July 2024

by Crystal Williams, Ph.D. What is high-quality child care? High-quality child care programs are settings in which children receive enriching experiences and engage in responsive interactions that promote their development and learning (Barnett et al., 2010). All child licensed care programs meet minimum licensing requirements in their state, which focus primarily on health and safety. High-quality programs meet standards that go beyond the minimum. Some characteristics of a high-quality...

As Extension professionals, you know firsthand the challenges your community faces. Today, we're excited to announce a powerful opportunity to enhance your support for your community and the military families that live within them.

Come work with Virginia Cooperative Extension as a Data Integration Specialist. The position focuses on planning and reporting using PEARS and building data integration capacity across the system. Position is housed in VCE Learning and Organizational Development on campus at Virginia Tech. https://careers.pageuppeople.com/968/cw/en-us/job/530387/data-integration-specialist

Your Personal Mission A personal mission is a statement about your why. This is what drives you to get out of bed in the morning. It describes what you believe is most important in life, what you wish to focus on, and what you want to be known for. If you allow it to direct your thoughts and actions each day, it has the potential to direct your life and achieve the future you want. I often tell my students to consider doing this exercise and then holding on to it. When one finds themself...

Fuel for Life (FFL) is an innovative 6-to 8-week program developed by NC State University to equip high school students with essential life skills. The curriculum focuses on teaching students about nutrition, safe food handling and preparation, food resource management, and physical activity. The goal is to empower students with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and lead a balanced lifestyle. Recognizing the scarcity of nutrition programs targeting high school students, NC...

Self-awareness allows financial service providers to respond compassionately to themselves and their clients regarding financial topics and concerns, helping providers identify their potential triggers and biases around money.

Two new "Research Snapshots" share preliminary findings from a groundbreaking survey that examined the caregiving experiences of households in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S. These publications serve as a complement to two recently published, open-access regional datasets that resulted from the survey.

The Values Review Our values may be defined as beliefs that guide our behavior or motivate us to act. As individuals, we all have varying values and belief systems. We come from differing backgrounds and places. This gives us a rich and beautiful diversity. But how do we incorporate values into our everyday work? How do we ensure our core values are the fundamental beliefs that guide behavior and action? Here’s an exercise that can help. Grab a piece of paper. Look at the table below, and...

July 31st marks the deadline to submit a proposal for an AgriProspects mini-grant supporting adult ag workforce development projects. A home stretch update and Q&A session is scheduled for July 17th at 4pm ET. Register for the session using the link below: https://agriprospects.extensio...ts/july-2024-update/ We are also wrapping up our regional office hours for the grant. While marked as regional, anyone can attend any session that fits their schedule. The following office hours are...

In case you missed it: There are two new funding opportunities aimed to integrate immunization education awareness and messaging across various projects and programs within Extension! This initiative is a step toward building a holistic health approach with Extension Programming. Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting applications for these new EXCITE funding opportunities is fast approaching! Make sure to mark your calendars and prepare your submissions promptly. Application...

This position is located at UNH Cooperative Extension’s Hillsborough County office in Goffstown, New Hampshire, however is responsible for statewide support in the area of workforce readiness. The 4-H workforce readiness field specialist is responsible for the development of the N.H. 4-H WorkLife pathway with a focus on preparing youth for their next steps as members of the workforce and their communities. The 4-H workforce readiness field specialist provides leadership in determining needs;...

Triangulating Your Skills, Abilities, and Interests to Find Your Future What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at (i.e., your natural gifts)? Where do you want to learn more? These three items, together, can powerfully steer you toward your desired future. Let’s talk about that today. Most people have multiple gifts. Many people can do a variety of jobs, and career paths are frequently not linear. Anecdotally, my friends and former students share that their journeys have been directed...