Community Festivals Can Educate

Many Extension educators may be overlooking community festivals as an adult education tool. Festivals are often party- like events emphasizing food and fanfare. As a result, some critics view them as an inappropriate setting for carrying out Extension's educational mission.

Festivals, however, can be great educational settings. First, they're likely to attract people who might not take part in a seminar or workshop. Festivals are more inclusive of all groups in a community. They may also be the most effective setting in which to teach certain ideas. For example, the festival concept has been used to share ethnic and minority cultures and values through dance, music, art, and foods with the larger community. It becomes a mutual exchange. In contrast, workshops and lectures on minority culture may only attract intellectual elites who are already sensitive to minority issues.

In view of these significant educational opportunities offered by festivals, there are at least five potential roles for Extension educators:

1. Building a stronger sense of community. Many communities have focused on problems to the extent that their sense of self- pride or local self-esteem has been seriously wounded. Festivals can restore the sense of belonging and collective memory through the recreation of historic events or other activities that have meaning for local people. Extension can help people research customs and arts, design period costumes, or create settings in which people can identify more strongly with their community.

2. Teaching leadership and management skills. As part of festival planning, Extension professionals can teach a variety of leadership and management skills such as goal-setting, team building, volunteer motivation, and financial management. Festival organizers can apply these leadership skills to a variety of community problems.

3. Leading on-site demonstrations. Community festivals offer agents opportunities to directly teach and reach new audiences. Some Extension agents have expanded their clientele at festivals through demonstrations on recycling, sustainable agriculture, or youth at risk. Parade floats, displays, and interactive exchanges can be used to teach new concepts.

4. Discussing public policy choices. Extension professionals can teach public policy choices through celebrations. For example, Kentucky's recent Licking River Clean Water Relay involved demonstrating how river system communities are interdependent on each other for clean water. A county Environmental Awareness Fair in Barbourville, Kentucky featured recycling inventions developed by local youth. The fair reached audiences outside the 4-H program and increased the credibility of the Extension staff's public policy education.

5. Conducting evaluation. Extension educators can help festival organizers with evaluation of festival goals and objectives. Many Extension professionals are skilled in using evaluation tools that can be helpful in improving the quality of the festival, increasing the effectiveness of the organizers, and encouraging better planning.

The evaluation of Extension professionals' educational activities in festive events is important and shouldn't be problematic. Festival organizers and participants can offer feedback to Extension through surveys, focus groups, or other tools that address the five major educational roles outlined above.

Although festivals may offer new educational opportunities, Extension educators should be selective about their involvement. They need to draw a clear distinction between their role as educators and service work. Even if the festival has strong educational goals, agents must decline tasks such as collecting or selling tickets, running food booths, or leading fund-raising activities. Otherwise, there's a danger the educational accomplishments will be overlooked. Likewise, Extension educators must, of course, avoid festivals that aren't accessible to the whole community, or are primarily commercial promotions.

With these caveats in mind, festivals can be a highly effective setting in which to provide adult education. Extension professionals should be involved in festivals that open up new opportunities for learning that respect the diversity of thought and interests in the community.