Natural resource professionals employ education tools and techniques to help realize their conservation and management goals. Developing an outreach initiative in cooperation with the target audience takes the process a step further, enabling the educator to enhance individual involvement in community decision-making. This course provides a step-by-step guide for how to think about and use social science tools. Use easily available strategies to develop and integrate an understanding about the target audience as you plan your outreach initiatives.

In Unit 1 you briefly exploring course resources; you begin your own planning effort by writing a situation statement; and you assess your skills for collecting and using audience information (1.1 – 1.5). Continue by exploring how and where "changing behavior" theory is integrated into planning for an education or outreach initiative, and eventually becomes part of your management plan (1.6 – 1.7). Take advantage of each of the linked activities to build your skills as you go.

Unit 1 is longer than most other Units, but most sections are brief, designed to introduce you to resources that you will use throughout the course. [NOTE: the following link to course pages that open in a new link.]

GET STARTED. Begin with Steps to Prepare.

GET THE MOST OUT OF THE COURSE. Do the Self-Assessment [Questionnaire 1.4] and write your Personal Education Plan [Assignment 1.5] for participating in this course [NOTE: Assignment 1.5 is available only after you've completed the Questionnaire and checked it off in the Unit 1 Checklist.]

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS. Use the Unit 1 Checklist to mark completed activities.

Navigation hint: Each Unit has a home page where you will find an annotated list of Unit content and activities. To get to a Unit page, click on the title (Get Started; Unit 1; etc.) in the Section block on the main course page, or use the Navigation block on the right.   From any Unit page, arrow backward or forward to go to the previous or next Unit page in the sequence; or you can choose to return to the main course page. Use the Navigation block to link directly to specific content or activities at any point during the course.