Demo-learning sites are established to become living laboratories where innovation meets application. But what happens when the knowledge developed within them never reaches the farmers who need it most?

The VSU Extension Office recently confronted this challenge head-on through a two-day training workshop on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Production for demo-learning sites.

Held in preparation for the Farmers and Fisherfolks’ Day (FFD) 2026 Demo Site and Learning Visit, the event aimed to transform how research outputs and innovative farm practices are packaged and shared with target audiences.

The workshop combined lecture-discussions with hands-on production activities. Dr. Ulderico B. Alviola, head of the Department of Development Communication, led sessions on the importance of IEC materials, developing visual materials, and pre-testing communication materials. Meanwhile, Engr. Joseph Kenneth M. Labastida, a staff member from the VSU Renewable Energy Research Center, guided attendees through the principles of visual design and an interactive demo on navigating Canva as a user-friendly design tool.

Collaborative workshops allowed participants to draft content, plan visual elements, and produce reproducible materials based on technologies from their respective demo-sites and offices. The event concluded with output presentations, where groups received feedback for refinement.

Ms. Karla Y. Tomada, representative from the Demo-learning site of the National Coconut Research Center (NCRC), highlighted the practical impact of the workshop on her daily work with farmers. “The workshop guided me in making our materials truly helpful so that clients can actually put what they’ve learned into practice on their farms.”

The event did not only prove helpful to demo-learning sites, but also to other offices in the university. Ms. Maria Lilia P. Vega, Media Production Assistant from the VSU Alumni & Community Relations Office (ACRO), shared how deeply the training resonated with her growth at work. “That event was very significant, especially sa [work] that I accepted sa ACRO. At my age, I really don’t know much about apps like Canva. I really prayed nga naay ma-create diri (IEC training),” she shared. “Na-address gyud [akong questions], very accommodating sila ni Sir Derek. Nice sad kaayo kay especially to us nga mga new [to this]. Then ang akong experience na difficult ato na time, akong na-ask diria ni Engr. Ken. So I’m so interested, so that maka-deliver kog akong output for the stakeholders nato. Then our trust pud, we have to deliver high-quality [content].”

Clearly, the workshop had struck a chord – addressing both the practical skills needed in extension work, and the personal anxieties of learning new tools.

Its impact did not go unnoticed by the workshop’s resource speakers. For Engr. Labastida, the participants’ engagement was one of the most rewarding parts of the event. “I truly appreciated the overall workshop. It was packed with a series of lectures from crafting key messages until the development of visual materials,” the resource speaker shared. “As one of the speakers, I was really glad to witness their eagerness to learn on how to improve their visual materials. I have also seen their improvements and felt satisfied to see that the participants truly learned from the workshop.”

As the training-workshop concluded, participants learned that effective communication is just as vital as the technology itself. VSU’s demo-learning sites are now better positioned to fulfill their mission – not just as validation points, but as true bridges between the university and the community.