NAAEE 2018 – EIFs: What We Are Learning
CIVIC & Environmental Issues ForumsNurturing Community Dialogue & Capacity
Jennison Kipp Searcy*, Ramona Madhosingh-Hector, Holly Abeels*,
Linda Seals, Alicia Betancourt, Lara Milligan, Martha Monroe
NAAEE 2018 – EIFs: What We Are LearningNAAEE 2018 – EIFs: What We Are Learning
CommunIty Voices, Informed Choices
An emerging, cross-initiative UF/IFAS Extension Program
Natural Resources: Informed Community Decision-Making
Community Development: Community Capacity Building
What is CIVIC?
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Early Seeds of CIVIC
www.nifi.org
www.naaee.org
NAAEE 2018 – EIFs: What We Are LearningNAAEE 2018 – EIFs: What We Are Learning
Why CIVIC? Change Agents
Challenges of urbanization
“Problems behind the Problems”
1. Issue framing
2. Public judgment & critical thinking skills
3. Ability to influence change
4. Shared sense of purpose
5. Shared learning opportunities
6. Mutual trust between citizens & institutions
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Process and Product Oriented
3 phases: Inform Understand Act
Engagement Approach
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Moving from awareness to understanding and action
Rooted in fostering “Citizen-Driven Democracy”, to:
Provide information
about the problem
and solutions
Create opportunities
to explore value-
based perceptions
Facilitate groups who
wish to work toward
solutions together
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CIVIC Program Goals
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“INNOVATION is the process of improving,
adapting, developing, creating a new product, system, service, or process, large or small, to deliver better results, create value for people, or move an organization forward.”
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(2016 ECOP Executive Summary)
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2016
2017
2018
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CIVIC In Action
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2016
2017
2018
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CIVIC In Action
Ongoing Local Activities: Community
Forums & Climate Conversations
Establish CIVIC as a Cross-Initiative
and Programmatic Extension Program
Deliver Trainings, Provide Resources,
Offer Grant Funds to Support Work
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Extension & Community Voices This is our niche.
We are part of the community and have immediate access to (helpful) people and resources.
We are part of the experience and the solutions and are invested in/affected by the outcomes.
We are a known, trusted entity in our communities.
We have a history working with our stakeholders to address complex problems.
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Local Issues & Lessons Learned Pre-post evaluations: 70% of
attendees had not attended a forum before
65% were “thinking differently since participating in the forum”
Importance of unbiased, 3rd
party facilitators: it’s an art
Key to develop frameworks with local partners
Extension faculty need the right balance of technical and social skills
Science AND Values
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(Source: The Ecology of Democracy, David Mathews)
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Thank you! UF/IFAS CIVIC Extension Program
Contacts:
• Jennison Kipp Searcy: [email protected], 352.273.0245
• Holly Abeels: [email protected], 321.633.1702
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