The document describes the First Impressions program, which uses secret shopper visits for community assessment and improvement. Volunteer teams from partner communities conduct day-long visits and document their impressions. Reports are shared to identify assets and challenges. The goal is to promote awareness, dialogue, and community action. Communities often implement suggestions like improved signage, beautification, and tourism promotion. A long-term evaluation found 89% of communities believed the program had beneficial impacts and 67% saw general community improvements as a result.
CTAC 2024 Valencia - Henrik Hanke - Reduce to the max - slideshare.pdf
A3 First Impressions
1. +
A tool for community assessment and improvement
An Introduction to
the First
Impressions
Program
SNEAPA 2015
Conference
Presented by:
Laura Brown, Community & Economic Development Educator, University of Connecticut Extension
Daniel Eades Extension Specialist Rural Economics, West Virginia University Extension Service
Portions of this presentation adapted from the original l First Impressions Training and Orientation template developed by Professor Andy Lewis.
This webinar was made possible through a partnership grant from the North East Center for Rural Development.
2. +
TodayToday’s Presenters’s Presenters
Laura Brown
http://www.extension.uconn.edu/bio/brown-bio.php
Daniel Eades
http://ext.wvu.edu/people/economic/daniel-eades
Daniel C. Eades
Extension Specialist, Rural Economics
West Virginia University Extension Service
Community, Economic, and Workforce
Development
Ph: 304-293-8697 |
Daniel.Eades@mail.wvu.edu
Laura E. Brown, CEcD
Community & Economic Development
Educator
University of Connecticut
Department of Extension
Fairfield County Extension Center
Direct: 203.207.0063 *
laura.brown@uconn.edu
5. + Removing theRemoving the
Rose Colored GlassesRose Colored Glasses
“All too often people and organizations say
– and may honestly believe – that they want
to improve. But they go about it the wrong
way. Too much self-evaluation and too little
outside evaluation may mask real problems
and opportunities”.
Dubuque Telegraph Herald Editorial on the First
Impressions Program
5-15-1991
7. +
Program Goals & ObjectivesProgram Goals & Objectives
Awareness Dialogue Community Action
To inform
and guide
public
action by
making the
community
aware of its
assets and
challenges
8. +
What is First ImpressionsWhat is First Impressions
Video produced by the
Ontario Canada
Ministry of Food and
Agriculture Accessed
at the University of
Wisconsin Center for
Community &
Economic
Development
https://drive.google.co
m/file/d/0B8nFWNv_H
WsPWGdleVJIWXlFe
Xc/view
10. +
Why communities participateWhy communities participate
Helps communities focus
on priorities
Builds case for project
funding
Builds relationships with
other communities
Cost-effective
Short time commitment
Easy to implement….good
first step
Generates excitement
Engage new audiences
Flexible and adaptable
Fun!
12. +
ScholarshipScholarship
Nix, K., D. Eades, R. Frost. (2012). First Impressions: An Effective
Approach for Community Development. Journal of Extension. June 13,
Vol. 51, No. 3.
13. +
Long-term Program Evaluation
Did recommendations from FI program visit lead to
changes in community and economic development
activity?
1)Impact on general condition of the community
2)Program suggestions that led to improvement
3)Did participation encourage additional improvement
4)Barriers that prevented recommendation
implementation
14. +
Long Term Program Evaluation
32 participating
communities
7-14 years post-visit
18 willing/able
participants (56%
response rate)
14
15. + Survey Questions
Overall, do you believe the First Impressions
Program had a beneficial impact on your
community? [Yes, No]
As a result of the First Impressions Program, has the
general condition of your community… [Improved,
Not Improved, Unknown]
Out of the program suggestions that were made
about your community, which ones have directly led
to community improvements?
15
16. +
Survey Questions Cont.
Has the First Impressions Program impacted your
community in terms of other improvements?
Were there barriers that prevented you from
implementing the suggestions?
In addition to the First Impressions Program, what
other programs has your community been engaged
with?
17. + Overall Results
Beneficial impacts were made as a result of
participation – 89%
General condition of their community improved –
67%
17
18. + Program Suggestions Implemented by Communities
Frequency Percent
Improved Signage 10 56%
Beautification 10 56%
Other / Self-Directed 9 50%
Historic Preservation / Tourism Promotion 8 44%
Community Recreation 8 44%
Infrastructure Improvements 7 39%
Business Recruitment 6 33%
Increased Lodging 5 28%
Increased Partnerships 4 22%
No Program Suggestions Implemented 2 11%
18
19. +
The ModelThe Model
Communities matched, based on location,
size, economy, etc.
