Tagged With "integrating work and learning"
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Best thing you've shared recently?
Completely out of the blue I asked my son this question... What's the best thing I've ever shared with you? We both moved on to other things & frankly I thought he'd forgotten. Eventually, he came over to me & said the best thing I'd shared with him was.........time! Well, needless to say, this blew me away. We all search for things in which to be proud of our kids but this simple answer struck me as profound for a teenager. The only thing we all have in common is time. A few years...
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National Action Dialogue: Extension Futures Summary Report
In partnership with ECOP, two National Action Dialogues (NAD) focused on Extension Futures were held on July 13 and July 14, 2020. 382 participants from 69 Land Grant Universities (LGU) representing all five ECOP regions and program areas along with18 partner organizations who collectively shared ideas, concerns, and needs within 5 focus topics, guided by 10 Facilitators, and informed by 17 Key Informants. The purpose of the Action Dialogue was to imagine near-future possibilities for how...
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Ask Extension Pilot Program
The eXtension Foundation is seeking volunteers to pilot the upgraded Ask An Expert platform, dubbed Ask Extension, to test features and provide input on user experience for long term improvements. Historically, Ask An Expert has served Cooperative Extension as a digital outreach tool to connect millions of U.S. citizens with you - their local Extension experts. The upgraded Ask Extension provides significant improvements in terms of enhanced ability for clients to dialogue with the expert,...
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Your HELP needed on inventory of Climate Change Extension Programs
Posted on behalf of the eXtension Foundation Climate Fellows As eXtension Foundation Climate Fellows, we are reaching out to ask for your participation in our national study. We are creating a database of Extension programs relating to climate and extreme weather adaptation and mitigation. By cross-referencing eXtension’s work with the Drawdown Review ’s climate solutions, we hope to find Cooperative Extension Service’s strengths when addressing climate and extreme weather issues, and where...
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Two Health Fellowship Positions Now Open, Deadline August 28, 2020
Position Funded by Molina Foundation Position Administered by eXtension Position Led by @Roger Rennekamp The total amount of dollars available is $20,000.00, divided into two 10K contracts Contract conditions and terms: This will be a fixed term contract (so level of effort needs to be considered). 20K is about 1 day a week of an Extension professional’s time for a year. This is for 2 Extension professionals – 10K each. Contract Timeline – 1 year – September 1, 2020-August 31, 2021.
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Results from the July 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest sub group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the July 2020 contest was about how Extension is empowering farmers to maximize their use of...
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New eFieldbook Available! Using Digital Technology in Extension Education
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected Dr. @Rose Hayden-Smith as the Technology in Extension Education Fellow for year one (2019-2020). Part of her fellowship was the creation of the first version of the Using Digital Technology in Extension Education eFieldbook. The eXtension eFieldbook series provides a digital platform for aggregating content, tools, and engagement, and is available...
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1 PM ET Today! Connect Extension Chat - Asynchronous Programs
Click Here on August 27th at 1 PM ET to Join the Virtual Chat Each month, the eXtension Foundation will host a virtual chat here on Connect Extension, available to all Cooperative Extension professionals. The purpose of these short virtual chats is to highlight best practices and innovation throughout Cooperative Extension. Each session will be a different topic area. For August 27, 2020, we will be discussing Asynchronous Programs and how we are making our formally face-to-face programs...
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Live Stream at 2 PM ET! Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
Live Stream Available Here in Connect Extension Gain research insights on how various SNAP-eligible audiences use social media channels, particularly when it comes to health and healthy eating. Find out which platforms are preferred by different lower income populations to more effectively communicate healthy eating messages using social media. Presenters: Jackie Haven/Deputy Administrator, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture Jackie Haven oversees USDA’s...
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ICYMI- Asynchronous Programs
Nearly five dozen Cooperative Extension professionals from across the nation gathered to discuss asynchronous programs an d how we are making our formerly face-to-face programs available to clientele who want to learn on their own time not necessarily at the same time as everyone else like a webinar. We and our clientele are busier than ever and often cannot participate in synchronous events, so in order to reach them, we need to turn to provide programs asynchronously. As per the chat, most...
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ICYMI: Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
Yesterday, we hosted a webinar led by Jessica Larson - Public Affairs Specialist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She provided a research review that offered insights on how various SNAP-eligible audiences use social media channels, particularly when it comes to health and healthy eating. Participants had a chance to find out which platforms are preferred by different lower income populations to more effectively communicate healthy eating messages...
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FOLLOWERS or JOINERS?
My curiosity about leadership & management led me to connect with Don Shapiro of First Concepts Consulting. We had a great conversation about our mutually favorite topic...leadership! Here's his site where you can find out more about his offerings, thought leadership, etc... First Concepts Consulting During our conversation, he had two important insights... *Over the last 20 years (or so), there has been an almost exponential increase in the focus on leadership. Ok, maybe exponential...
