About twenty years ago, Extension was introduced to the notion of developing logic models which graphically depicted how our program activities translated into desired outcomes. Central to the logic modeling process what the assumption that a behavior change could be catalyzed by an educational process focused on the acquisition of knowledge or skills. But without a context or environment that reinforces the desired behavior, the likelihood of observing a behavior change is significantly reduced.

By not attending to context, we are placing all of the burden of behavioral change on the learner. It doesn’t matter how hard we teach or how well we teach, if the social, economic, and environmental conditions don’t reinforce the change. For example, most all of us would agree that we need to exercise more, but how many of us engage in the recommended amount of physical activity each week? Frequently, it is because of the context in which we live, work, or learn.

The examples are not limited to health and wellness. Can we expect agricultural producers to change their practices based on knowledge alone? Are there market or regulatory factors that might influence what information a farmer chooses to act on? We know that there are.

But can the contexts in which people live, work, and learn be changed? The answer is yes. Research shows that we can influence students to make healthier food choices simply by changing how foods are presented in a lunch line? To see how Polly Loy in Belmont County was able to encourage people in her community to increase their physical activity by attention to context, watch the WTRF story at http://go.osu.edu/BVkN

Can you think of other examples of how Extension programs have changed policies, systems, and environments to encourage behavior change?