Volunteer teams are created
Each community conducts a “secret
shopper” visit
Reports exchanged
20. +
Determining if a community is readyDetermining if a community is ready
Community pre-visit commitment
Identify a “coordinator”
Recruit 5-6 volunteers who can commit to one day visit
and ½ day planning or presentation of results
Participate in an orientation
Be open to constructive criticism - the right attitude
Be engaged in a process of community assessment or
planning, including objective analysis
Be willing to review and act on the results
21. +
Determining if a community is readyDetermining if a community is ready
Community post-visit
commitment
Review individual booklets
and notes
Participate in meeting with
partner team
Participate in presentation of
results
Implement actions based on
results
22. + Who is involved…Who is involved…
Extension educatorsExtension educators
Educate communities about
the program
Identify good partner
communities and facilitate
communication between
them
Identify and train
coordinators in each
community
Provide orientation to
volunteer teams
Provide place-making
training
Participate in visits
Assist with data compilation
and report writing
Coordinate team discussions
and presentation of data
Assist with next steps-
implementation
Disseminate results
23. + Who is involved…Who is involved…
Community CoordinatorCommunity Coordinator
Gain community support
Recruit volunteer team
members
Plan and coordinate visit
Provide orientation to
volunteer teams
Collect photos and reports
Compile report
Present results
24. + Who is involved…Who is involved…
Community VolunteersCommunity Volunteers
Get familiar with the
questions / manual
Orientation and trip
logistics
Review websites for visitor
information
Detailed notes and photos
Contribute to report and
presentations
Have fun!
25. +
West Virginia Univerisity ModelWest Virginia Univerisity Model
“Expert model” or at best blended team approach
Program history in WV
Faculty resources
Time commitments
Community champions but not coordinators
Fee structure for program
Model may sacrifice learning opportunities for
convenience
26. +
Setting up an ExchangeSetting up an Exchange
Identifying possible partner communities or neighborhoods
• Location of
county or state
government?
• How far from an
interstate?
• Miles from a
major urban
area?
• Unique
geological/natural
feature
• Population of
• Major industries
or employers
• Specific
community issues
that are currently
impacting your
community or
neighborhood?
27. +
Selecting the teamSelecting the team
• Existing business
owners, elected
officials,
community
leaders, parents,
young
professionals,
retirees.
• Be inclusive!
• Get commitments
• Be clear about
expectations-
time, food,
transportation,
what to bring
• Provide orintation
28. +
Preparing for your visitPreparing for your visit
• How will we use
the booklet? The
online tool?
• Who is driving?
• When are we
leaving &
returning?
• Where will we
meet (do we have
phone numbers)?
• How will we
handle incidental
expenses?
• Who will bring a
camera (the more
the better)?
• Do we need -
have maps?
• What information
have we learned
so far?
30. +
Plan your route …Plan your route …
• Primary
entrances to
community
• Bike trails
• Parks
• Churches
• Schools
• Neighborhoods
within
• Rental
properties
31. + Be sure everyone knows whatBe sure everyone knows what
they are looking for…they are looking for…
32. +
Role playing and engagementRole playing and engagement
• I’m on my way to a conference an
have not been here before. What is
there to do for recreation?
• Are there any good restaurants?
Where would be a good place for
lunch?
• I might bring my family here on our
way to a wedding next month. Are
there any good places to stay?
33. +
Role playing and engagementRole playing and engagement
• I am considering moving to the
area. Are the schools good here?
Where is the best place to look
for housing? What are some of
the best reasons to live in this
neighborhood?
• Where can I get information on
commercial/retail space to buy or
lease in this community?
34. +
After the visit …After the visit …
Workbooks collected at the end of the visit
All information compiled into a summary
Short meeting with participants to discuss:
Any surprises during the visit?
What to include in the final report?
Who will develop final report?
What photos will be used in the final report?
What aspects of the neighborhood visited did they like or want to
incorporate in their neighborhood.
