Navigating the Immediate Transition to Digital Delivery Methods for Extension Educators: Creating Resilience While Expanding to New Audiences View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Carol Roberts,  Ramona Madhosingh-Hector,  Linda Seals,  Alicia Betancourt  

As digital education methods became necessary for continuity in the spring of 2020, a quartet of Florida Extension Agents worked together to provide resources, support, and encouragement for their statewide team.These Community Development Agents created a weekly digital lunch and learn segment to help colleagues adjust to various online platforms, cope with new home and worklife stressors, form collaborations, and share tools for engagement. Participants from all program areas of Extension, from novice to seasoned professional, office staff to administrators, and a wide variety of backgrounds brought their diverse perspectives and experiences to share with each other for seven weeks. Over time, weekly surveys and chatbox discussions showed uncertainty turn to excitement as participants learned to embrace these new methods.