Plugged In: For UMaine Extension Staff and Volunteers

Breakout Sessions and Presenter Bios

2016 Two-Day All Organizational Meeting:
Enhancing Extension’s Mission through Narrative

Breakout #1: Wednesday, Oct 26, 1:45 – 3:00

1. Narrative Development and Storytelling – Delving Deeper
(Wells Conference Center – Room 1)

This breakout session builds on the morning’s opening session on narrative development and is designed for anyone who would like to continue to work on their storytelling skills. Participants will delve into more theory and technique and have the opportunity for further practice in developing narratives.

Leigh Tillman works with groups facilitating decision-making, group processes, and trainings. Her work focuses on:

• • Helping groups craft meetings to make realistic, innovative, and informed decisions
  • Supporting organizations in the ever-unfolding element of team engagement and collaboration
  • Offering trainings in telling impactful stories, conflict transformation, team engagement, and communication

For more information, please visit Leigh’s website at leightillmanfacilitation.wordpress.com or contact her directly at leighbtillman@gmail.com or 207.801.1496.

2. Raising a Transgender Child – One Father’s Journey
(Wells Conference Center – Room 2)

Dr. Wayne Maines has been teaching such topics as Emergency Management, Safety Management, and Leadership for 25+ years. He has been a keynote speaker, instructor, and workshop leader at the national and state level in his chosen field of work. Now he has turned his attention to using those same skills to introduce the world to transgender children and transgender rights.

Pulitzer Prize Author Amy Ellis Nutt had brought his family’s story to life on a national scale, while also in a kind and honest manner revealing Wayne’s struggles as he tried to help keep his family whole. Wayne hopes to help stop bullying, harassment, and discrimination for all children that are perceived as being different.

Dr. Wayne M. Maines is first and foremost the proud father of identical twins, one boy (Jonas Maines) and one girl (Nicole Maines). Wayne and his amazing wife Kelly have worked extremely hard to raise their children in an environment that was not ready for a new generation of transgender children. Wayne is on a mission to provide a safe environment for transgender children to grow, to learn, to be safe, and to become productive members of our society.

3. Build Stories to Communicate Public Value: Extension Helps Public Libraries with Online Technology and Learning Circles (Wells Conference Center – Room 3)

Many staff and stakeholders are uncomfortable sharing the “so what” or public value of their program. Supporters of public services know the importance of more adequately expressing the larger public value, why that organization is necessary, rather than reporting only numbers of customers, programs, web-hits, or pieces of information loaned. All public services need more than an elevator speech; the listener needs to connect emotionally with a “good story” that’s backed up with credible data and research. This session will provide a brief overview of how an Extension online Learning Circle is helping public service cohorts learn to express both the indirect benefits to the community of their organization as well as the direct benefits to the program user. A case study will precede hands-on dabbling with building a public value narrative (that includes a “good story”).

Jane Haskell’s 25 years with Extension spans work in the county and Orono. She has trained over 500 Maine residents in foundational skills to strengthen their facilitation skills to more ably guide local groups. Recent work with UMaine faculty associate George Morse helps public service organizations find “the story” that is the backbone of the public narrative. She teaches an annual Higher Education graduate class.

4. Let’s Talk About Social Media (Alfond Family Lounge – Alfond Arena)

Learn the ins, outs, dos, and don’ts of Social Media with Patrick Gill and Lynne Holland. We’ll discuss the strategies we’re using to communicate with our audience, share tips for creating engaging, timely, consistent content, and talk about how to create a voice that connects with your audience and supports your goals.

Patrick Gill is a Communication Technology Professional. He supervises Cooperative Extensions social media presences and makes videos for Youtube. Lynne Holland is a Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator. She also creates our daily Facebook posts!

Breakout #2: Thursday, Oct 27, 9:00 – 10:15

1. Learning and Telling the Story of Others (Wells Conference Center – Room 1)

This breakout session builds on the morning’s opening session on narrative development and is specifically designed for support staff and staff in the role of conveying stories second-hand. For those of us who find we are often sharing the stories of others in our work, we will look at this specifically. How do we develop channels for relaying stories throughout our organization? And how do we share the stories of others in a way that is engaging and honoring of those about whom we are speaking? Through further practice and group discussion, we will explore these two aspects of integrating the sharing of stories into our work.

Leigh Tillman works with groups facilitating decision-making, group processes, and trainings. Her work focuses on:

• • Helping groups craft meetings to make realistic, innovative, and informed decisions
  • Supporting organizations in the ever-unfolding element of team engagement and collaboration
  • Offering trainings in telling impactful stories, conflict transformation, team engagement, and communication

For more information, please visit Leigh’s website at leightillmanfacilitation.wordpress.com or contact her directly at leighbtillman@gmail.com or 207.801.1496.

2. Instructional Design (Wells Conference Center – Room 2)

Thoughts on ways to improve education are coming fast and furious. We are discovering more about learning, and new technologies give us options not available even a generation ago. While instructional design has been around forever in practice, it is relatively new as a field of inquiry. Instructional design challenges us to step back and consider what exactly is learning and education. It is a combination of the psychology of learning and memory along with a broad understanding of different technologies, media, and data types. But it also includes an appreciation of the economic realities of education. And then it asks us to assess the decisions that we make for ourselves and our students.

