Ever wanted to help a group in the community requesting a gardening presentation, but didn’t have the time to create the presentation? Maybe you didn’t feel you had the skills to make the presentation. Maybe you didn’t feel confident about the content, but you still wanted to help. For as many years as I have worked with MGEVs, I have received requests for presentations to be shared to save time and effort for others.
To help meet the need for quality presentations that can easily be given by MGEVs to the public, the statewide MGEV Advisory Panel has been hard at work launching a presentation library. This library is a growing collection of PowerPoints that have been reviewed for content accuracy and branded with the latest logos and university-approved styles to promote the UGA Master Gardener Extension Program. These presentations will be available to MGEVs in need of presentations for public audiences on a wide array of horticultural topics.
Ideally, the presentations will be fully formatted and include a script (Figure 1). By writing out the words to be said for each slide in the presentation, nearly anyone can use the presentation to meet a request. This is super-helpful when the speaker is suddenly unable to give the presentation and someone else needs to step in. It also helps MGEVs who enjoy speaking opportunities and want to feel especially confident in the content that they are sharing.
To build the library, MGEVs are invited to share presentations that they may have already created about gardening topics. Preference will be given to priority topics, such as sustainable landscapes, vegetable gardening, pollinator protection, basic horticulture, and any “Gardening 101” series. PowerPoints can be submitted using a survey link and attaching the file to your entry.
Once presentations are shared, they will be reviewed using a rubric designed to promote our best work. The rubric ensures that the presentations are properly displaying the UGA Extension logo for the MGEV program, using original photographs (or proper credit given to non-originals), providing accurate information, and preserve credit to the original author. You can check out the rubric below (Figure 2). Initially, the statewide MGEV Advisory Panel will conduct the reviews. In time, a team of reviewers will be identified to help with the process.
When the presentations have successfully passed through the review stage, they’ll be posted to the online MGEV Presentation Library. MGEVs who complete training to use the library will receive access to the site. We’ve outlined an entirely new Advanced Training track to support MGEVs who want to use the library and be an active speaker. We’ve previously offered “Creating Great Presentations” as a synchronous virtual training. We’ve got a new AT in the series, “Delivering Great Presentations,” planned for later this summer. Watch for registration announcements through MGLOG and on the Advanced Training page of the State Program website.
We’re excited to see this effort take root and grow! It promises to be a great resource for all MGEVs, reflecting well on your knowledge and skill to assist Extension with gardening education in communities all over Georgia. We look forward to seeing your presentations!