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September 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest: How Are You Bringing People in Your Local Communities Closer to Farmers and U.S. Agriculture?
For this month’s Cooperative Extension feature, Farm Journal’s Trust In Food seeks your stories about helping bring people in your local communities closer to farmers and U.S. agriculture. Amid COVID-19, many companies are reporting they will redouble efforts related to mitigating climate change, lowering environmental impact & helping consumers make sustainability-conscious purchasing decisions. What are you doing to help local consumers & farmers connect and better understand the...
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Results from the August 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest sub group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the August 2020 contest was about about an innovative research project, on-farm trial or farmer...
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Begin Again
If we don't learn the skill of gratitude we'll never be grateful for what we've learned. Hopefully you appreciate not only the amazing ability we have to learn new things but also the value added to your life. To gain greater clarity & purpose with our knowledge in certain areas it can be helpful to "begin again". This serves as a rediscovering of what it means to us today & how the meaning has changed from when we originally tackled it. Greater self-consciousness & appreciation...
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National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Since 2007 Juntos has been bridging communities together with the goal of graduating Latino students from high school and supporting their journey to high education. On September 23, 2020, eleven land-grant Universities, Juntos partners, advocates, and investors will come together for the opening of the first National Juntos Convening to answer Why Juntos Matters to our communities and nation. On September 24th Juntos leaders from all eleven Universities will come together to set the stage...
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Farm Biosecurity Education Goes Virtual with Discovery Learning Series
A new virtual learning experience is helping youth in agriculture discover biosecurity, the preventative measures that protect farm animals from the spread of infectious diseases. The Healthy Farms Healthy Agriculture (HFHA) Project’s Biosecurity Learning Module Series is for students in grades 6 to 12, FFA and 4-H participants, college students studying animal science, and other agriculturally related youth groups.
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Re: National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Appreciate all that you've included to help me learn more about this wonderful initiative. Thank you!
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Digital Technology eFieldbook Webinar Shares Project Info & Findings
More than three dozen Cooperative Extension professionals joined in a webinar to learn more about eXtension's new Using Digital Technology eFieldbook . @ashleygriffin @Jerry Thomas and @rosehayden-smith offered a panel discussion that explored the eFieldbook content and features, the Fellowship project (including professional development activities), lessons learned, and findings from the eXtension Technology Futuring Project. The eFieldbook was produced as part of of eXtension’s New...
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eXtension Foundation Update: September 2019 - September 2020
It's been a fantastic past year at the eXtension Foundation and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve Cooperative Extension! If you'd like to know more about our work in our three program areas for the past year: New Technologies for Ag Extension, the Impact Collaborative, and the Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program , take a look at the video below. We look forward to continuing to serve all of you!
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THE SUPERMAN RULE
If we stopped to think about how many decisions we make each & every day it would be a daunting task. If we wrote them all down... Would we be satisfied with the outcomes? What would we learn about ourselves? How do they affect others? In today's world, it seems we have learned how to be distracted by all the wonderful technology available. Being bombarded by information can derail our effectiveness in making meaningful decisions that positively affect those we are trusted with leading.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO?
*Inspired by Andy Stanley TRUE or FALSE *The best leaders are good at everything *The best leaders focus on weaknesses & make them strengths These are 2 fairly common myths about leadership. How did you answer? At first glance, these seem to both be true. At closer examination, however, the best leaders actually spend more time on the things that bring the most value by using their core competencies. Focusing on weakness to bring it up to mediocre doesn't do anybody any good & can be...
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Not Another Top 10 List...
Leaders are always learning & that means reading. When we come across a person who shakes up our thinking & approach we get a bit starstruck. This happened to me when I started finding out about the work of Ricardo Semler. He's been a trailblazer for democratic management for over 30 years, a real catalyst. He has been very successful in implementing seemingly radical ideas that have unleashed human potential no matter their application. Here's his list with some of my own...
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PIT STOP!
How long do you work continuously? Do you just go until you actually start to feel fatigue? If you're like most, you just go without thinking much about stopping until the end of the workday. Without much thought, we're setting ourselves up for underperformance...imagine that! And...its become a well ingrained habit. Every 16 words on average we reach for a metaphor so let's use one now! Race cars are built to go fast for a long time but they take pit stops to go faster for longer. We're a...
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Recap of "DNA Demystified" Virtual Chat
Summary of discussion Q&A from virtual chat 'DNA Demystified" We had a great discussion of several topics, with probing questions and lively discussion. Below is a summary of a select few. For the full chat, see the archive at https://connect.extension.org/...stified-virtual-chat Query: What DNA and genetics basics should Cooperative Extension professionals understand? Summary: At least the basics up to first year college. We should know about basic structure and function of DNA, and how...