Peter Schilling is the Executive Director of Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Maine and a Graduate Faculty in Instructional Technology at the University’s College of Education and Human Development. He considers the ways in which new technologies, the availability of new data sets, and collaboration tools are changing education, educational institution, as well as the perception of mastery in a field of study. His focus is on the practical application of instructional theory in colleges and universities. Schilling has received grants and gifts from the US Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, the Alden Trust, and Google. Prior to coming to UMaine in 2015, Schilling was the Associate Vice President for Academic Innovation at New York University. In this role, he helped NYU open new universities in China and Abu Dhabi as well as develop curricula and instructional resources to facilitate global and local curricula between these universities and NYU campuses in New York, London, Florence, and Buenos Aires, among others. He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University.

3. Stress Management 101 (Alfond Family Lounge – Alfond Arena)

Stress — it’s an inescapable fact of modern life. But living with it can take a serious toll on your health. Join us to explore what you can start doing today to bring down your stress levels. Learn how your outlook, reactions, and support systems play a role in stress. Review important self-care skills and begin shaping a plan to better manage your stress. Staff can obtain Cigna Rise Up points for attending this session.

Joyce Pelletier is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor in Portland, Maine, who specializes in individual and family therapy. She has a B.A. from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Maine. Joyce also is an author who teaches seminars throughout New England on parenting, relationships, and personal growth. Formerly the director of an independent association of public speakers, counselors, and trainers, she is dedicated to helping others improve their lives through education, insight, and change.

4. Volunteer Recruitment for Today (Wells Conference Center – Room 3)

What does it mean to become a more diverse organization? Does this mean doing business differently when recruiting Extension volunteers? In this workshop, we will explore ideas around cultural assumptions, hear about some recent research that looked at motivating factors of adult Somalis with refugee status to volunteer with Maine 4-H and take away some tips to consider as you approach volunteer recruitment with diverse audiences.

Kristy L. Ouellette joined the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Faculty in 2008. Her work is focused on 4-H Youth Development programs in Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties. Mitch Mason is a 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator in Cumberland County and has been with Extension since 2009. Jen Lobley, Extension Professor started her career at UMaine Cooperative Extension in 2000. She oversees the 4-H program in Washington and Hancock Counties and is focuses her time primarily in the area of volunteer development for the organization.

Breakout Session # 3: Thursday, Oct 27, 10:45 – 12:00

1. 4-H Focused Storytelling (Wells Conference Center – Room 1)

This breakout session is specifically for 4-H staff and builds on the morning’s opening session on narrative development. Having worked on developing narratives in the morning, in this session we will focus on how our individual experiences and perspectives can collectively tell the larger story of 4-H. In this session, we will continue to hone our skills at conveying our message through the narrative as well as develop a shared understanding of how we, together, tell the larger story of 4-H.

Leigh Tillman works with groups facilitating decision-making, group processes, and trainings. Her work focuses on:

• • Helping groups craft meetings to make realistic, innovative, and informed decisions
  • Supporting organizations in the ever-unfolding element of team engagement and collaboration
  • Offering trainings in telling impactful stories, conflict transformation, team engagement, and communication

For more information, please visit Leigh’s website at leightillmanfacilitation.wordpress.com or contact her directly at leighbtillman@gmail.com or 207.801.1496.

2. Coaching for Engagement and Performance
(Wells Conference Center – Room 2)

Once you’ve selected your team, defined/set the right outcomes, focused on your team members’ strengths and facilitated the right job fits, team performance becomes about bringing out the best daily. That’s where coaching — and specifically, a Coaching Routine — comes in. Get excited to learn and practice conducting a simple, employee/manager coaching routine focused on how/future, involving frequent interaction and personal accountability. Based on 25 years of Gallup research, this routine works plus is meaningful and engaging for all involved. You’ll be amazed!

Director, Learning & Organizational Development COE, Megan Cough is an experienced Organizational Development Professional and Facilitator. Having worked as a consultant, plus in private industry and in higher education, she drives success by designing and implementing programs that foster the desired culture and solve key business issues pertaining to employee skills/development. A creative and compassionate facilitator and advisor, Megan helps individuals expand their choices, skills, and self-confidence to take decisive action toward achieving their goals.

3. Managing Risk for Program Success (220 Corbett Hall)

As Extension staff, we are in the business of encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones and learn new things. This involves a certain level of risk, and taking appropriate risks is the way we grow as people. As program leaders, we often find ourselves working with multiple partners, planning and delivering complex programs that involve various levels of risk to staff and participants. In this workshop we will explore systematic ways to train staff and volunteers to manage risk, leading to safer programs and less liability for UMaine and its partners.

Ryder Scott serves as the Statewide Director of 4-H Camp and Learning Centers. He has a twenty-year history of youth program leadership and an interest in sustainable organizational development. He has been with UMaine Cooperative Extension since 2008.

4. County Budget Management (Alfond Family Lounge – Alfond Arena)

Dennis Harrington, Assistant Director, and Financial Manager manages finance and operations for UMaine Extension. This work encompasses oversight of personnel and operational budgets for University funds, Federal formula funds, grants, contracts, gifts, and Extension revenue. Areas of oversight include payables and purchasing, personnel actions, grants management, facilities oversight, fleet vehicle oversight, and educational outcome planning and reporting.

5. NIFA Funded Projects Discussion with NIFA Director Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy
(Wells Conference Center – Room 3)