36. + Reports and presentationsReports and presentations
37. +
ResourcesResources
Program Resources from University of Wisconsin Extension including
program materials and final reports:
http://cced.ces.uwex.edu/2012/08/04/first-impressions-program-2/
Participating Communities:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?
mid=zzhHqWZPOgBk.kXLLEKLGPj2w
West Virginia University’s program evaluation:
http://www.joe.org/joe/2013june/rb8.php
U.S. Census American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml
38. +
Contact usContact us
Laura Brown
http://www.extension.uconn.edu/bio/brown-bio.php
Daniel Eades
http://ext.wvu.edu/people/economic/daniel-eades
Daniel C. Eades
Extension Specialist, Rural Economics
West Virginia University Extension Service
Community, Economic, and Workforce
Development
Ph: 304-293-8697 |
Daniel.Eades@mail.wvu.edu
Laura E. Brown, CEcD
Community & Economic Development
Educator
University of Connecticut
Department of Extension
Fairfield County Extension Center
Direct: 203.207.0063 *
laura.brown@uconn.edu
You are Visiting a designated location and come upon the town sign. Your first impression is plane and dull based on the entrance sign into the town. It is butted up against a small dark and dreary hillside.
You arrive into the small town that is limited in green space, benches and flowers. You pull over into the main downtown and get out of your car. The downtown has empty store fronts and the side walks are in need of repair. The town is like a ghost town with very limited human life…
…now imagine yourself….
This editorial followed the very first exchange between Bellevue, Iowa and Fennimore, Wisconsin in 1991
Visitors see things that the residents don’t
Visitors often see assets where residents see deficits and vice versa
How do we do this? By applying the secret shopper” concept to communities. You are all familiar with restaurant reviews….the concept isn’t that much different. We believed that anyone could become a shopper if we provided them with a shopping list and that’s what we did. We created a list of things in the community that impacted economic development efforts in the community and put that in the form of a guide.
Developed by James Schneider and Andy Lewis back in 1991. James Schneider was the Economic Development Director for the Grant County Economic Development Corporation, and Andy Lewis was serving as the Grant County CNRED educator.
Although we are looking at outward appearances, the objectives of the program are to INFORM, GUIDE, INCREASE public action by creating awareness of community assets and challenges
To help a community learn about existing strengths and weaknesses as seen through the eyes of the
first time visitor. The program also provides a structured opportunity to learn about the strengths and
weaknesses of other similar communities. The results from a First Impressions visit can serve as the
basis for community action. The final report and photo’s can also be used as a means of documenting
change within the community over time.
Program is popular with Extension Service personnel across the nation.
Popularity is due to several factors:
Additional, sometimes untended outcomes of the program may include the ability to engage non-traditional leaders such as youth or minority residents, serving as a platform for providing resident education about community place-making, or increasing the likelihood for regional collaboration through links between similar communities.
1st First Impressions Visit, April 15, 1991 (Fennimore, WI visited Bellevue, Iowa)
First Impressions, K-State Research & Extension, Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development, 1992
First Impressions for County Fairs, 1993
First Impressions for Heritage Tourism Sites, 1995
First Impressions for State Parks, 1995
Resort Impressions, 1997
First Impressions, West Virginia Extension, ~1997
Best Practices: Recruitable Community Program (RCP), 1998 (Health Care professionals, WV
First Impressions for Business, West Virginia Extension, 2000
Main Street First Impressions, The Ohio State University Extension,
First Impressions, Ontario, Canada (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), 2005
First Impressions added to the International Municipal Econoimic Development Toolkit (USAID), 2008
From an academic standpoint, the program is built on a solid theoretical foundation:
Literature on needs assessments goes back to the 1950s and 1960s, especially for business [Stevens, S.S. 1951; McGhee & Thayer 1961] and then organizations in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Also, in the early 1990s we had the introduction of the asset based community development movement: -- the idea that sustainable community development builds on the strengths and potentials of the community, and leverages those resources to achieve community goals. That idea was first publicized by Kretzmann & McKnight (1993) and you’ll notice that FI began in 1991 also, so this work not only set the stage for how Extension could engage communities under this new paradigm but also at the forefront of developing the new paradigm.
We had heard positive feedback from program partners and sponsors but no formal evaluation had been conducted to see if/how communities had been impacted by programing
The program evaluation occurred in the spring of 2012. A sampling frame was created using 32 First Impressions communities. Selection was based on final report availability and sufficient duration from the initial program visit to allow impacts to occur. For this analysis communities had their initial program visits between 7 and 14 years ago. Communities were located throughout the state (see state map) and were of varying populations and socio-economic conditions.
