story short...there were no students coming to these conferences, there was no real hard core plan for replacing the work force with today's students and there was not a student organization for Extension. So the Big Picture side of me exploded to the surface and I asked if we could discuss creating one. The idea was met with open arms from the leadership.

Hence we are back at the beginning of the story...So here we are, Building the Big Pic. For those involved, we spend the one day we would normally have to ourselves learning how to construct an organization piece by piece, brick by brick. Creating something where there was nothing...

The National Future Scientists and Educators of Extension (NFSEE) was founded on July 23, 2007 by a motivated group of students passionate about the Cooperative Extension Service.

After 6 months of powerful and productive strategic planning meetings we have several things on the agenda for 2009. We developed our name (NFSEE), our logo (viewable at www.nfsee.org) and our website (www.nfsee.org).

Our NFSEE Official Launch Year 2009 begins in April (April 21-24) at the Extension Family Science Network Biennial Conference in New Orleans, LA! We will have another presence at the Children Youth and Families at Risk Conference (CYFAR) May 18-21, 2009. We are very excited about showcasing NFSEE for all to see.

As a student or new professional, if you are interested, check us out! We are on the web at www.nfsee.org! Email us, contact us, call us, and ask away!

We are, Building the Big Pic and that may just include you! If you feel the need to become involved, I look forward to meeting you and even more so, I look forward to working with you. If you simply want to follow along as we go through the trials and tribulations of Building the Big Pic, by all means enjoy!

Either way post a comment and let us know your thoughts. I am always open to new suggestions and new ideas. After all, we are Building the Big Pic, and we cannot do it alone! :)

~Marissa