Communications and outreach specialist Shayna Sylvia and program content coordinator Nancy O'Connor attended the first of three sessions of the UNH Cooperative Extension's Community Engagement Academy. UNH Cooperative Extension has partnered with the University of New Hampshire's Office of Engagement and Academic Outreach, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Maine Sea Grant for this program, which will feature speakers, activities, discussions, and interactive walking tours based around outreach and engagement.

Thursday's training was held at the Berwick, Maine, Town Hall to highlight the efforts of Envision Berwick and Somersworth's Vision 2020, two integrated efforts to plan for the future of the neighboring communities. The session addressed the challenges and benefits of engagement, the important difference between outreach and engagement, and tips for increasing productive public participation including facilitation strategies.

A walking tour around the two municipalities and a presentation allowed attendees to learn the techniques volunteers and municipal staffers have been using to engage participants in both Berwick and Somersworth. Walking tour highlights included a tour and vision for the Prime Tannery Brownfields site, plans for upgrades and expansion of existing recreational trails, and upgrades to pedestrian infrastructure.

Nancy and Shayna are looking forward to the other two sessions, in Dover and Rochester. They will apply the tools and principles from the academy to the Strafford Metropolitan Planning Organization's outreach efforts and to all the outreach and engagement activities they undertake on behalf of SRPC.