Program Planning Week

Program Planning Week is the process Cooperative Extension uses to assess needs, set priorities, and implement programs to meet these needs.  Program planning week is a time to concentrate on the internal program and professional development to nurture the overall success of the program development model. Program Planning Week feeds into the county-based program planning, which kicks off in late fall of each year. The overall program development model is a systematic, purposeful approach to program planning. It incorporates the following components:  

• Organizational Content
• Needs of the Community and Society
• Planning, Design and Implementation
• Evaluation

This model supports the effort of taking the expertise and research findings from research and instruction to the people in the state.  Each year trainings are proposed by state and county faculty, approved through a review process, and offered to faculty and staff the following year.  In 2015, over 100 trainings were offered (40% face-to-face and 60% online).  These trainings range from an hour-long online session to multiple day formats.  Considering agents are often expected to attend 3 to 5 sessions a year, these 100 trainings offer a wide selection of options to meet an employee’s professional development needs.