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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,...

Building Coalitions to Advance Community Health and Well Being Thursday, July 27th, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM ET Register here ! Register here to join us for another lightning session to share best practices and strategies for building, managing, and sustaining coalitions. Six LGUs will be sharing how they developed coalitions and the keys to their success, resources they have developed or used to help Extension professionals work more effectively with community coalitions, and community...

Tennessee Extension is looking forward to hosting the National Urban Extension Conference in Nashville. We have opening up hotel registration today. Please reserve your hotel room at the below link. If you need a double room, please call the hotel directly at 1-877-901-6632. https://book.passkey.com/e/50633971

Like many of the issues that impact our families and communities, food security is complex. There are multiple factors that affect the issue, including economic, social, environmental and political factors. Interrelated issues like poverty, healthcare, and climate change make food security even more complex. Complex issues can only be addressed from multiple perspectives and by a wide range of people and organizations. Obach and their collaborators write, “Building networks allows for...

NERCRD has extended the deadline on its call for presentation proposals for the upcoming Northeast Digital Equity Summit. Proposals are now due July 21.

For over two years, U.S. inflation rates have exceeded their long-term average of about 3%. Like all Americans, military families have experienced a loss of purchasing power as their income cannot buy as much as it did previously. Individuals cannot stop inflation but they can mitigate its impact. Below are six inflation-fighting strategies for Extension professionals to discuss with Service members: Needs Versus Wants Analysis - During inflationary times, it is more important than ever to...

Independence Day. Fourth of July . The founding of our nation. Family, fun & fireworks! On this day in 1776, our thirteen original colonies declared independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence document outlines our national foundation of freedom, democracy, and equality. The very first celebration was a year later in Philadelphia. Today, we mark the day with parades, picnics, and fireworks. Historically, July is a big month for the Cooperative Extension Service as...