July 2023

Domestic violence is a widespread issue that affects families in all communities. Addressing this problem requires a collaborative effort from both communities and institutions. In a recent Program Centerstage webinar , the spotlight was on the University of Nevada's Heart & Hope program, which aims to create resilient families and break the cycle of domestic violence in local communities. Hosted by program leaders, Julie Woodbury and Jill Baker-Tingey Jill and Julie from the University...

The Office of Outreach and Engagement (O&E) at the University of Connecticut centrally oversees and supports public engagement and initiatives at UConn through outreach, community-based learning, and scholarship in dedicated partnerships with communities. O&E strengthens UConn’s activities in particular fields of regional engagement and fosters collaboration with the University’s academic divisions to further the development of UConn’s efforts. Reporting to the Director of Outreach...

Extension Professionals! If you weren't aware, the Extension Foundation has a weekly newsletter to help you stay informed about the happenings within Cooperative Extension. In the Connect Extension digest, you receive a round-up of upcoming events, professional development opportunities, job postings, and more. We provide useful resources to you weekly which now includes a section on federal funding opportunities available for the Extension system, updated regularly with new grants! You can...

The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) is a collaborative network of Cooperative Extension educators across the United States and territories who work to improve the delivery of education and information, and the availability of resources related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Historically, this grassroots network has been aligned with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) and supported by USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)...

By Dr. Tiffany Lange, Psy.D. (she/her/hers) In a society where conformity is expected and non-conformity must be “explained”, there are many misperceptions about the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and related identities) community. Biology and nature are not binary categories, our world is full of spectrums. Yet, society often oversimplifies people and identities into binary categories: we’re either “this” or “that.” Known as social categorization, this...

A team of Extension researchers in the Western states are conducting research on Agent career commitment. We invite you to assist this team in helping to better understand commitment and what impacts it. Please complete this 15-minute survey to develop understanding about how various factors in your life influence your career commitment. https://montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ergsekMPv8iDa7k

Professionals, like you, can make a difference through connection and collaboration. The Practicing Connection initiative is a place for ideas, inspiration, and information on building skills and creating connections that will help support the well-being of military and civilian families. It’s an exploration of the practices that empower us to work together to help each other, our families, and our communities improve our resilience and readiness. So, why should you join Practicing...

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s work continues, and the Committee will hold its third meeting September 12-13, 2023. The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA) invite the public to participate in this important event via livestream. Registration is required and will open on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at DietaryGuidelines.gov. The September meeting will include presentations by each subcommittee and deliberation by the full Committee on...

Our family had the pleasure of being stationed in Tokyo, Japan while my wife and I were in the U.S. Air Force. While Japan and the other countries we visited were amazing, it was a particularly complicated time in the Pacific region. Most notably, North Korea's leader was threatening war. Additionally, many career fields in the Air Force lacked the people to sustain the operational pace required to maintain peace and stability in the region. Because of these situations, several military...

Increasing Physical Activity Among Older Adults August 16th, 2023 2 - 3 PM ET Register Here This webinar will introduce the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Implementation Strategies for Older Adults and summarize key strategies to increase physical activity among older adults. Additionally, this webinar will highlight Move Your Way® resources that Extension professionals can use to promote physical activity in their work. Register at the link above to receive a...

This work is supported by funding from a cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA and in partnership with Oklahoma State University, New Technologies for Ag Extension, grant no 2020-41595-30123. ExtensionBot is a chatbot that is built and deployed by the Extension Foundation. We are working closely with Eduworks Corporation on the development and deployment of the technology. ExtensionBot is backed by an LLM (Large Language Model) that is trained exclusively on data provided by Cooperative...

What is toxic leadership? Using coercive, controlling, or manipulative tactics prioritizes personal gain over meaningful goals undermining collaborative achievements. When our actions hurt those we are charged with caring for, it can damage relationships and the whole organization. Common Characteristics Micromanagement Excessive control and monitoring of others leave little space for autonomy or independence. It inhibits creativity and imagination. Intimidation Using threats, humiliation,...