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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...

Building recovery capital can mitigate the stressors often associated with Substance use disorder (SUD) recurrence (i.e., relapse or return-to-use), including financial stress.

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...

June's Dynamic Discussion engaged a panel of Extension professionals to discuss the topic, "Extension as a Catalyst to Community-University Engagement." This session served as a starting point for a community of practice to share ideas on how Extension has led campus engagement efforts. Session Overview Jentry Barrett kicked off the session by emphasizing that community-university relationships are at the heart of the Land-Grant University mission. Many Extension missions state that we...

Five Things to Have, Do, Help, and Be: A Personal Futuring Exercise At a very early age, most people are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We often prompt young minds with examples: “Do you want to be a firefighter? A teacher? A farmer?” But what if there is a more important question: “Who do you want to become?” This is qualitatively different. This is perhaps the best question to ask to prompt future thinking, focus, and goal-setting. In this blog series, I’m attempting to...

Written by: Hannah Bradford and Kalin Goble, M.S. National Guard and Reservist families experience military life in a unique way as compared to their active duty counterparts. Most National Guard and Reservist families do not live on or near military bases like active duty service members do. Living near a military base provides access to a community of other military families and providers who understand the culture of military life. Social support within the military community and access...

The U.S. Surgeon General has declared firearm violence to be a public health crisis through an advisory issued yesterday. A Surgeon General’s Advisory is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that require the nation’s immediate awareness and action. According to the report "this Advisory describes the public health crisis of firearm violence in America and describes...

Agricultural fairs and exhibitions are in full swing across the U.S., and with the recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cows, it is important to know how to protect animals from diseases before, during, and after an event. A highly effective strategy for doing this is with biosecurity, the preventative practices that protect farm animals from getting sick and spreading diseases. An online series of learning modules is helping students discover what...

How do you want to be remembered? This is a rephrase of the classic Steven Covey question from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . It is one of the most powerful questions one can ever ponder. In this blog series, I’m attempting to both challenge your thinking, but also encourage your progress. You may consider the question prompt in this post alone, or in conversation with a friend or mentor. Let’s begin. Look at the question below. Spend some time with it. It is a definite brain...

USDA Seeks Members for Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production USDA is seeking nominations for four positions on the Federal Advisory Committee for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. USDA will accept nominations from May 7, 2024, to July 7, 2024. The 12-member Committee, which first convened in March 2022, is part of USDA’s efforts to increase support for urban agriculture and innovative production. Members of the Committee provide input on policy...

Whole Farm Planning - Integrating health care, health insurance and childcare topics into your agriculture programs. Is balancing farm and family causing mental distress for your farm audiences? Looking for training and resources to add these important topics into your work with farmers? Learn more here: https://u.osu.edu/ccwl/whole-farm-planning-for-the-21st-century-integrating-childcare-healthcare-and-health-insurance-into-farm-planning-curriculum/

2024 Virtual Summer School Series: "Program Development through the Lens of Access and Belonging" REGISTER NOW Unlock the future of Extension programs with our 2024 Virtual Summer School Series, designed specifically for Extension professionals nationwide. This year's theme, "Program Development through the Lens of Access and Belonging," will guide you through innovative strategies to create impactful programs that resonate with diverse communities. Throughout the series, you'll engage with...