Impact data were collected via telephone surveys administered by graduate students in WVU Masters of Public Administration program. The survey included both open and closed-ended questions designed to broadly assess whether recommendations from the initial First Impressions visit led to changes in community and economic development conditions.
Surveyed participants included city officials, Extension Service agents, and other community representatives who had taken part in, or were familiar with the community’s involvement in the program.
Multiple attempts in contacting a representative from the community by way of phone calls and email messages were made. However, because of the time lag between initial program visits and this evaluation, many communities had experienced turnover in leadership. Overall, 18 communities produced a representative willing and/or able to complete the survey for a 56% response rate.
The majority of responding communities reported that the First Impressions Program led to positive changes in community and economic development conditions. Overall, 89% (n=16) of survey respondents reported beneficial impacts as a result of participation and 67% (n=12) reported that the general condition of their community had improved as a result of the program. Even those communities that did not report general improvements attributable to the program implemented projects or initiatives specifically recommended in the report.
The most common improvements were signage and community beautification programs. A total of 10 communities (56%) indicated adding or improving welcome and directional signage. Several communities indicated improving the visibility of their signage directing visitors downtown and actively working with businesses to standardize downtown signage. Beautification initiatives included landscaping programs, increased litter code enforcement, and in two communities the use of murals and public art projects in downtown business districts. At least one community is actively working to pass an abandoned building ordinance.
Historic preservation and tourism promotion projects were implemented by eight (44%) communities. Two communities undertook architectural inventories and developed unified façade styles for main street buildings; two focused on their railroad heritage, refurbishing train depots and establishing museums to showcase the industry’s contribution to the community. Four communities developed brochures highlighting cultural resources and events in the community. For example, one town actively pursued cross marketing efforts and supplies promotional materials to local businesses. In order to take full advantage of tourism opportunities, five communities worked to increase lodging options for visitors. This included recruiting bed and breakfasts in four communities and increasing cabin rental options at nearby parks in two communities.
In addition to developing resources for visitors eight communities (44%) also improved public recreation amenities for residents. These projects included adding restrooms, camping, and picnic facilities to existing parks, and constructing new facilities including soccer fields, a teen center, and a downtown park. Additional improvements to community infrastructure such as repairing sidewalks, the addition of benches, increasing ADA compliance, and updates to street systems occurred in seven (39%) of communities.
Logan = DEP Make-It-Shine
Union = Regional Civil War Trail
Wellsburg= Catholic Knights – tourism
Point Marion = PA River Towns
“Made everybody stop and look at the community”
Traditionally First Impressions has traditionally been a peer learning model.
WVU takes a different approach; we will discuss how our program differs as we move through the presentation
Who will be collecting the completed booklets with notes at the end of the day to compile the final report?
Who needs to get a copy of the digital photos and by when?
When does the final report and photos need to be shared?
Who will receive a copy of the final report?
Collect photos and reports
Compile and write the report
Present results
Who will be collecting the completed booklets with notes at the end of the day to compile the final report?
Who needs to get a copy of the digital photos and by when?
When does the final report and photos need to be shared?
Who will receive a copy of the final report?
WVU employs an “expert model” as opposed to the peer learning approach
When the program started in WV we used the “traditional” approach but changes occurred over time for a variety of reasons:
The program was first implemented in WV by a faculty member named Alison Hanham. When it first started it used the peer approach.
In 1994 Scott Loveridge, currently Director of the NC RCRD, came from MN to WVU and he implemented the Community Design Team here in WV (3 day public engagement / design charrette).
CDT uses faculty in the university and professional volunteers to work with community members and leaders on place making and other community development activities. Although the community is heavily involved in the process and identifying what changes they would like to see, the experts play a large role in developing project ideas and assisting with project implementation – many of these became service learning / action research projects for faculty and students.
The FI program became a first step / Extension program introduction for the majority of the CDT communities.
Alison ended up with health problems and was unable to continue in her job. Other faculty took over the coordination roles here but because it wasn’t “their program” its role as a standalone program diminished and it really became step one of the CDT process. As a result the program drifted toward the expert model.
