March 2023

New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) is a grant from USDA-NIFA in partnership with Oklahoma State University and is currently in its fourth year. Since 2019, the Extension Foundation has served 72 leaders and programs from across Cooperative Extension to help strengthen their programs and make a greater local impact in the communities they serve. Programs that applied for NTAE each year were competitively selected and aligned with USDA and Extension Committee on Organization and Policy...

NIFA has announced funding of more than $9.4 million for 12 projects through the Urban, Indoor, and Other Emerging Agricultural Production Research, Education and Extension Initiative. This initiative provides grants for research, education and Extension work to solve key problems of urban, indoor and emerging agricultural systems. The awardees are: University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of California, Davis; Cornell University; University of Delaware; University of Florida;...

Military teens grow up with their own unique set of challenges. From parental deployments to relocation, teens in military families have learned to be flexible and resilient. That flexibility and resilience can be a great benefit when teens are planning their next steps after high school graduation. For many, that next step means heading off to college and laying the groundwork for the beginnings of a career. As military service providers, we can support military families as they navigate...

UConn 4-H is hiring 4-H Extension Educators! The Department of Extension at the University of Connecticut (UConn) is seeking applicants for three full-time (11-month), non-tenure track Assistant/Associate Extension Educators. One position will target Food and Agricultural Literacy, one on Environmental Literacy, and the other will focus on Healthy Lifestyles Literacy. These three vacant positions are not specifically designated to an assigned location. Final placement will be negotiable,...

Dear Colleagues, The National Agricultural Library has an opening for a GS12 Technical Information Specialist (Nutrition). This position is a remote position. The selectee is not required to report to a government office, however, the option to work in one of the Agency offices may be available . You can view USDA’s telework FAQs here Telework and Remote Work FAQs | USDA . This vacancy announcement closes 03/31/2023. https://www.usajobs.gov/job/714068100 Summary In this position, you will...

The National Extension Tourism Design Team is pleased to announce two open calls: the Call for Abstracts for the NET 2023 National Conference, and the Call for Award Nominations for four NET 2023 Award categories.

When you feel the surge, resist the urge. There are times in our lives when we feel threatened. Some are real. Some aren't. Our bodies process these situations exactly the same. When threats aren't real often we let our fight/flight response take over. In these moments we react as if in real danger. The actual danger here is not having the self-awareness to realize the "threat" is perceived and be able to calm ourselves down. If we succumb to the survival hormones flooding our bodies we...

By Noelle Harden I recently talked with my mom and grandparents about hunger and food insecurity in the military. My grandpa served in the air force, then worked for the Veterans Administration. My mom spent her childhood moving across the country from base to base. They shared their struggles to be able to afford healthy and affordable food. Food Insecurity in the Military The RAND Corporation released a report last month on food security in the military. They found that 15.4% of active...

Dear Extension Foundation Partners, I am writing to share with you a phenomenal opportunity that facilitated psychological safety and crucial conversations about the sustainable management of free-roaming equids at the 2023 Free-roaming Equid Summit held last fall in St. George, Utah. The Summit brought together stakeholders from across the spectrum of human emotions, values, and perceptions about wild horses and burros and their management. Summit participants engaged BLM and USFS line...

Have you ever tried to change something about someone else? Of course, you have. We ALL have! The point is we can't motivate anyone else. Like us, they show up for what they believe in. And like us, they always find time for what's important to them. We can engage , inspire , and support . In short, we can show up for them in an authentic way because we care about them. We don't have to be better or smarter, we just have to courageously care about them. Connect first with your intention. If...

We are excited to have Isabel Osborne and Laura Downey to discuss their involvement in the evaluation and reporting process for the system-wide Extension Collaboration on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) Project. Isabel and Laura have been integral in developing a comprehensive and dynamic system for evaluating the EXCITE project's progress and success. Q: Isabelle and Laura, could you please tell us about yourselves and the roles you play in the evaluation team? Laura: Great.

This March , we are showing support for National Nutrition Month by highlighting Extension projects that conduct research and programming on nutrition-related topics to aid in the prevention and treatment of -toolkitdisease, such as the Diabetes Prevention Toolkit: A template for better health project. According to the CDC, diabetes affects 1 in 10 Americans and is the seventh leading cause of premature death in the US. In response to this growing public health crisis, an Extension team,...