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Community Catalyst Webinar Series for Extension Professionals
Please join us for an upcoming six-part webinar series exclusively designed for you, the Extension professional . This series features leaders and researchers from Iowa, Oregon, and Virginia who can help you transform your work with data-driven learning and discovery. This vibrant dialogue will provide you with tools to maximize your time, develop responsive programs using data insights, and foster impact in collaboration with communities. Visit this page to register . After participating in...
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Re: Community Catalyst Webinar Series for Extension Professionals
@John Buzzard - thanks for sharing. I'd recommend also posting this to the Learn calendar and putting the series on there as well!
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Results from the September 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the June 2020 contest was about reducing food waste and we received several excellent submissions!
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New eFieldbook Available! Using Radio & Digital Advertising for Extension Campaigns
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected the National Pesticide Safety Education Center (NPSEC) in partnership with Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension to pilot a mass media campaign using radio and digital advertising to promote pollinator protection messages to the public. The results and method is published in this new eFieldbook. Using this eFieldbook, Cooperative Extension...
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August 2020 Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Congrats @Becky Koch from NDSU for submitting the winning story lead for the August 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest . And thank you to everyone that submitted! The story, Rings of Death: North Dakota Farmer Mitigates Challenges with Gypsum, Conservation Practices, has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here. Have a story for the October 2020 contest? This month's topic is about farmer stress and the work are you doing that supports the well-being of farmers,...
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New Email Notification System for Connect Extension: Daily or Weekly Digest Now Available
First, thank you all for being a part of Connect Extension. It is wonderful to see the different online events being shared to the Learn calendar from around the country and all the excellent content that you create! Since launching in March, we've heard one bit of feedback pretty regularly and that was the notification system here in Connect Extension. While users have always been able to customize their notification settings to their liking, we certainly understand that the default...
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Organizations Partner to Combat the Digital Divide by Launching Searchable Wi-Fi Map for Needed Broadband Connections
American Connection Project organizations launch an interactive tool for users to locate more than 2,300 free Wi-Fi locations in 49 states ARDEN HILLS, MINN. (October 20, 2020) – Several partner organizations today announced the launch of the American Connection Project (ACP) interactive Wi-Fi map. The map provides a free resource to help the public locate more than 2,300 free Wi-Fi locations across 49 U.S. states. The map includes Wi-Fi locations from Land O’Lakes, Inc. and its ag retail...
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Urban Green Infrastructure Workshop: Reflections from our last gathering
Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network at the city and even regional scale that includes both land (parks, urban forests, raingardens, bioswales, greenspace, to name a few), and water (rivers, watersheds, etc.). Working in green infrastructure also enables the clear illustration of often forgotten connections between local and regional food systems and water (roof gardens, community gardens, urban farms, fruit orchards, etc.). Other benefits of green infrastructure include...
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High Performing Culture?
You don't have to look very hard these days to stumble on an article, video or interview about workplace culture. Here are a couple lists from Charlie Kim's company NextJump where employees (among many things) won't be fired ...they'll be coached . How are things going where you are? Top 12 Signals of LOW vs HIGH performing cultures LOW SIGNALS 1. Entitlement 2. Victim Mindset (everything is impossible, why bother?) 3. Death by 1,000 paper cuts (little things go wrong all the time) 4. No...
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Recap of "Prescribed fire education training" Virtual Chat
Summary of discussion Q&A from virtual chat "Prescribed fire education training" We had a great discussion of several prescribed fire topics - liability, insurance, training format, and more! Below is a summary of some of our discussions. For the full chat, see the archive at https://connect.extension.org/chat-event/connect-extension-chat-prescribed-fire-education-training Query: The State of Oregon mandated a certified burn manager program in the early 90’s, however, the mandate was not...
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25 Teams Participate in First Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit
Twenty-five Project and Program teams representing twenty-six Cooperative Extension institutions attended the first Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit on October 13th and 14th. Using technology - including Zoom and virtual whiteboards - participants were connected with tools, resources, coaches, facilitators, and Key Informants in a customized experience designed to catalyze their work. The Summit kicked off with a thought-provoking keynote by Dr. Scott Reed, Emeritus Vice...
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No Holes in the "Boat"
Gary Hamel says in his book The Future of Management , that the practice of management is to... "set & program objectives, motivate & align efforts, coordinate & control activities, develop & assign talent, gain & apply knowledge, amass & allocate resources, balance & meet stakeholders demands AND... build & nurture relationships." The companies that have survived crisis & thrived have leveraged the wisdom of all the members on their team. Companies where...
