Tagged With "online help"
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Make Every Bite Count, Even Little Bites!
During March, National Nutrition Month(R) we recognize the new recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.
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Questions or Complaints?
“Only self-confidence makes freedom & dissent possible. An organization that brainwashes employees to think alike will only breed complacency & make itself unappealing to anyone who might inject some oxygen into it.” – Ricardo Semler Think about a time when you were offended by a complaint. Perhaps it was a question someone posed. Did it feel like it was directed at you in a meeting in front of others? Do you remember your response? Was it appropriate for the situation? Was it...
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Daily Habit!
Several years ago I started a habit of gifting myself a few minutes every day to read, watch or listen to something about leadership. It was rough at first as I fought off thoughts of how the time could be used for other things. It's been worth it though, I've learned so much. Here are just a few sources for a daily leadership content feed... The Marshall Goldsmith Coaching app gives you the ability to hear 3 weekly thoughts directly from the #1 Executive Coach in the world. Simple &...
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Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Congrats to @Brian Whitacre and Oklahoma State University for submitting the winning story lead for the November 2020 contest. That month's contest was about Rural Broadband Access. The full story, Rural Internet Program Pairs Oklahomans with Cellular Hotspots, was published by Farm Journal and is now available. March 2021 Contest: Carbon Markets For this month’s Cooperative Extension feature, Farm Journal’s Trust In Food wants to ask you about the work you are doing to help farmers or the...
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THE QUEST FOR TALENT EQUITY: ENGAGEMENT IN THE REGIONAL TALENT PIPELINE ECOSYSTEM
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash.com Eric Dunker, Associate for Business Strategies, Associate Vice President and Dean: Business, Technology, and Workforce Partnerships, Arapahoe Community College As our society becomes more diverse, businesses and communities have moral and economic reasons to create systems with talent equity outcomes across the educational and labor market continuum. Higher education is rightly focused on educational equity, but this pandemic has demonstrated large...
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1890 Extension Leadership Academy Prepares Future Leaders To Act As Change Agents, Creates Culture of Innovation
The 1890s Extension Leadership Academy (ELA) is designed to prepare future and upcoming leaders in Cooperative Extension to act as change agents, with the goal of creating a culture that encourages and sustains innovation. The academy seeks to equip leaders to respond to critical challenges proactively. The ELA is offered in collaboration with Fort Valley State University & Extension Foundation , alongside key partners from Kentucky State University and Lincoln University. The most...
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Mission, Vision, Priorities!
An Abraham Lincoln quote comes to mind, who I thought you might like to have quoted at this point.. 😉 “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew .” Annual Message to Congress-Concluding Remarks, December 1, 1862 Developing our Mission, Vision, Priorities helps us rise with the challenges in front of us. They help us lean into, even...
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Giving Children and Adolescents a Healthy Start Through Nutrition
By LT Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, MBA, RD, LDN, FAND, Nutrition Advisor, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Establishing healthy dietary patterns early in life can provide young Americans with the foundation to continue those behaviors throughout later life stages. Unhealthy dietary patterns and inadequate physical activity in children and adolescents ages 2 to 18 contribute to overweight and obesity — as well as increasing the...
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Ugh...Bad drivers!
It happens every day... You're driving on the highway and inevitably there's someone driving crazy. Going faster than everyone. The cost of a ticket isn't a deterrent. Rules don't apply to them. They're dodging in & out of the lanes like it's the Indianapolis 500! This has a major effect on you and those around you. You put on the brakes. You change lanes. Your pulse goes up. You have passengers double check their seatbelts. You're on high alert! The dialogue in your head might look...
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Food Waste Reduction Challenge Begins April 12
A graduate cohort group from across the US has worked diligently this year to understand the complexities of food waste. After months of problem-solving and deliberation, they ultimately decided to launch a 7-day social media campaign centered on raising awareness around food waste prevention and reduction. Namely, the “7 Day Food Waste Reduction Challenge.” YOU can participate and make a difference! The social media campaign will consist of seven days of interventions, each day themed in...
