Outreach Model

Synergistic Cascading Model of Outreach

In addition, COEC developed the Synergistic Cascading Model of Outreach. Based on this model, COEC builds on past accomplishments and capitalizes on existing partnerships and materials to create activities. New projects are created based on components that complement each other and expand the reach and impact of the environmental health message. These activities reach people at appropriate levels of intensity and intimacy based on their preexisting information and interest levels. Intensity means the amount of information delivered. Intimacy relates to the degree of closeness between the audience and the COEC staff. This model promotes multiple uses of materials, over time and many venues. It leverages the accomplishments of one project to meet the goals of other activities with additional audiences.

1. High intensity – high intimacy activities reach a few people, with demonstrated interest, preexisting knowledge, and motivation to learn about EH, with a goal to increase their understanding about environmental health research. Increased knowledge and understanding is assessed by a Pretest Posttest methodology. The COEC does project evaluations with all participants to evaluate and improve these activities.
2. Moderate Instensity – moderate intimacy activities reach many people, who have some knowledge and interest in EH, with general information, with a goal to increase knowledge about environmental health sciences. Learning is evaluated with the pretest posttest methodology and with authentic project based activities and other qualitative measure, such as interviews and debriefing the group who participated together. Project evaluations are done for the purpose of activity assessment and to improve the projects.
3. Low Intensity – some intimacy activities reach a large number of people, who have little or no knowledge or preexisting interest in EH, with basic information, for the purpose of increasing their appreciation for environmental health science with “Information Walks”, multi-station interactive information displays that reflect SWEHSC themes & COEC partnerships. Appreciation is evaluated by observations, selective mini interviews, and comment collections.
4. Low Instensity – low intimacy activities reach very large audiences, who lack knowledge or awareness of the EH, with basic information to increase awareness of environmental health sciences. Often these activities are an outgrowth of any of the previous events, such as news coverage and web pages that provide EH or COEC projects and events. These activities are evaluated by tracking web site hits, especially after events, and by the willingness for reporters to cover COEC events, because the key to raising awareness is repeated exposures.

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