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Course evaluations from 2023 showed that:

• 100% of the participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of three courses.

• An average of 90% of online course participants indicated increased knowledge on how to support local food systems development in their communities after completing at least one online course.

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Students, including NC Cooperative Extension and other professionals supporting local food systems development, shared the following comments about the training:

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Regarding the introduction to food systems training content:

• “The food system can seem like a real nebulous web of things, but this course helped clarify real actors and influences on the local level. It was an excellent overview.”

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Regarding the community engagement training content:

• “This course has helped strengthen my knowledge of local food systems and how to engage, encourage and organize community members to work toward food system goals.”

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Regarding the introduction to policy training content:​

• "Personally, engaging in policy change has always seemed scary or limited to 'call your congressperson; I like how this course provides a roadmap for engagement, and demonstrates how little 'p' policy change can be an effective, grassroots way to strengthen my local food system."

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​Regarding the content, activities, and framework of the course: 

• "I think that the different mediums for providing content (short and long videos, interactive case studies, text, periodic questions that I had to consider and answer...) were helpful in keeping me engaged in the subject matter. I also felt like the flow of the course built in a nice way to help me better understand a local food project in my community that I was previously unaware of."

 

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