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Connecticut Agriculture is Showcased in UConn Students’ Documentary
'Completely Connecticut Agriculture' explores the creativity and resilience of Connecticut farmers It’s easy to take our food supply for granted while strolling through the abundant aisles of a grocery store. We do not often consider how our food gets to the store or where it comes from. A group of students in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) is bridging the communication gap between agriculture and consumers in their documentary film, Completely...
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ICYMI: CONNECTING LATINO YOUTH/FAMILIES/COMMUNITIES W/EXT RESOURCES
Contrary with what many think, Latino/x population in the US is not a monolith, far from fitting the one-size-fits-all formula, the 60 million Americans of Latino/Hispanic origin represent over 20 Latin American countries, and a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, education levels, geographic locations, histories, political affiliations. Visit this virtual chat archive to learn what extension professionals across the country have been doing to be successful in reaching the Latino/x...
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Human Behavior & the Spread of Livestock Diseases
By Scott Merrill and Eric Clark, University of Vermont The Social Ecological Gaming and Simulation (SEGS) Lab is a multidisciplinary research lab designed to examine pressing problems in the interacting domains of natural ecology and human society. We work on problems ranging from water quality and energy, to looking at how Covid-19 related social distancing behavior changes in different environments – from the grocery store to the park. We also are engaged in trying to understand the...
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Your Leadership Puzzle (Part 2)
Every day we encounter a myriad of issues that can make leadership puzzling. One of these is the pace of change. The world is changing at a speed faster than humans have ever experienced before due largely to technological advances. This fact alone makes our leadership foothold paramount to balancing the needs of the people & enterprise we serve. Some of the same themes keep appearing. The human skills we often don’t realize we’re utilizing. Awareness is the key for those who’ve decided...
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How Networks Can Help Reduce Stress
Does your network help reduce your stress? Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to talk with Naava Frank and Ziva Mann, authors of the article " How to Reduce Stress and Increase Learning: The Power of Professional Networks ." Join us as we discuss how our network connections can help support us in difficult times. Naava is the director of Knowledge Communities where she consults to foundations and nonprofits to launch and support the growth of networks and communities of practice. Ziva...
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Expertise
What we know compared to Google isn't much. None of us knows everything. Here are some thoughts on leveraging your expertise. Have a clear mission & focus! Peter Drucker , the great teacher, said you should be able to fit your mission statement on a t-shirt! Reach out & meet the greatest people in the world in your topic area & ask them to be your mentors. Learn from them. Get clarity & make your t-shirt. Parallel Allies! Who are the experts who can help you with your...
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New Connect Extension Podcast Episodes
The Extension Foundation has had the pleasure of hosting a number of outstanding individuals across Cooperative Extension for our Connect Extension podcast. The Connect Extension Podcast is available in most places podcasts are available. Here is a listing of some of our more recent episodes: Episode 16: Navigating the Grocey Store Aisle: Understanding Food Marketing Labels In this episode, we connect with Stacey Stearns from the University of Connecticut Extension on a project she is...
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CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BEGINS FASTTRACK FARMING FOR BEGINNING FARMERS
WILBERFORCE, OH —Introducing underrepresented populations and military veterans to the opportunities in farming is the goal of the new Central State University Extension (CSUE) FastTrack Farming: A Beginning Farmer Training Program. The FastTrack Farming program is available to individuals who have never managed a farm or who have managed a farm for less than ten years, says CSUE Associate Director of Extension Dr. Siddhartha Dasgupta. “We are committed to assisting individuals who have...
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2 things to make your team better...today!
As fun as it might be to live in the magical world of Harry Potter, sadly we don't. And there's no "silver bullet" to fix issues. If you're someone who knows your team can be better and wants it to be better, here are a two that will help quickly! Make RECOGNITION a resource This goes way beyond just saying "thanks" to a team member. Developing the ability to both give & receive gratitude authentically is a must. These human skills are a great way to increase psychological safety on your...
