Extension Outreach Research Articles

Assessment on the Outreach Activities Delivered to an Adopted School by a Higher Educational Institution: Basis for Plan of Action

The research assessed and evaluated the impact of the extension programs and activities rendered by the University of Baguio in Alejo M. Pacalso Memorial National High School for the past four years in order to develop a systematic plan of action for the improvement of UB’s extension programs with its Adopted community. The study employed a mixed-method approach using a sequential explanatory design. The study utilized questionnaires that were administered to the teachers, staff, and students who have benefited from the activities conducted by the University of Baguio from 2019 to the present. Moreover, an interview was conducted with the Extension and Community Outreach Coordinators to validate the results gathered from the questionnaire survey. The findings in the study highlighted the significance of the implemented services in AMPMNHS, as evidenced by the high levels of satisfaction rating of the teachers and the learners and their perceived importance of the programs. Thus, the researchers made a recommendation that the program implementers should have a periodic evaluation to assess the effectiveness of every program being implemented. Further, the University of Baguio should provide continuous training and capacity-building opportunities for teachers and staff to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to execute the services and handle unforeseen challenges effectively.

Determinants of the Extent of Use of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices by Farm Households in Southeast Nigeria

Climate change remains a threat to the ability of Nigeria to ensure food security, eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development. Despite the unimaginable negative impacts, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the drivers of the extent of use of Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices in Southeast Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique was used to select 366 farming households. The primary data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, adaptive strategy use index and ordered probit regression. The result showed that the majority (55.1%) of the respondents were males, married (81.3%) with a mean age of 48 years and on average, spent 11 years in education. The result of the extent of use of CSA practices revealed that the CSA practices frequently used were organic manure (0.9127), crop diversification (0.9117), crop rotation (0.9067) and mixed farming system (0.7411). The result of ordered probit showed that age (0.017), education (0.030), farming experience (0.082), farm size (0.239), extension access (0.543) and livestock ownership (0.429) influenced the extent of CSA practices. The study recommends a more robust extension outreach to rural farmers to enhance farmers' adoption and use of CSA practices to mitigate climate change and improve farm income.

Growing the Next Generation of Horticulture Customers and Stakeholders through Industry and Extension Outreach Collaborations

Abstract As the horticulture consumer base transitions to younger generations, educational outreach collaborations between Extension and industry could be a mutually beneficial way to serve an increasingly diverse customer audience. A recent study investigated drivers of, and opportunities for, increased participation in plant-related activities using an online survey of 2,134 respondents. Both participants and non-participants in plant-related activities were surveyed. Some of the commonly cited reasons for non-participation were a lack of knowledge and overall success, illustrating an opportunity for education to be beneficial. While many plant retailers may not have the personnel or resources to engage widely in education, collaborations with Extension could be a viable path to address knowledge limitations of their customers and increase engagement in horticulture.

Choosing the Right Visual for Social Media: Comparing the Engagement of Stock Photos Versus Natural Photos

Social media is an important piece of Extension outreach efforts. Across many different platforms, photos or graphics accompanying social media posts have repeatedly yielded greater results, in terms of engagement and success. Thus, it is imperative to include a visual element with each post, and a social media post without one would be considered a missed opportunity. This article explores the question of whether stock images are as effective as natural images. Facebook posts from the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement (CREE) team were analyzed to determine differences in engagement rates for stock images and natural images taken by the CREE team. Results indicate natural photos had significantly higher engagement rates than stock photos. Thus, it is recommended that content creators strive to create and use their own photos for posts. However, because the difference between mean engagement rates for stock and natural photos was low, in times of need, a stock photo can produce better engagement than no photo at all.

