NC 4-H Horse Program Digital Survey Results
From November 2018 to January 2019, a research study was conducted to examine and evaluate how current digital resources that are shared via the North Carolina Extension Equine Husbandry website and social media are being utilized and if they are meeting the needs of the NC 4-H Horse Program stakeholders: 4-H members, parents, Extension agents, and adult volunteers that participate in, lead, and advise 4-H Horse clubs in North Carolina. Based on feedback from the survey, the following improvements to digital tools will be made over the next twelve months:
• Maintain and promote existing social media platforms
• Employ Constant Contact to send website update alerts
• Develop an app to house state 4-H horse show information, that will also send messages and deliver alerts during the show
• Create a North Carolina 4-H Horse Program YouTube Channel with content to initially focus on horse judging
• Expand teaching resources (open a Moodle project page with contest preparation materials for leaders)
• Add links to frequently used forms to the website (project record books, portfolios, 4-H enrollment)
• Research best methods for creating and maintaining a "request for information" page to the website
• Simplify the existing menu structure of the website to include the following headings: rules, contests, shows, forms, results, calendar, workshops, and a new members’ corner
• Update existing references to the Rules and Regulations Manual so users are directed to the pages in the manual where the rules for that event are located
Thank you to everyone that participated in the focus-group meetings and those that completed the online survey. Your input and feedback are appreciated and will be used to improve and expand the digital resources that are offered by the NC 4-H Horse Program!