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RFA: Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) Vaccinate With Confidence for COVID-19 (Activity 1)
Extension Committee on Organization and Policy, Health Innovation Task Force Extension Foundation EXTENSION COLLABORATIVE ON IMMUNIZATION TEACHING AND ENGAGEMENT (EXCITE) VACCINATE WITH CONFIDENCE FOR COVID-19 (ACTIVITY 1) DATES: MAY 1, 2021 - APRIL 30, 2022 ELIGIBILITY: The RFA for EXCITE Activity 1 is open to all Extension professionals at all Land-Grant Universities (1862, 1890, 1994). For Activity 1, one application per institution is eligible to be considered, determined at the...
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Accelerating Success: Q&A with Dr. Fred Schlutt
Dr. Fred Schlutt is a forty-year Extension professional. He worked in Texas, Wyoming, Maine, and Alaska. Dr. Schlutt served for 10 years as the Director of Alaska Cooperative Extension. He was the 2017-2018 chair of ECOP ( Extension Committee on Organization and Policy ). He holds three degrees from Texas A&M. Dr. Schlutt currently shares his expertise as an Extension Foundation Catalyst. Catalysts are Extension experts who support New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) projects chosen...
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Get better at anything!
Had the good fortune of carving out some time to finish a book that has made a quick impact on my life; " Triggers " by Marshall Goldsmith. The most powerful aspect of this book for me was self questioning . Heard about this technique from one of his social media posts & had been half-heartedly going through the motions of this technique. I needed some coaching on it for sure. He states that active questions make the most difference because of how they frame the responsibility. They...
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Navigating the Grocery Store Aisle and Creating a Food Marketing Game: An Extension Project Update
Navigating the grocery store aisle is challenging for many consumers—especially those who want to buy the most nutritious food. Food manufacturers and distributors cover their boxes, cans, and bottles of processed foods with labels like “organic,” “all natural,” and “no sugar added” to suggest that their food has certain health benefits. But these labels are intended to improve product sales, not necessarily help consumers make healthy food choices. And when food marketing labels seem to...
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CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER MAKES AN IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND THE WORLD
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Central State University Land-Grant is proud to highlight the work of Dr. Pratibha Gupta. Central State University’s STEM department is comprised of professors from all around the world. One of those professors is Pratibha Gupta Ph.D. Research Associate Professor, Food Nutrition and Health A.R.D.P Extension State Specialist, Family and Consumer Science Nutritional Biochemistry College of Engineering, Science, Technology and...
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Re: Farm Journal Request for High-Res Images for Soil Health Improvement Workbook
Thank you for sharing such a useful information about soil testing and also that how it can help in make your soil healthy always
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ICYMI: Virtual Chat about MyPlate
ICYMI: Virtual Chat about MyPlate Recently the MyPlate team hosted a Virtual Chat for Connect Extension members to share their thoughts on MyPlate resources. We discovered that many of the participants preferred print materials and that our MyPlate Tip Sheets continue to be among the most popular resources. Participants also expressed the need for more culturally representative foods pictured on resources and the MyPlate.gov website. Several links were share: MyPlate print materials:...
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What drives you?
Why do we do the things we do? If we're honest with ourselves, we know our actions are driven by two things: motivation & ability. Ability to do anything is influenced by external help and/or environmental structure. Motivation is connected to our internal belief system, our values. Intrinsic The things we value most in life are our internal motivators. They are our core values. The things we sacrifice for, stand up for and are prepared to die for if it came to that. They're super...
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Breakfast of Champions!
Was this your breakfast of champions? Perhaps it was oatmeal or granola... As you probably figured out, cereal isn't the point here. In the category of personal growth, we know the breakfast of champions is feedback ! In order to reach our full potential we need to grow. As we grow, we're likely to find ourselves in positions of increased responsibility. That includes leading others. We grow from primarily individual contributor into someone who gets work accomplished with others. This means...
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Procrastinate now...don't put it off!
Almost every organization would like to remove delays to unlocking their team's capacity to generate & implement great ideas. If you can identify & develop new opportunities quicker, your business model has a better chance to survive. No answers here just some thoughts on how these might be related. I'll procrastinate tomorrow... Graphic from www.jamesclear.com We've all received & given feedback on this topic. For the proactive person, someone who lags a bit can be maddening.
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Our Neighbor...