PSX-6 From Bright Leaf to Berkshires: an Alternative Swine Production Course and Outreach Program

Abstract The From Bright Leaf to Berkshires program is a two-year extension outreach initiative funded by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and facilitated by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (N.C. A&T) State University. The objective of the program is to train small, limited-resource farmers from across North Carolina in low-cost, alternative swine production systems, retaining ownership of their processed pork, adding value to their pork products, and the targeting of local niche markets. Small farmers in the region have been financially impacted by tobacco-related, healthcare, and social changes that have shifted both price and demand for North Carolina's top cash crop, tobacco. As opposed to tobacco, the demand for one of North Carolina's leading livestock commodities, pork, has remained strong. Therefore, training these farmers in low-cost swine production systems will allow them to diversify their operations, while producing high-end pork products that can be marketed at premium prices. Using the "farmer field school" extension approach, the training of the first cohort of participants took place between March and May of 2023 at the N.C. A&T Farm Pavilion and Swine Facility. The ages of the participants ranged from mid-twenties to mid-sixties. They were trained in employing both pasture-based and hoop structure swine production systems. The participants were also introduced to the digestive system, nutritional needs, reproductive and breeding systems, required disease surveillance, welfare considerations, and appropriate waste management of outdoor swine. The N.C. A&T Swine Specialist, Dr. Derrick J. Coble, served as the director of the program, providing the participants with some of the basic training in swine physiology and management systems. Additional experts were invited to train the cohort in other areas of swine and pork production. The North Carolina Pork Council Representative and former President of the National Pork Board, Jan Archer, facilitated a workshop in which the participants were trained in animal welfare and swine transport. The participants received Pork Quality Assurance and Transport Quality Assurance certifications from the National Pork Board for their participation in this workshop. The Technical Program Coordinator for N.C. Choices, Lee Menius, facilitated a workshop pertaining to the local food systems and niche markets for pasture-based pork in North Carolina. Dr. Stephanie Kulesza, a Nutrient Management and Animal Waste Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, facilitated a workshop in sustainability and the application of animal waste as fertilizer. The program concluded with small-scale, niche swine producers sharing their experiences in pork production. Upon graduation from the program, the participants receive their own hoop structure. Their swine operations will be monitored for three years to track their on-farm practices, participation in alternative swine production, and the economic impact of their operations to their communities.

Inclusion of ecological sustainable development themes into agricultural extension education programme: content and delivery methods

The continuous adoption of unsustainable ecological practices by farmers on land resources threatens sustainable development in agricultural production. With increase in population and agricultural intensification, ecological problems such as erosion, deforestation, overgrazing, low yields of agricultural produce among others may be on the increase if farmers are not very conscious of their activities on land. This study determined the extent of inclusion of ecological sustainable development themes and methods used in teaching these content areas to farmers in the agricultural extension outreach programme of Cross River State. Two research questions were answered and two hypotheses were tested. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and was carried out in Cross River State with a sample of 250 comprising 180 registered farmers and 70 extension personnel. The researchers used mixed method of data collection involving quantitative and qualitative approaches. A 38-item structured questionnaire was used in collecting the quantitative data, while focused group discussions (FGD) and content analysis were used in generating qualitative data. The instrument was face validated by three experts and Cronbach Alpha reliability index of 0.84 was estimated. Out of 250 copies of questionnaire administered, 246 copies were retrieved and analyzed using mean, standard deviation and independent t-test statistic to answer the research questions and test the null hypotheses at p>.05. The study found out that 15 ecological sustainable development themes were included as content areas into the agricultural extension outreach programme of Cross River State while only 7extension teaching methods out of 22 were used in teaching the farmers in the programme. It was recommended that Cross River Agricultural Development Programme should ensure that ESD themes not fully included into agricultural extension programme are integrated and taught to farmers while enabling conditions are made to facilitate individual contacts of extension personnel with farmers to reasonably convince them and prepare them for sustainable ecological resource use and conservation.

Understanding the Barriers to Adoption of Mixed-Species Herbivory in the Southern Great Plains of the United States

Mixed-species herbivory, along with prescribed fire, is one of the most effective ways of controlling woody plant encroachment in the southern Great Plains and comes with the added benefits of maintaining grazing efficiency and rangeland productivity. Despite its experimental stage success, most landowners in the southern Great Plains have not fully adopted mixed-species herbivory as a range management tool. This study aimed to understand the barriers to the adoption of mixed-species herbivory by soliciting information from rangeland owners in the southern Great Plain states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. We found that more than 40% of landowners in the southern Great Plains are not aware of mixed-species herbivory and < 10% of them have adopted the practice. Landowners who were previously aware of mixed-species herbivory were less likely to think that it provides lower returns compared with traditional grazing. Many landowners, however, reported a lack of sufficient infrastructure, labor, or equipment as barriers to adoption. We suggest that extension efforts and outreach campaigns focused on the needs and concerns of landowners can change perceptions around the effectiveness of mixed-species herbivory as a land management tool to enhance the resiliency of rangeland ecosystems in the southern Great Plains.

