When an institution has the opportunity to perform an external scan, the results of that scan can help the institution know how to elicit community support and gather local affiliations. Besides helping the local community itself, community participation can only enhance the mission of that institution which in turn results in that institution’s physical and monetary growth. An external scan can provide valuable information about an institution’s surroundings including the community’s economical, educational, and cultural characteristics.

Select 3-5 data trend areas.

For this assignment, select an educational institution and provide the results of a previously conducted external scan.
The scan can include but is not limited to some of the following data trend areas:

• regional and local demographics including population and ethnicity
• number and types of churches and organizations
• numbers of members within these organizations
• politically connected individuals/leaders and the organizations they represent
• existing festivals, celebrations, and their locations and dates
• professional and semiprofessional sports teams
• number of people with degrees and higher education
• average income and number employed
• school age populations, number of schools, colleges, and other educational institutions
• number and size of industries, manufacturers, warehouses, and so forth
• amount and methods of transportation including buses, trains, airports, and so forth
• technology use and interest within the local area
• number of home owners, renters, married couples, unmarried individuals, families, and so forth

In a CONTENT 6 – 9 page paper, present the following:

• Provide the results of the external scan that you have chosen.
• Provide several strategic or operational planning recommendations based on the results of the scan.
• The results of your external scan should indicate how the institution can better provide one of the following:
• local cultural events
• campus and community collaboration projects and programs
• innovative programs that meet the needs of the community
• vocational and job-related programs or curriculum changes
• collaborative program with public and private K–12 schools such as tech-prep
• increased funding or different sources of funding
• expanding off-site campuses
• expanding real estate opportunities for the main campus
• Explain the purpose of an internal scan, and how it is different from an external scan.

Use the full text databases in the Library and other peer reviewed resources for your research. Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.