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Integrating Community Outreach into the Classroom Carol Kline, Dale Mackey, Maxin Galvan Kelly Mizelle and Jennifer Beedle North Carolina State University

Pamlico County

Colliding Forces • Student need for field experiences • County need for unified and expanded tourism/ recreation planning • Niche grant availability • Teacher burn-out

Campus People Power • 11 Undergraduates • 2 Graduate Students • Recreation Resources Service staff • Guest speakers S Ca

Co

County People Power 1.

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Pamlico County Extension Director Chamber Director (part-time) Soil & Water Conservation Specialist Newspaper Journalist Charter Fisherman Community College SBDC Director Other members of Rural Development Panel and business owners

Budget - $9K • Salary release time • Travel expenses – bus & driver – hotel** – food**

• Supplies

Schedule • • • •

Class met once week for two hours Homework Two field trips Final presentation

Classroom Time • Background community & economic development • General research on county • Survey instrument design – Online resident, focus group, visitor intercepts

• Various elements of tourism planning and development – Guest speakers

• SWOTing, brainstorming & strategizing

Field Time • Focus groups • Individual discussions – formal and informal

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Visitor intercepts Touring sites Listening Asking questions

“Homework” Time • Weekly assignments • Individual meetings with Carol • Section of the plan

Tourism Plan Deliverables 1.

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National Tourism Trends County Stats Assets Inventory Intangible Assets Product Development Recommendations Community Issues Community Involvement Recommendations

Tourism Plan Deliverables 8. Marketing Strategies –

Short and long-term

9. Natural Resource Management Strategies 10. Implementation & Evaluation Strategies/ Timeline 11. Funding/ grant sources

More Deliverables • • • •

State DOT traffic maps GIS Layers Resident survey report County-specific secondary data from other NC studies: equestrian tourism, entrepreneurial climate, visitation • Photo library: people and places

Even More Products • • • •

Importance-performance Analysis Time/ Dollar Investment Literature Review Research Poster

Results - County • Final presentation well-received, media attention & favorable feedback on plan • Rural Development Panel → Pamlico Rural Tourism Council • Down East Destinations launched

Results - County • Tourism Day is October 13 • Presentation to County Commissioners is planned for November • Increased momentum/ enthusiasm among stakeholders • Cost-efficient

Results - Students • Reviews were very positive – Longer class time • Applied new knowledge/ class activities were actually used • Developed/ honed skills • Contact with a real community with real challenges • Truly worked together as consultants • Confidence boost

Results - Extension • Project received visibility and praise throughout various Extension channels on state and local levels • Raising awareness among students of outreach as a career path • NCSU good will/ PR was generated • Teacher participated in a fresh program

Challenges • Enormous amount of planning – Correspond several times a week with county – Requires flexibility in students & teacher

• Fitting it into a semester format • Salary release time…?

Benefits FAR Outweighed Challenges