Excessive Use of Water and Fertilizer by Homeowners: Why It Happens, How It Affects the Environment, and How the Nursery Industry and Extension Outreach Can Help

Abstract Despite global concerns regarding climate change, one thing remains constant: homeowners want gardens and landscapes that serve them functionally and aesthetically. The strong affinity homeowners have for their land can lead to excessive use of water and fertilizer. This literature review explores the relationships between homeowners and their residential landscapes and the efforts that can be made to address misuse and overuse of resources. Governmental organizations should work together with community groups, nursery and landscape associations, and university Extension faculty to understand homeowner desires and behaviors before instituting policies regarding resource use that are unpopular, resented, and ignored. Networking between the nursery industry and university Extension faculty and Master Gardener volunteers can provide educational opportunities for homeowners to understand and implement more sustainable landscape practices as well as showcasing ornamental landscape plants that can help meet both personal aesthetics and resource conservation goals.

Training Sources and Preferences for Agricultural Producers and Professionals in Middle-North Mato Grosso, Brazil

Brazil’s midwest has rapidly expanded large-scale commodity crops such as soybeans and maize. We surveyed both agricultural producers and agricultural professionals in the middle-north region of Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Agricultural professionals provide technical support to agricultural producers and both are served by Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (ATER) with nationally and internationally recognized extension outreach. Our objectives were to define and contrast agricultural producer and professional characteristics, especially source(s) relied upon for agricultural training. There were 94 agricultural producers and 89 agricultural professionals that responded to our surveys, which were summarized and contrasted using statistical software. There was a predominance of male farmers, married with a broad age range. Agricultural professionals who advise producers had a high educational level. Producers and professionals were most reliant on private sector agricultural companies and business support organizations for agricultural training, versus public institutions such as universities and state/federal agencies. In the state of Mato Grosso, extension outreach can involve joint efforts by public and private sector entities. However, more targeted efforts are needed to ensure that public sector research is more equally used by agricultural producers and professionals in the region, especially during field days and face-to-face technical lectures during the off-season.

Effectiveness of university-based extension outreach for maize production in southwestern Nigeria

Effectiveness of university-based extension outreach for maize production in southwestern Nigeria

Risk-Factor Assessment and Sun Protection Behaviors of Ohio Farmers

Highlights Most farmers never had a skin cancer assessment by a health professional, but almost 20% had a skin cancer diagnosis. While at risk for skin cancer, Ohio farmers have not widely adopted sun safety protection behaviors. Understanding sun safety practices of farmers may guide development of appropriate resources and interventions. Abstract. The purpose of the study was to identify sun exposure risk factors and sun protection behaviors from a sample of Ohio farmers. A convenience sample of farmers was invited to complete a self-report survey, either online or by paper and pencil at annual pesticide training courses and community-based safety programs. This cross-sectional and descriptive study used public domain survey questions by Glanz et al. and Oh et al. Respondents totaled 505 and self-identified primarily as male, married or with a domestic partner, white, non-Latino, with very fair to fair skin, and worked full-time mostly in field crops. Over 50% of farmers applied or reapplied sunscreen. Between 50% and 70% wore a shirt with sleeves, sunglasses, and/or a hat; a baseball cap was the preferred headwear. Farmers (67%) reported 0-1 sunburns last year, and 83% said they sit in the sun to get a tan. Younger farmers (&amp;lt;44 years old) spent more time in the sun to tan and reported fewer painful sunburns. Most farmers (58%) never had a professional skin cancer assessment, but 17% had a skin cancer diagnosis. While at risk for skin cancer, Ohio farmers have not widely adopted sun safety protection behaviors. Data may direct future multidisciplinary health and safety educational programming by state Extension outreach and healthcare providers. Keywords: Cancer, Farmers, Health risk behavior, Self-report, Sun protection.