Our neighbor goes for a walk every morning. He waves enthusiastically to everyone he sees. His smile goes from ear to ear. He carries a big bag of treats for all the dogs he meets. He doesn't even own a dog. Our neighbor knows attitude is everything. He always picks a good one. Our neighbor goes to the local grocery store every Saturday morning. He knows all the bakery employees. He buys donuts for all the kids who are shopping with their parents. Every one...without exception. Our neighbor...
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June 2021 Farm Journal Contest: Conservation Practices and Water Quality
Share your stories of success and get your story lead developed and published by Farm Journal! The June 2021 Story Lead Contest has been posted and is due on Wednesday, June 30th. This month’s Cooperative Extension feature with Farm Journal’s Trust In Food focuses on the growing activity of researchers and conservation groups to help farmers improve local water quality . More producers are exploring water quality improvements with edge of field practices including riparian buffers, wetlands,...
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Farm Journal & NRCS Water Quality Stewardship Guide
@Nate Birt with Farm Journal has shared some resources from a public-private partnership with NRCS for Cooperative Extension professionals to utilize and share with farmers/ranchers in their local communiities. From Nate: " By downloading a personal copy of the guide, Extension leaders can encourage farmers and ranchers to type their own answers into the workbook pages, and better prepare themselves to get help from Extension experts in their communities, NRCS agents, etc." More information:...
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Keep Your Patients Healthy Throughout Adulthood by Improving Nutrition
Authors : Dana DeSilva, PhD, RD, ORISE Health Policy Fellow, and LT Dennis Anderson-Villaluz, MBA, RD, LDN, FAND, Nutrition Advisor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Adults’ dietary patterns often reflect habits that they established during childhood and adolescence. Sometimes, this means carrying unhealthy habits into adulthood — but it’s never too late to make changes. Health professionals can use the Dietary Guidelines for...
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How can health messaging work within rural communities? webinar June 23rd
How can health messaging work within rural communities ? Save-the-Date: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 1-2pm central time (11 PST, 12 MT, 1 CT, 2 EST) (Webinar registration link will be announced at later date) Poverty in rural areas of the US is higher than in urban areas. Geographic isolation, lack of infrastructure, fewer available resources, and limited economic opportunity compound these challenges. Many extension and outreach professionals aim to strengthen supports for families, so they...
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New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Year 3 Application Workshop
June 24th, 2021 3 PM - 5 PM Eastern NTAE acceleration projects are selected to align with the USDA Strategic Plan and are early stage (have goals, expected impacts, some project start up activities) and have high potential for impact. Selected projects will receive support from a catalyst team to advise and mentor projects and support from Key Informants who will work with the team to increase skills and capacities in leadership, partnership, marketing and communications, publishing and...
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Meet or Work
There you are, attending another meeting struggling to stay engaged. Why? We want to be there (but our mind is wandering), we're interested in the reason it's taking place (but the slides are so boring) & most importantly we're ready to participate (if we ever get asked). This all too familiar scene seems to plague us even with so many great ideas floating around to make it better. Transparency of information & the speed at which it flows can make all the difference in focusing on...
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Culture puzzle
"Culture" has become such a buzz word surrounding the workplace. People expect to see something on the company's website about it. They ask current employees about it. They ask about it in interviews. The fact is, it's a big deal. It might be THE big deal of any organization. What we've learned about it is that it's much more than flexible work hours & bean bag chairs in the breakroom. It's about " the way we do things around here". The way this is answered can be profoundly revealing.
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Now Available: The National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs and Assets
This tool is now available to Cooperative Extension. Join 50+ other Extension programs that have already registered! Responding to specific requests in regional meetings and through various projects including EXCITE , the Extension Foundation has developed a National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs and Assets (NRCEPA) . This tool will enable Cooperative Extension professionals to register their projects, programs, or curriculum for nationwide collaboration among Cooperative...
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10 Tips
Re-discovered this article by: Diana Moon from the Defense Centers of Excellence Strategic Communications, November 6, 2012 START The definition of "Resilience" is the ability to withstand, recover & grow in the face of stressors and changing demands. It's a skill that can be learned and sharpened with practice . Building flexible strength is a hallmark of resilience and necessary for getting back to peak performance after stressful events. Each of us face unique stressors which, without...
