Blog

During my senior year in High School, we were fortunate to play in the football state playoffs. Throughout the experience, at home or away games, signs hung up in our locker room with this saying... If you think you are beaten, you are. If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win but think you can't, it's almost certain you won't. Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. We made it to the...

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Health People 2030 defines health literacy as: the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others. Nutrition.gov and the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) make it easy to find nutrition information to empower you to make well-informed decisions regarding your health. Find resources for every level of health...

The Extension Foundation has released a new title. “Pumpkin Smash Playbook” shares how the University of Illinois Extension and community partners organize and host Pumpkin Smashes, fun community events that collect pumpkins for composting. The team hosted its first Pumpkin Smash in 2019. Since then, the organization has refined the process of planning, funding, and running Smashes. This playbook details how to organize a similar event in your community. Smashes teach people about the...

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recently held its third meeting, where members discussed their list of prioritized questions that focus on the relationship of diet and health across the lifespan. As part of the discussions, the Committee presented new draft protocols for many of the scientific questions. The draft protocols discussed at the meeting are now online. A protocol – or plan – is developed for questions answered using systematic review or food pattern modeling...

Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development – Unit 2 The University of Illinois Extension is seeking an individual to provide educational leadership for program delivery in Unit 2 (Boone, DeKalb, and Ogle Counties). Master’s degree related to subject matter emphasis required. To view complete job description and apply, visit https://go.illinois.edu/1020816 . Closing date is November 9, 2023 . The U of I is an EEO Employer/Vet/Disabled http://go.illinois.edu/EEO that participates in the federal...

Explore EPA Regulations on Pesticides and Bees in this webinar. Follow a pesticide's journey from risk assessment to the marketplace, led by host Andony Melathopoulos. Gain insights into the EPA's historical and current approaches, understanding their role in safeguarding pollinators. Since 2010, the EPA has focused on assessing pesticide risks to bees. The key question: Is the EPA effectively protecting bees? This webinar delves into this topic, exploring its impact on our environment and...

The 1862 land grant institutions face a large task to move beyond their troubled legacy and meet the needs of contemporary people of color. To address racial inequities in extension, we embarked on educational and institutional change activities. We share three key lessons: the need to take time for building relationships of trust, to tailor individual communication about diversity, equity, and inclusion work for different colleagues, and to re-think the sources of expertise in extension work.

In October, the focus shifts to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the American Cancer Society (2023), breast cancer stands as the most prevalent cancer in women, and among Hispanic women in the United States, it remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis frequently gives rise to a multitude of questions and anxieties related to diet and nutrition. Register with OneOp on October 25, 2023 as we delve deeper into strategies that assist...

Early Registration Ending Soon (October 31,2023) Register Now and don’t forget to book your room at https://book.passkey.com/e/50633971 . If you are planning on coming early or staying later that the conference dates, please call the hotel at 615-255-8400. The Call for Presentation Proposals are still open. More detailed info including draft schedule can be found under the Register Now link.

Imagine you're making popcorn on the stove. You heat the oil and put in the kernels. Too little heat and the kernels don't pop. Too much heat and the popcorn isn't edible because it's burned. Just the right amount of heat makes a yummy treat! Heat is the catalyst for change. It's the same for our teams and organizations. You're in the regular weekly update meeting and the boss checks in on how everyone is doing with the newly installed system-wide software. One team member speaks up and says...

Dr. Gregg Hadley, Chairman of the Extension Foundation Board of Directors, announces the selection of Dr. Beverly Coberly as the new CEO of the Foundation. Dr. Coberly has been the interim CEO since the beginning of 2023 upon the retirement of her predecessor, Dr. Christine Nygren. Before this appointment, Dr. Coberly served as the Extension Foundation Chief Operating Off icer since 2016. Prior to her time with the Extension Foundation, Dr. Coberly held a steady progression of administrative...

The New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook is available as a new title on the Extension Foundation’s website. The publication documents dozens of projects funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program , a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of NTAE is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the...