Exploring Extension Agent Capacity and Readiness to Adopt Policy, Systems and Environmental Change Approaches.

IntroductionEnhanced Extension outreach strategies combine traditional direct education programs with public health approaches like policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change. However, the Cooperative Extension system and county-based Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension agents have historically prioritized direct education programming and diffusion of enhanced outreach strategies has varied. Extension personnel may lack capacity and readiness for successful PSE change implementation. This study explored perceived acceptability, capacity, and readiness for PSE change work among FCS Extension agents in two states.MethodA survey was developed framed by selected domains from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research: Intervention Characteristics, Inner Setting, Characteristics of Individuals, and Process. All questions utilized a 5-point Likert scale, except for an item examining respondents' stage of change regarding PSE change strategies. Descriptive statistics and response frequencies for all variables were calculated.ResultsSurvey responses (n = 116) indicated PSE change work was perceived as valuable. Potential barriers included perceived complexity, organizational readiness issues (e.g., reporting and evaluation structures; performance incentives), and worries about stakeholder responses in shifting away from direct education. Responses indicated self-efficacy for skills important in implementing PSE change. Most respondents (53%) indicated being at the pre-contemplation or contemplation stage of change in pursuing PSE change work.DiscussionCombining PSE change strategies and direct education programming allows Extension to do what it does best – provide effective programs to improve and sustain health and wellbeing of individuals and families. Findings are informative for others aiming to build capacity within community educators, Extension and public health professionals to implement PSE change.

Small Farm Resource Centers as Informal Extension Hubs in Underserved Areas: Case Studies from Southeast Asia

A Small Farm Resource Center (SFRC) is an informal in-situ extension model used for testing promising agricultural and rural livelihoods options on a physical central site, with some measure of extension methodology. There is a need to evaluate SFRCs as research-extension models operating outside of formal government extension and advisory services. Seven SFRCs located in Southeast Asia were studied to classify extension methodologies adopted by those centers, evaluate extension efficacy, and to provide recommendations for amplifying their services. On average in 2013, SFRCs were 21.1 years old, covered 24.2 ha, cost 242,000 USD to establish and had a yearly operating cost of 28,500 USD. The work of the seven SFRCs could be classified into five predominant extension methodologies: on-site and off-site demonstrations, on-site and off-site trainings, and off-site extension outreach. Most of the SFRCs utilized combinations of these and tailored their methods to the particular context. Besides agricultural production, SFRCs also offered socio-cultural and socio-economic assistance, owing to a cycle of extension knowledge refinement. SFRCS were re-engaged in 2021 and all 7 were still operational, and the majority provided the same number or more services (57%) as in 2013, utilized the same amount of space (71%), and were perceived to have the same or more efficacy (71%) even in the face of decreasing or stagnating funding (71%) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, SFRCs continue to be used successfully throughout Southeast Asia and provide cost-effective and needs-based extension and advisory services to underserved populations outside of formal extension services.

Pivot or paradigm shift? COVID-19 impact on extension master gardener training and outreach

ISHS XV International People Plant Symposium and II International Symposium on Horticultural Therapies: the Role of Horticulture in Human Well-being and Social Development Pivot or paradigm shift? COVID-19 impact on extension master gardener training and outreach

Makers vs. takers: perceived challenges to food production among agriculturalists in the United States

ABSTRACT Purpose Numerous factors currently challenge food production in the United States, and these are likely to intensify. We sought to understand what challenges US agriculturalists find to be most salient as well as the responses they recommend. Methodology We gained insights primarily through the analysis of transcripts from the qualitative interviews of 51 agricultural professionals throughout the United States. Findings: The participants most identified challenges that reduced their personal, economic, and environmental agency, including misinformed consumers, depressed commodity prices, increased agribusiness consolidation, ecological degradation. While they doubted the capacity for traditional forms of education and extension to address these challenges, they advocated for more opportunities for social learning and grassroots organization. Theoretical implications These findings support prior research that seeks improved agency for people in rural communities, including social learning opportunities can lead to wider engagement of stakeholders in a manner that can lead to more effective adaptive management strategies. Practical implications and value This work can inform how to design education and extension outreach by expanding dialogue opportunities between farmers and other agriculturalists to enhance adaptive management strategies in agriculture.

