Urban Extension. A Look to the Future. Report on Focus Group Sessions (St. Paul, Minnesota, January 22-February 6, 1987)

Eight focus groups were interviewed to determine the current strengths and weaknesses of the Ramsey County Extension Service as well as the directions that the service should take in the future so as to meet the county's needs for extension education in urban and suburban settings. The focus groups included extension professionals and support staff, extension volunteers, current and potential users, and representatives of the county government and public and private agencies. The groups praised the extension service for its freedom from discrimination, good programs, good teaching methods, promptness in responding to user requests, up-to-date and informative materials, cross-cultural values, and opportunities for intergenerational learning. The groups suggested the following strategies for improving the program for the future: develop a marketing campaign to improve the program's image as an extension program for an urban county, open satellite offices in various locations to reach minority and inner-city residents, increase cooperative programming with area schools, place more emphasis on volunteer development and leadership development, redefine the clientele of the program's home study groups to focus primarily on middle- and retirement-aged homemakers, and develop programs focusing on urban families and youth. (Appendixes include explanations of the telephone and group interview procedures used during the study and a description of the membership of the individual study groups.) (MN)