Broadening Extension Student Training (BEST) Program

The BEST Program is an extension training program for graduate students at Pennsylvania State University. During the training, I learned about various topics, ranging from the history and policy of extension and lang-grant universities in the United States to the theory and philosophy of extension program design and development. Finally, we got the chance to practice and develop our own extension program using a logic model.  

Climate-Resilient Pollination Program

The climate-resilient pollination program that i've created here is an extension program based on my dissertation research project. 

Program Evaluation Course

In addition to participating in the BEST Training program, I've also taken a semester-long course in program evaluation. As part of this course, I worked with a team to develop an evaluation plan for the community stewardship program for Penn State Extension staff.

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of program evaluation processes, concepts, and theories and to develop the expertise needed to design and conduct a systematic evaluation of formal and non-formal programs. Upon completion of the course, you will be able to: 

1. Develop a basic understanding of the relationship between the program development/planning process and program evaluation. 

2. Develop an understanding of key evaluation concepts/terms and describe the role of evaluation in educational programming. 

3. Discuss, critique, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various evaluation models. 

4. Understand relationships among evaluators, stakeholders, program staff, and clientele. 

5. Develop a basic understanding of the total evaluation process—program selection, program objectives, stakeholder involvement, evaluation methods, implementation, and utilization. 

6. Define and formulate an evaluation plan for specific programs or situations. 

7. Formulate evaluation questions, including indicator selection and criteria. Identify measures and develop appropriate measures for collecting evaluation data. 

8. Develop instrumentation for collecting evaluation data. 

9. Apply Social Network Analysis (SNA) as a methodology to carry out program evaluations. 

10. Understand Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators (ECEP) 

11. Review and select the appropriate process and outcome evaluation designs for programs. 

12. Analyze evaluation data. 

13. Develop a process to use evaluation results in decision-making—program 

14. improvement, accountability, marketing, and professional development. 

15. Review and critique the design, implementation, and findings of an evaluation study/article. 

16. Familiarize yourself with a cost-benefit analysis of programs. 

Evaluation Plan for Community Stewardship Program