2018 Survey of factors associated with antimicrobial drug use and stewardship practices in adult cows on conventional California dairies: immediate post-Senate Bill 27 impact.

BackgroundAntimicrobial drugs (AMD) are critical for the treatment, control, and prevention of diseases in humans and food-animals. Good AMD stewardship practices and judicious use of AMD are beneficial to the preservation of animal and human health from antimicrobial resistance threat. This study reports on changes in AMD use and stewardship practices on California (CA) dairies, following the implementation of CA Senate Bill 27 (SB 27; codified as Food and Agricultural Code, FAC 14400–14408; here onward referred to as SB 27), by modeling the associations between management practices on CA conventional dairies and seven outcome variables relating to AMD use and stewardship practices following SB 27.MethodsA survey questionnaire was mailed to 1,282 grade A licensed dairies in CA in spring of 2018. Responses from 132 conventional dairies from 16 counties were included for analyses. Multivariate logistic regression models were specified to explore the associations between survey factors and six outcome variables: producers’ familiarity with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA), Silver Spring, WA, USA medically important antimicrobial drugs (MIAD) term; change in over-the-counter (OTC) AMD use; initiation or increased use of alternatives to AMD; changes to prevent disease outbreaks; changes in AMD costs; and better animal health post SB 27. We employed machine learning classification models to determine which of the survey factors were the most important predictors of good-excellent AMD stewardship practices of CA conventional dairy producers.ResultsHaving a valid veterinary-client-patient-relationship, involving a veterinarian in training employees on treatment protocols and decisions on AMDs used to treat sick cows, tracking milk and/or meat withdrawal intervals for treated cows, and participating in dairy quality assurance programs were positively associated with producers’ familiarity with MIADs. Use or increased use of alternatives to AMDs since 2018 was associated with decreased use of AMDs that were previously available OTC prior to SB 27. Important variables associated with good-excellent AMD stewardship knowledge by CA conventional dairy producers included having written or computerized animal health protocols, keeping a drug inventory log, awareness that use of MIADs required a prescription following implementation of SB 27, involving a veterinarian in AMD treatment duration determination, and using selective dry cow treatment.ConclusionsOur study identified management factors associated with reported AMD use and antimicrobial stewardship practices on conventional dairies in CA within a year from implementation of SB 27. Producers will benefit from extension outreach efforts that incorporate the findings of this survey by further highlighting the significance of these management practices and encouraging those that are associated with judicious AMD use and stewardship practices on CA conventional dairies.

Farmer-preferred learning methods and utilised teaching approaches by Egerton University, Kenya

Universities are centres of frontier knowledge and skills, with the capacity to transform communities,when appropriately and adequately transmitted to users. The aim of this paper was to compare farmer-preferred learning methods and those utilised in teaching during Egerton University’s outreach activities, with a view to drawing useful insights for more effective community future engagements. A cross sectional survey was conducted in 2017, using researcher-administered questionnaires, on a sample of 84 farmers purposefully selected from communities where Egerton University implemented extension outreach programmes. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted for community leaders and extension officers in the selected Wards, to supplement data collection. Results showed that the decision to participate in the outreach activities implemented by Egerton University was personal, with nearly all the respondents (99%) citing acquisition of new knowledge and skills as the major reason. Demonstrations were the most preferred and utilised methods (90 and 92%, respectively); while the use of group discussions were preferred by 51% of the respondents and utilised in 86% of the outreach activities. Results also showed significant relations for demonstration (c2 = 17.21, P<.001), touring university model farms (c2 = 68.11, P<.001) and use of training videos (c2 = 40.98, P<.001) between farmer-preferred learning methods and utilised teaching methods. This explains the popularity of demonstrations as a teaching and learning method of Egerton University in connecting theoretical and scientific aspects, to practice. Learner centred teaching methods, with the capacity to facilitate collaborative or cooperative learning, should be enhanced.