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It's situational and it's not...
My brother & I talk a lot and it has brought us closer, especially during our "philosophical" discussions. We like to dive deep into our passion areas, share what we've learned from books, articles, Ted Talks, work situations, parenting, etc. We just go with whatever is on our minds in a healthy banter. One thing keeps coming up regardless of topic is leadership & its close relationship with character . We agree on one point...leadership is situational but character isn't. Character...
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ICYMI: Connect Extension Chat: Adding DEI In Position Descriptions
On Tuesday, June 29 th Extension Professionals took part in a virtual chat to discuss and share how they incorporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into their position descriptions. The chat was attended by professionals from across the country and facilitated by LeChé McGill, the Human Resource Business Partner at UC ANR. The attendees in this chat were at various levels and stages of incorporating DEI into position descriptions, yet everyone had a strong desire to engage in the...
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A Conversation with Dr. Scott Reed, Extension Foundation Catalyst
Scott Reed is an emeritus of Oregon State University (OSU), where he served in various College of Forestry roles. He was a professor, executive associate dean, Extension program leader, and Dean and Director of OSU’s Extension Service. Scott served as the OSU’s Vice Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. He pioneered the innovative Open Campus, linking educational resources to advance college and career readiness, degree completion, and community development. Scott holds BS and MS...
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Need more empathy?
Psychology Today says Empathy is... "...the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced." We all connect with the concept of empathy in a different way.
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Special Call for Poetry about Hunger
Calling all poets from Canada and the US. Follow these simple guidelines to submit your poem. Deadline is Sept 10, 2021. Help us use Poetry to Speak Back to Hunger! http://www.fao.org/north-america/news/detail/en/c/1412528/ Artwork in image by Diane Wilbon Parks.
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Non-Versation
Had a few ineffective meetings in preparation for this post as I'm sure you have as well. One of the most memorable was one that lasted over an hour and at best, left most of us confused. We branded it the "lipstick on a pig" meeting. Instead of galvanizing our team efforts it eroded faith in our leadership. It was a huge missed opportunity which we rarely had. There were many other ineffective words/phrases used as well. Every word spoken might as well have been in a different language.
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NTAE Program Spotlight: Digital Technology in Extension Education ePublication
As we get closer to kicking off a new year of our NTAE Accelerator program , we will catch up with past program teams to share their project stories and outcomes! This week's program spotlight features Dr. Rose Hayden-Smith , the Extension Foundation's 2020 Fellow for Technology in Extension. During Rose's fellowship, she created the first version of the Using Digital Technology in Extension Education ePublication , which provides a digital platform for aggregating content, tools, and...
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3 Naturally Occuring Things
"Three things happen naturally in organizations; friction, confusion & underperformance. Everything else requires leadership." -Peter Drucker Friction happens when people don’t understand one another Interpersonal issues are present Confusion happens as a result of poor communication Team goals are unclear Underperformance happens when people aren’t engaged Skill-set mismatch The thing to keep in mind here is that these things “happen naturally”. It’s nobody’s fault. Take a deep breath!
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Leadership Language
The words we choose matter. They matter a lot. What if there were things to help people remember our message? Good news! There are! Here are some rhetorical devices taken straight from a TEDx Verona talk by Simon Lancaster to help you speak like a leader! The Language of Leadership Asyndeton/Tricolon Look left, look right, look center, stop, listen... This mimics hyperventilating. President Obama used it…”a world at war, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a generation.” Three...
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Extension in the 21st Century: A Conversation with Chuck Hibberd
Dr. Chuck Hibberd. Image Credit: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Charles "Chuck" Hibberd is an emeritus professor of the University of Nebraska, where he held several academic positions, including Dean of Cooperative Extension. His email tagline reads "Chuck Hibberd, retired Extensi on Director (but not done yet)." He directed the University's Panhandle Research and Extension Center for 13 years. Chuck also served as Extension director, associate dean of agriculture, and assistant vice...
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Let's Talk GMOs Online Course Available
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 an online course, Let’s Talk GMOs: Creating Consistent Communication Messages . Participants are introduced to the basics of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They will learn...