2 & 3) Another issue was faculty resources. WVU uses a county based model for our faculty agents. CRED is small (only 9 agents covering approximately 15 of 55 counties) as a result faculty specialists with state wide responsibilities were acting as the point person for the visits. Rather than work with community volunteers in places two or three hours away it was easier to recruit faculty in-house, take one day to conduct the visit, produce the report on campus, and take one day to report out. This was especially true since many of these same faculty would be working with the community as part of CDT – as much of an orientation for them as it was a program for the community.
Like the Wisconsin approach we do require that there be some community group or institution involved in the process. Because we are approached by communities having these champions generally isn’t an issue.
However, the Recruitable Communities Program often requested FI and CDT programs in the communities they were working in. Often these communities did not have the capacity to act on program recommendations and it showed in future evaluations.
Emphasize that for us and the community the program is most effective when we have active partnerships
Community – City leaders, Chamber, EDA, Visitors Bureau
University – PA, LA, faculty and student volunteers
State Agencies – Main St., etc.
Because everything is done in house coordination becomes much easier: Faculty can travel together or visit when its convenient for them. We can reimburse any expenses associated with the visits. Faculty are already familiar with how the program works, organization of the manual, etc. Easy to get notes/manuals and pictures.
Ideas for improvements will likely be projects faculty could assist with, or will know where to direct community for resources. These are all good things!!
The bad: Many communities are doing good work or have good ideas and NOT using the exchange means that we loose that learning opportunity.
I have been tried using both approaches and I understand why past coordinators have taken the top down approach. Working with volunteers can be a pain in the butt!!
it, but close enough to make this a one day trip (Overnight trips can be great too, but not everyone
can spare the time). Remember, there are no perfect matches, just similar. Think about some of the
characteristics that impact your community when making a selection:
_____ County Seat or location of State government
_____ Miles from a major Interstate
_____ Miles from a major urban area
_____ Unique geological/natural feature (i.e. river, mountain range, lakes)
_____ Population
_____ Major industries/employers
_____ Specific community issues that are currently impacting your community that another community
may also be facing (i.e. a road by-pass)?
Consider:
Is your community a County Seat or location of State government?
How many miles from a major Interstate?
How many miles from a major urban area or downtown center?
Is there a unique geological/natural feature (i.e. river, mountain range, lakes)
What is the population of the neighborhood or community?
What are the major industries/employers?
What are the specific community issues that are currently impacting your community or neighborhood?
Some things to consider during orientation-
Addressing question about safety or perceived safety issues in the community you are visiting. Be sensitive to this!
We rented a van so we all could be together and experience the same things.
Can participants request information by mail & telephone prior to the visit?
Can participants do a web search of the on-line materials for this community or neighborhood?
Hand out the paper-based tool or share app so participants can become familiar with material prior to the day
You will need to decide if knowing ahead of time what neighborhood or community you will be visiting will be positive or detrimental to your visit. Do you want your team to know anything about the neighborhood they are visiting or do you want it to be a truly first impression. Will it help your team to have learned something about the community prior to their visit?
Hand out the paper-based tool or share app so participants can become familiar with material prior to the day of the visit. We used the paper based tool (workbook) and found that participants valued being able to look over the workbook prior to the event. Participants used post-its to assist them with finding sections and made themselves notes.
May have Robin jump in here?
WVU has just recently added a component that asks visitors to seek out information about the community before visiting.
This includes a specific focus on the community’s marketing initiatives and use of website, social media, print materials, TV & radio, etc.
Prior to entering the neighborhood/community, we announced the name of the neighborhood/community that we would be visiting. We then pulled the van over and had them answer these questions.
Our entire group was in one large van. If you can do this, I think I would recommend this so that everyone is seeing the same thing.
Prior to our visit, we met with the coordinator of the neighborhood that we were visiting. Since the neighborhood was so large, she suggested primary entrances to use, directed us to sections of the neighborhood to be sure to visit that would give us a good glimpse of the overall neighborhood. She didn’t tell us where to go but guided us throughout the neighborhood to assure that we didn’t miss important sections of the neighborhood that defined the neighborhood. We made a tentative route to take so that we didn’t have to decide when to turn, etc.
Participants did not have a map of the neighborhood but if I did this again, all would receive a map of the neighborhood we are visiting on the day of the visit.
The needs of the community will influence where we spend the majority of our time and focus our efforts but everything is fair game.
Often we are traveling as a group and communities are very small so its less of an issue.
WVU is more hands off in our approach (in regard to the note above). Rather than rely on a map we want to see if we can find everything based on directional signage or maps/brochures that we can get in the community. Wayfinding and directional signage are almost always an issue in the communities we visit.