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Let’s Talk GMOs: A New Online Course from UConn CAHNR
Are you confused or do you have questions about GMOs? Do you feel inadequate when discussing GMOs? Are you given opposing information of GMOs and not sure what is right? Do you wonder how the misinformation about GMOs spreads like a wildfire? UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources is offering a new online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages . This course introduces participants to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They...
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Practicing Connection in a Complex World: Working Out Loud
In this episode , hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch explore john Stepper’s Working Out Loud framework in the context of building relationships for resilience. Jessica and Bob discuss five elements of Working Out Loud: purposeful discovery, relationships, generosity, visible work, and growth mindset. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Google Podcasts , or Stitcher , or you can listen on our website .
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Practicing Connection in a Complex World: Community Resilience
In this episode , hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch collaborate with Danielle Swallow and Chris Petrone of Sea Grant Delaware to explore community resilience in the face of hazards and disasters. Danielle and Chris have been integrating resilience into their work with Sea Grant Delaware for several years. They share their thoughts on community resilience, stories of people coming together to address the impacts of disasters, and tips for how to start building your individual, family,...
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Integrating Perspectives
Anna McGrath from Godfrey Dadich Partners is one of the most enlightened people I've ever met. She's cool & wise which is a rare combo! Had the pleasure of attending a workshop she did called " Integrating Opposite Perspectives "...here are my notes from our time together... How can you ensure everyone is working towards a common goal when they all seem to be coming from so many different points of reference? Diverse ideas & perspectives can be a source of strength in your...
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HRSA National Rural Health Day - November 19
HRSA is hosting a variety of events throughout the week of November 16 to celebrate National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on November 19. While these events are open to the public, registration is required for some events. NRHD is HRSA’s opportunity to showcase the work and accomplishments across the agency supporting rural health. For more information and a schedule of events for each day, visit https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/rural-healthday.htm
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Results from the October 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
In May, the eXtension Foundation launched a monthly story lead contest in partnership with Farm Journal in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest group here in Connect Extension. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. The topic area for the October 2020 contest was about Farmer Stress and Mental Health. We'd like to thank everyone that...
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eXtension Foundation Welcomes Karl Bradley as Leadership Development Specialist
The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce that Karl Bradley will be serving as eXtension’s Leadership Development Specialist. Karl originally joined the eXtension Foundation team in April 2020 as the Leadership Development Fellow while transitioning from full-time active duty service in the United States Air Force. His internship with the eXtension Foundation was made possible through the Skillbridge program offered by the Department of Defense for active duty service members...
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ICYMI: How to Host Engaging Webinars
The COVID-19 crisis means that Extension professionals are using webinars even more frequently to extend knowledge and information. Creating engaging online learning experiences for our clientele and peers is critical to our success in this new virtual environment. This webinar - offered by eXtension Foundation staff in partnership with Delaware State University Cooperative Extension - provided an opportunity for participants to reinforce the basics and learn more about advanced features. In...
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False Humility
Have you ever worked with or been around someone who constantly apologized for almost everything? They offer great suggestions. They offer great ideas. They offer great advice. But " sorry " seems to come along with everything. If you're a bit confused (like me!) in these situations...deep breath...that's totally natural. This was an issue for one of my colleagues. The barrage of apologies would disrupt the whole flow of work when they happened...and they happened a lot! Several of us tried...
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Leadership Mistakes
"Leader is a position. Leadership is a behavior." While there are many versions of this out in the world it remains a great distinction. To the originator of this, we thank you, whoever you are! Leader is likely in your job description somewhere. It's in our leadership behaviors where we most often find problems. It's inevitable...we're going to make mistakes. We're human after all. The only real failure is not learning from failure. Here are some mistakes we (humans) can make when leading...
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ICYMI: Getting Ready to Tell Consumers about MyPlate and the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Yesterday we had a fabulous panel from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion talk to us about MyPlate and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. 500 Cooperative Extension professionals joined us and brought some great questions with them for the 30 minute Q&A portion! If you didn't get a chance to catch it, the recording is now available . Additionally, @Barbara Jirka was kind enough to provide a copy of the slides and a handout - I've attached those to this post!
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Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve
Are you or would you like to be using data in your work to understand and improve the communities you serve? Do you want to know more about about the opportunities you have to make data-driven decisions for your constituents' well-being, and to monitor your community's progress? Are you interested in sharing your experiences and needs with other Extension professionals? If so, join us for a virtual chat on Thursday, December 10, 2020, from 1pm to 2pm EST . Our team is preparing an eFieldBook...
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Thank You, Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are a vital part of Extension, and they are an invaluable connector to local communities. In this unprecedented year, their hard-work and dedication had a big impact and they provided a needed human connection for many folks who were suffering from isolation during quarantine. This video is dedicated to them.