Delaware Cooperative Extension wins award for social media campaign
Delaware Master Gardeners won a first-place award in the 2018 Communications Contest held by Delaware Press Association, an advocate for excellence in communications in Delaware for more than 40 years.
Together with extension staff, Delaware Master Gardeners volunteers produced and distributed 11 educational videos in a social media campaign known as the Master Gardener Minute. Ideal for social media, the short, informative videos were hosted by a trained Master Gardener expert. The videos can be found on University of Delaware's Extension accounts on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by searching for the hashtag #MGMinute.
"We were looking for a fun and accessible way to share local gardening information," said Tracy Wootten, horticulture extension agent based out of Sussex County. "Our Communications Specialist Michele Walfred suggested the idea, and we took it to our extension team in all three counties where our Master Gardeners began lining up to get in front of the camera to talk about their passions in the garden."
She added, "We can't wait to add more videos to our library this year, including videos in both English and Spanish."
The winning entry will be on display via a YouTube playlist at the 2018 DPA Awards Banquet in May and will be competing for national honors in the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest.
The annual DPA Communications Contest is open to all professional communicators in Delaware, and encourages and rewards excellence in communication. The contest is judged by out-of-state communications professionals to ensure impartiality and provides an opportunity to compete in various print or electronic broadcasting fields.
Master Gardeners are volunteer experts trained by Delaware Cooperative Extension agents and specialists. Since 1972, Delaware Master Gardeners have shared their collective gardening passions in a variety of ways; via workshops, seminars, educational displays, community visits, school tours, open houses, garden walks, garden shows, phone hotlines and now, videos.