Knowing up front what to look for, makes this process easier to complete.
A second pass through the neighborhood also helps to document things.
It took us from 9 to noon. We stopped and had lunch in the neighborhood. While waiting for lunch, participants completed their workbooks. Participants were required to turn in their workbooks prior to leaving the van for the day.
We had one person (not a participant) drive the van and two coordinators in the van. We had two co-coordinators in the van. One gave directions to the driver/ pointed out items of interest while the other person called out comments from the participants such as I want to get out and take pictures, Can we stop, etc.
We encouraged our participants to get out of the van three different times to talk with people. Some felt more comfortable than others. Getting out of the van to take pictures and talk to neighbors all take time. Be sure to plan for this.
Rather than explaining the whole First Impressions program and what it is about, you can decide to pretend you are there for another reason to. Here are some examples.
-If you are just passing through, where are you from and where are you going?
-If you are playing the role of a business person, what kind of a business do you run and where are you from?
-If you are a retiree, what is it you used to do, and where are you from?
-Do you have a youth member on the team? Who’s son or daughter is this?
I’m on my way to a conference an have not been here before. What is there to do for recreation?
Are there any good restaurants? Where would be a good place for lunch?
I might bring my family here on our way to a wedding next month. Are there any good places to stay?
I am considering moving to the area. Are the schools good here? Where is the best place to look for housing? What are some of the best reasons to live in this neighborhood?
Where can I get information on commercial/retail space to buy or lease in this community?
**Main takeaway is that you don’t want to be out walking with a clipboard writing detailed notes about what youre seeing **
We encouraged our participants to get out of the van three different times to talk with people. Some felt more comfortable than others. Getting out of the van to take pictures and talk to neighbors all take time. Be sure to plan for this.
Rather than explaining the whole First Impressions program and what it is about, you can decide to pretend you are there for another reason to. Here are some examples.
-If you are just passing through, where are you from and where are you going?
-If you are playing the role of a business person, what kind of a business do you run and where are you from?
-If you are a retiree, what is it you used to do, and where are you from?
-Do you have a youth member on the team? Who’s son or daughter is this?
I’m on my way to a conference an have not been here before. What is there to do for recreation?
Are there any good restaurants? Where would be a good place for lunch?
I might bring my family here on our way to a wedding next month. Are there any good places to stay?
I am considering moving to the area. Are the schools good here? Where is the best place to look for housing? What are some of the best reasons to live in this neighborhood?
Where can I get information on commercial/retail space to buy or lease in this community?
Highly recommend this if possible. Forces everyone to write things down while they are still fresh.
Often we will start compiling the report on the way home. We will discuss the questions, summarize input, what did we see individually, what might we have missed, etc.
Key themes, whats working, what isn’t, etc comes to light pretty quickly.
Development of the final report is done by the program coordinator (previously Kelly Nix, now DE). We have assistance from Paul Martin who is a research analyst down the hall.
We have done enough of them that our template is well established, just have to make it community specific.
Highly recommend this if possible. Forces everyone to write things down while they are still fresh.
Often we will start compiling the report on the way home. We will discuss the questions, summarize input, what did we see individually, what might we have missed, etc.
Key themes, whats working, what isn’t, etc comes to light pretty quickly.
Development of the final report is done by the program coordinator (previously Kelly Nix, now DE). We have assistance from Paul Martin who is a research analyst down the hall.
We have done enough of them that our template is well established, just have to make it community specific.
Need a good photo here
List of sample reports at http://cced.ces.uwex.edu/2012/08/04/first-impressions-program-2/
http://cred.ext.wvu.edu/community-design/first_impressions/communities_visited
Welcome and introduction to the First Impressions Program (Who, What, When, Where, and How).
2.Distribution of final report from the exchange community (Make note of the availability of press releases for the media).
3.Review of major points found in the final report. These points should be covered along with images from the community (This list should be formulated with input from the group of volunteers who participated in the exchange. You might want to have this list as a handout).
4.Review of things learned from the exchange community visit (What did you see and learn from your visit to the other community?).
5.Action Planning session. Break up into small groups to begin addressing some of the issues found in the final report.
Websites:
Program:
Add WVU website
Wisconsin Website
Map as separate resource
Link to WVU article
Matching Communities
Link to ACS Census Data
Link to BLS employment