Farmer-preferred learning methods and utilised teaching approaches by Egerton University, Kenya

Universities are centres of frontier knowledge and skills, with the capacity to transform communities,when appropriately and adequately transmitted to users. The aim of this paper was to compare farmer-preferred learning methods and those utilised in teaching during Egerton University’s outreach activities, with a view to drawing useful insights for more effective community future engagements. A cross sectional survey was conducted in 2017, using researcher-administered questionnaires, on a sample of 84 farmers purposefully selected from communities where Egerton University implemented extension outreach programmes. Key informant interviews and focus group discussions were also conducted for community leaders and extension officers in the selected Wards, to supplement data collection. Results showed that the decision to participate in the outreach activities implemented by Egerton University was personal, with nearly all the respondents (99%) citing acquisition of new knowledge and skills as the major reason. Demonstrations were the most preferred and utilised methods (90 and 92%, respectively); while the use of group discussions were preferred by 51% of the respondents and utilised in 86% of the outreach activities. Results also showed significant relations for demonstration (c2 = 17.21, P&lt;.001), touring university model farms (c2 = 68.11, P&lt;.001) and use of training videos (c2 = 40.98, P&lt;.001) between farmer-preferred learning methods and utilised teaching methods. This explains the popularity of demonstrations as a teaching and learning method of Egerton University in connecting theoretical and scientific aspects, to practice. Learner centred teaching methods, with the capacity to facilitate collaborative or cooperative learning, should be enhanced.

A scoping review of adoption of climate-resilient crops by small-scale producers in low- and middle-income countries

Climate-resilient crops and crop varieties have been recommended as a way for farmers to cope with or adapt to climate change, but despite the apparent benefits, rates of adoption by smallholder farmers are highly variable. Here we present a scoping review, using PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), examining the conditions that have led to the adoption of climate-resilient crops over the past 30 years in lower- and middle-income countries. The descriptive analysis performed on 202 papers shows that small-scale producers adopted climate-resilient crops and varieties to cope with abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, flooding and salinity. The most prevalent trait in our dataset was drought tolerance, followed by water-use efficiency. Our analysis found that the most important determinants of adoption of climate-resilient crops were the availability and effectiveness of extension services and outreach, followed by education levels of heads of households, farmers’ access to inputs—especially seeds and fertilizers—and socio-economic status of farming families. About 53% of studies reported that social differences such as sex, age, marital status and ethnicity affected the adoption of varieties or crops as climate change-adaptation strategies. On the basis of the collected evidence, this study presents a series of pathways and interventions that could contribute to higher adoption rates of climate-resilient crops and reduce dis-adoption.

Dissemination Of Motivational Interviewing Training: Use In Extension Outreach And School Health Programming

PURPOSE: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a popular conversational strategy used to evoke intrinsic motivation for behavior change. Although a number of training programs have been described to build MI skills, there are few that evaluate the fidelity of training. The present study evaluated MI fidelity following a brief online training. METHODS: This study was conducted as an ancillary component of a school wellness training initiative (SWITCH) that focused on building capacity for schools to plan and lead school wellness programming. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the impact of brief MI training on a sample of 16 extension field specialists (EFS) that facilitated the SWITCH implementation process. EFS were provided guidelines and suggestions for using MI to elicit change talk and promote goal setting by school leaders. A subsample of 8 EFS voluntarily agreed to participate in supplemental MI training prior to interacting with the schools. All EFS recorded phone calls with the schools as part of the standard practice in the SWITCH project, and a trained assistant blinded from group allocation coded them for MI proficiency levels using the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Coding Manual 4.2.1. RESULTS: A one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post-hoc corrections were conducted to examine differences in MI techniques between trained and untrained EFS. No statistically significant results were found. However, differences between groups for technical global scores (F (1, 14) = 8.9, p = 0.05, d = 1.5) and reflection-to-question ratios (F (1, 14) = 5.3, p = 0.19, d = 1.15) were approaching statistical significance with large effect sizes. Relational global components (d = 0.76) and total adherence (d = 0.38) demonstrated moderate group differences. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that a brief MI training protocol is effective for teaching the spirit and relational components of MI. Although proficiency levels were not achieved by the majority of EFS, trained individuals were better at using technical and relational aspects of MI than untrained individuals. Future work should focus on ways to enhance skill acquisition with this type of distributed online training model as well as testing applications with other professionals and diverse settings.