Course 2: Evaluation (coming soon)

Facilitation Course

The ability to effectively facilitate conversations, decisions, and learning in the field of Extension is foundational; gone are the days of “delivering education” to our audiences–today we seek to partner with our audiences in order to help them meaningfully gather research-based information relevant to improving their lives and necessary to implementing behavior change.

The art of facilitation is a skill that is forever refined and can be continuously improved. The Extension Professional Advancement, Networking, and Development (EXPAND): Facilitation course is designed to meet the needs of mid-career Extension professionals as they build upon existing skills, explore emerging research around facilitation in the field of Extension, and learn from colleagues from across the region who will share their own relevant and practical insights and expertise.

The course will be led by educators and faculty from within the field of Extension who encompass both a scholarly background around facilitation- focused literature and also have practical experience leading facilitation in the field.

EXPAND: Facilitation will focus on three main facilitation processes–Facilitation for learning, facilitation for convening, and facilitation for decision-making.

How to Participate

Participating in this experience requires a nomination from Extension leadership at your university. Please express your interest by sharing the participant nomination form with your supervisor. To learn more about how to participate in an upcoming cohort, please visit the EXPAND: Participant Expectations & Insight Form Information document.

Course Objectives

Explore foundational and emerging research related to facilitation, specifically articles informed by facilitation in the field of Extension.

Identify a project, program, or problem that can act as your “tangible application container;” this will be the action learning project that will guide your experiential learning throughout this experience.

Examine a variety of impactful facilitation methods and approaches and consider the most effective process(es) to support your unique context.

Practice the implementation of facilitation skills through active implementation and reflection.

Present your action learning project as a means to share your learning with colleagues and Extension leadership across the region.

Build a new network of Extension colleagues who are passionate about the topic.

Set future-driven facilitation goals with new knowledge, leadership opportunities, and networks in mind.

Expected Outcomes

Participants will gain valuable skills, expand their professional networks, and feel re-energized in their roles.

Participants will acquire an in-depth understanding of core competencies related to facilitation, specifically in the field of Extension.

Participants will actively apply their learning to an issue or situation in real-time, leading to active problem solving, programmatic growth, and audience engagement.

Participants will share their learning with others through scholarly presentations.

Explore tangible applications of gained knowledge with peers and receive feedback in a safe learning environment.

Participants will set goals to increase skills and abilities in the field of Extension.

Participants will consider future scholarship and leadership opportunities pertaining to facilitation processes (potential to lead future iterations of the EXPAND: Facilitation course).

Who Should Attend

Mid-career field, regional, and state-based Extension professionals with a minimum of three years in their role; participants must have a desire to build their skills to be more effective when facilitating conversations and meetings while simultaneously holding a willingness to share their existing knowledge and expertise with their colleagues. Participants will be expected to apply their learning and acquired skills/techniques in real time and reflect on their successes and continued opportunities for growth with their peers.

Schedule

August 26, 2025 – Virtual (9:30 am CST – 11:30 am CST)
September 9, 2025 – Virtual (9:30 am CST – 11:30 am CST)
September 23-25, 2025 – Face-to-Face in Madison, Wisconsin | Exact times TBD: Participants can tentatively plan for a 10am start on September 23 and 2pm departure on September 25).
October 14, 2025 – Virtual (9:30 am CST – 11:30 am CST)
November 4, 2025 – Virtual (9:30 am CST – 11:30 am CST)
November 18, 2025 – Virtual – Final Capstone Presentations from participants (Please hold the entire day until a presentation schedule is finalized.

Participants will have many unique opportunities while at Madison (activities at the historical Memorial Union Terrace, hiking to Picnic Point, watersports on Lake Mendota, and more.

Cost

The program costs $1500 per participant, which covers the following:

Conference Registration
Instruction
Handouts
Resources
Hotel room stay
Meals during the three-day face-to-face conference

States will cover the travel costs and meals for participants for travel to and from Madison in September.

Limited scholarship support is available–contact amber.shanahan@wisc.edu to receive scholarship information.

Facilitation Instructors

Lisa Hinz: Extension Educator, Civic Engagement and Leadership at University of Minnesota Extension

Sarah Schlosser: Organizational & Leadership Development Outreach Program Manager at University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension

Jennifer Williams: Extension Engagement Specialist at University of Missouri Extension

Companion Documents

Cancellation Policy

Land grant universities are expected to cover the cost for the number of slots they commit to during the nomination process through May 31. After May 31, if a participant is no longer able to participate in the program in its entirety, the Extension program may send a secondary/alternate participant in their place. Cancellations must be made by May 31, 2025; all costs incurred beyond that date will be the responsibility of the Extension program.

Questions?

Matt Hanson, Project Manager–EXPAND, matt.hanson@wisc.edu
Amber Shanahan, Organizational Learning & Professional Development Specialist, amber.shanahan@wisc.edu