The Vision Gets Social Online

According to its Website, “The Crawford: 20/20 Vision initiative is an unprecedented effort to bring together the people of our county to take charge of our challenges and turn them around.”

At the most recent Crawford: 20/20 Vision community meetings, one of the questions those in attendance were asked was which age group they belong to. They were then asked to respond using Turning Point clicker technology which offers immediate, viewable results.

On March 30 in Crestline, nearly 63 percent of community members at the meeting identified as older than 50 years old. On May 17, nearly 69 percent of people in the Crawford County Fairgrounds Youth Building were older than 50. Following the trend, nearly 59 percent of attendees were older than 50 at the May 18 community meeting at Colonel Crawford Intermediate School.

While the older-than-50 demographic was irrefutably well-represented and their attendance and input is highly valued by the Crawford: 20/20 Vision organizers, the figures were far lower for ages 18-24, 25-34 and 35-40 – which does not represent the entirety of the county’s population. Sometimes, these lower age ranges were not represented at all aside from a miniscule slice on the pie chart with a zero above it.

From the statistics, it seems as if the 18-40 age range is the lost demographic. Somehow, college students and young professionals have been grossly underrepresented in the community process.

In Crawford: 20/20 Vision’s data, it states that population is declining – it’s down 6 percent since 2000, and down 12 percent since its 1970 peak. “Young people are leaving … (the) population is aging.”

So, why are young people leaving? Is their absence at the community meetings either a.) A sign of low initiative? Or b.) A feeling of disconnect from the county?

Perhaps both. Perhaps neither.

It is safe to say that it is never safe to make assumptions. The best way to learn why college students and young professionals have any opinion one way or another about the future of Crawford County is to ask them. But, where are they?

Online.

Crawford: 20/20 Vision established a Facebook page on May 21. A week later, the group had over 130 members – and it’s grown steadily since. Facebook allows page administrators to view “Insights” on the group – which measure group interaction, post quality and other forms of Facebook activity such as media consumption and photo views.

One of the most prominent features of the “Insights” tool is the chart which shows administrators total fans and categorizes them by age, gender and location. At the time of the most recent update to the chart, exactly 50 percent of group members were 18-24 years old. Twenty-one percent of members were ages 25-34, while the rest of the group was fairly evenly distributed in other age groups.

The difference between community meeting attendance and Facebook membership in terms of demographics is undeniably significant. What’s more important is the interaction and discussion that is generated within the group.

The model of open discussion in person to person meetings is reenacted on the Vision’s Facebook wall. When asked what they thought was Crawford County’s greatest challenge, people responded – in person and online.

“One of the greatest challenges for Crawford County is to attract people to come to our community and to want to make a home here, people who will give back to the community,” said Matthew Hoover, Facebook group member. “Of course jobs are one of, if not the greatest, factors and draw for people to want to be in a community; however, with the state of the economy that's a very difficult task. I think that Crawford County should concentrate more on bringing more attractions to the area that will bring culture back into our communities. Indeed, it’s a tremendous uphill battle, but there are things and people among us that we could capitalize on.”

Hoover, a native of Bucyrus, said Crawford County no longer feels like the place where he grew up. And he’s not the only one who contributed to the discussion.

“This is an overall good community, but it could be better,” said fellow group member and Crawford County resident Becky Teynor Woods. “Since I only live in Bucyrus, I can’t vouch for Galion. Since both cities are near the new route 30, the land around the exits/entrances should be utilized in some way.”

Problem identification on the wall leads to an even better topic of discussion: potential solution identification.

“(We need) hotels, restaurants, shopping centers … maybe a ‘mini-resort’ that brings all of those things together,” said Mark Fiske, another member of the group. “Go-karts, a driving range, bumper boats – SOMETHING that might get people to stop … on their way to the lakes.”

Agreeing with Fiske and Woods, Hoover said: “We can also focus and try to grow some of the existing things that we have … the few things we do have here (Bratwurst Festival, Car Show, etc.) really do well and pull people from all over. Again, I think it is our proximity to major highways … We need to somehow attract businesses and restaurants to build here in Crawford County. If there is nothing to do here, then Crawford County will only attract people who do nothing.”

The discussion generated on the Crawford: 20/20 Vision Facebook page is supplemented by another online entity: Google Blogger. The Vision’s blog features a variety of posts thus far and its purpose is to provide detailed, readable information about the Visioning process and relevant topics.

For example, Facebook members (and a multitude of community members) identified employment as a major challenge faced by the county. The most recent blog post, titled “OhioMeansJobs – Crawford County Does, Too” addresses the concerns of job availability and job creation, offers a resource that allows people to find hundreds of jobs in Crawford County and surrounding areas and concludes with a positive outlook focusing on opportunity rather than inadequacy.

The Facebook and blog site go hand in hand and also work cohesively with the Vision’s new Twitter page. The Twitter account offers visitors and followers concise (140 characters or less) messages about something relevant to the county or the Visioning process. Using a tool called TweetDeck, Crawford: 20/20 Vision’s statuses (tweets) can be instantaneously updated on Facebook as well. The most recent addition to the Vision’s social media efforts: a YouTube Channel.

The best aspect of these online social media resources is their price – because there isn’t one. Online entities such as the ones that are being utilized by Crawford: 20/20 Vision are free and are undoubtedly reaching a different, broader demographic. The initiative is for the people and is owned by the people, and these resources make it cost-effective and accessible for all.

In addition, Crawford: 20/20 Vision is now developing an e-newsletter for those who join the e-mailing list (sign up here). The newsletter will feature updates on the initiative, links to social media and interactive aspects to engage those who are involved in the process.

At the hub of this all is the initiative’s home Website, which contains all of the information about Crawford: 20/20 Vision. Tabs on the homepage allow users to access information about “what we are doing,” “what we are learning” and “where we are going.” Links have been added so that crawford2020.com visitors can easily access the aforementioned forms of social media.

As the online communication develops and the meetings and open discussions continue, awareness heightens among people of all ages in the county. As voices are “heard” through their input in discussions on the Facebook wall and blog posts, potential solutions are being cultivated.

Involvement in the Crawford: 20/20 Vision initiative – whether at community meetings or on the Net– contributes to the betterment of the future of Crawford County. Get connected -- participation in this unprecedented process is just a few clicks away.

Visit www.crawford2020.com for the home site. The Facebook page can be accessed at www.facebook.com/crawford2020vision. Read the blog at crawford2020.blogspot.com or follow us on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/crawfordco2020. To watch the YouTube channel, go www.youtube.com/crawford2020vision.