See how Google Forms helped horticulture programs in 2014.

1. Success Showcase
How Google Forms Helped Improve
Extension Programming in 2014
Sonja Fuchs, Web Technology Specialist

2. What is a Google Form?

3. Perks of Google Forms
• No paper and no stamps =
efficient, cheaper and easier to
organize and share
• Can have several
collaborators
• Easily track responses
• Free and easy to use

4. Uses
- Registration - Collect email signatures
for newsletters
- Evaluations - Community Garden Sign ups

5. Tom Kalb – Ext. Horticulturist in
Western ND
Self-proclaimed “technology dinosaur”
Photo "CabazonDinosaurs-BuildingShapedLikeDinosaur" by Binksternet - Own work. Licensed
under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CabazonDinosaurs-
BuildingShapedLikeDinosaur.jpg#mediaviewer/File:CabazonDinosaurs-
BuildingShapedLikeDinosaur.jpg

6. Jr. Master Gardner
Goal is to get ND kids gardening so they can
improve their health
Youth groups have an adult apply for the
grant money and supervise the project

7. Took JMG apps online in 2014
Tom said:
• Electronic submission made it
easy for projects to apply.
• It also provided an image of
professionalism for our
organization.
• All funds were distributed in a
matter of a few weeks; in the
past we needed to send out
repeated calls for applications
and took several months.
Photo by Gabriel Kamener, Sown Together on Flickr

8. Potato Pirates
The Potato Pirates Project is patterned after the ND Home Garden Variety Trials
program. We work with more than 200 families every year, evaluating promising varieties
of vegetables, herbs and flowers in backyard gardens
Evaluations of the project show that our youth gardeners develop skills in science, enjoy
improved diets, and show increased levels of physical activity.
Image from Pixaby

9. Tom’s Comments
• In this youth project, we received over 300 requests for potato research kits in three
weeks. We could have distributed thousands if we had such funds available.
• We allowed mail-in registrations, but only received four. The public is comfortable with
electronic submission.
• By demonstrating this demand, we can justify our funding from the state legislature.
Perhaps we can get some more in the future....
Image from Pixaby

10. Spring Gardening Fever!

11. Tom’s Take on SGF:
• We gained over 400 registrants from all 53 counties in the state
• County agents used Google Drive to accept Spring Fever Garden Forum registrations
for training at their local county offices. This online registration freed agents and their
staff from mailing out brochures, taking registrations over the phone, etc. It also gave
agents a good idea on how many handouts to prepare for each session. These e-mail
lists are now available to agents for use in the promotion of future programs.
• We are using this list to distribute the NDSU Yard & Garden Report and promote
other programs in the future.
Photo by Leo Reynolds on Flickr

12. How Do I Get Started with
Google Forms?
If you’ve never logged on to Google Drive,
start at the ITS page
If you’ve used your NDSU Google Drive
account, you can start with Google help
Video how to

13. Questions? Need Help?
Web Technology Specialists
Sonja Fuchs (701) 231-6403
Bob Bertsch (701) 231-7381