Tagged With "trending questions"
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Smart Cities: Technology, equity, livability and trust
Cities are getting smarter. New technologies help monitor traffic and enforce parking. First responders use camera systems to explore incident scenes for potentially hazardous materials or spills. Autonomous vehicles are being piloted. With these new technologies, governments and communities have concerns about safety, privacy, and equity. The key to successfully navigating these issues is trust. So what's the role of Extension in smart cities? We asked this question of our panel experts and...
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Re: Help with RSS Feeds
@Steve Hadcock - good question. This may be better as a "Topic" post instead of a blog post since you're asking for feedback. However, to give you some feedback - I do have experience in creating RSS feeds. It sounds like you're asking about podcast hosting (i.e. where can I upload my podcast files so they end up on iTunes or Google Podcasts?). I've used Blubrrry Podcasts for that - it's worth checking out at https://blubrry.com/ .
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ICYMI: A Virtual Tour: Explore Nutrition Tools and Resources from USDA and HHS Websites
We had a wonderful and very informative webinar yesterday with @Marcia Greenblum & @colleen.sideck from USDA, and @Holly H. McPeak from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services! During the webinar, these panelists guided participants through the different nutrition tools and resources found on the USDA and HHS sites. There were a TON of resources that they covered, and as promised - we wanted to share that list here: If you missed the webinar, you can find a recording of it here...
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ICYMI & What's Coming Up! - From "Me" to "We"
In this first of three sessions during From "Me" to "We" the focus was introspective as we looked at how our values help us with our daily decisions, guide our behaviors & inform our beliefs. Our core values are the platform for authentic leadership. They are the way we connect with ourselves & how others' begin to trust us. In case you couldn't join us, you can watch the "Values" video here . Here are some resources for continued action on your journey! KNOW YOURSELF Here's a FREE...
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From "Me" to "We" - TRUST
We sincerely hope you will join us on June 18 at 2PM Eastern for our session on "Trust". One of my favorite videos on this topic is from Colin Powell...here's a sneak peek before we're together again! “ The Essence of Leadership ” Invite others to our sessions here & please share your best resources, favorite articles, videos or books on these topics in the comments in these posts. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow! WHAT HAPPENED ALREADY? In our first of three sessions during From "Me"...
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The Ins and Outs of the Learn Calendar on Connect Extension
I’ve received a number of GREAT questions about the Learn calendar here on Connect Extension. What is it? Who can use it? What’s the value in using it? I thought it would also be helpful to explain some of the things that are happening on the backend that many might not be aware of - and how you, as Cooperative Extension professionals, can take advantage of that with ease! First - who can use it? Anybody in Cooperative Extension can use it. You do not need to be a member of the eXtension...
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How To Find the Recordings for Past Events & Search the Learn Calendar Archive
Last week, I posted about the Ins & Outs of the Learn Calendar on Connect Extension, the different things that happen behind the scenes when you publish an event to it, and how eXtension helps to market those events for you. Another question I often receive is where can I access the recording of a recent event? The short answer : for eXtension-hosted events, we update the calendar items with the recordings. I typically remove the “Register Here” button and replace it with “Recording...
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Your Leadership & Culture
These days we don't have to look far for articles on how to positively affect workplace culture. The founder of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, was once asked by an employee if they could serve sandwiches on their flights. He responded by asking if that would help them become THE low-cost airlines in the industry? It didn't so they don't! Every great leader believes their leadership can make a difference in their organization & helps keep everyone focused on their vision of what that...
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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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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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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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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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Re: 2, 10, 5, 7
Over the years, I've learned to ask myself this question: What is the best use of my time right now? Works even when I only have 10 or 15 minutes.
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Good, Cheap, Fast & Urgent or Important
You have a big presentation coming up & just discovered a stain on your favorite outfit. Quick, to the cleaners! Your regular shop is perfect but they have a standard 3-day turnaround so that won't work. There is a 99 cent shop a couple miles away, they could get it done but you can't risk them not taking great care of your expensive suit. Your only choice is a designer shop, the one in the fancy part of town, they'll do a special for you. And you're off! We all pay companies for...
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ICYMI: Development of market assessment tools for improved sustainability and profitability of small and medium-sized U.S. dairy farms
Atlantic Corporation thanks the extension professionals who joined them to discuss findings from their national consumer attitudes and preferences survey about local dairy. We enjoyed sharing our findings and providing demonstrations of our interactive spatial visualization tool, Dairy Market Assessment and Planning System (DairyMAPS). If you missed the presentation, the recording is now available and the PowerPoint slides are attached to this post. To help Atlantic improve the value and...
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Motivational Messages
Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. Words have power. Power to cause action. Action that causes change. Change that helps us transition to a preferred future state. This ripple effect takes place every day yet we know being the change begins with something between your ears. Have your words caused this chain reaction? Have others' words had a profound effect that caused you to act? While you ponder those questions, ponder the action that was inspired by these messages. "If your...
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A Plan to Stick Together
"So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work." -Peter Drucker We never really get clarity, we're always seeking it. Here are some points of clarity to help bring people together because... "We don't have to do it all alone...we were never meant to." -Brene' Brown Leadership vs Management Let's stop calling leadership, management & management, leadership. Management is for resources, leadership is for people. The Scarcity of Time When a critical...
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ICYMI: An In-Depth Look at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
A couple of weeks ago, we had Stephenie Fu and Elizabeth Rahavi join us from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion to discuss the new Dietary Guidlines for Americans for 2020-2015. The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 to reflect the current body of nutrition science. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the nation’s source for nutrition guidance to promote health and...
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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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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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University-wide Engagement and the Transdisciplinary University
Photo by Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash Lou Swanson, Emeritus Vice President of Engagement, Colorado State University Scott Reed , Vice Provost Emeritus, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University Blah blah ‘….. disciplinary ’ - what’s the difference? Each is quintessential in their power to produce knowledge. It is not a matter of which type of academic inquiry is better than the others. But one of these, a single author writing within the narrow foci of a single sub-discipline tends...
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Tuesday Food Preservation Basics Webinar Series
Are you interested in learning about food preservation? Join us for these free webinars hosted by Ohio State University Extension. The first half hour will consist of a lesson on the below topics, followed by 30 minutes of open question and answer time. You are welcome to register for just one or all of them. Tuesday's May 4-June 29 4-5 PM EST Register at: https://go.osu.edu/summer2021foodpreservationbasics
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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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ICYMI: USDA Nutrition Resources for Every Life Stage: Then and Now
Last month, we hosted two registered dietitians ( @Marcia Greenblum and @colleen.sideck ) from the USDA National Agricultural Library to share how to access federal nutrition resources for different age groups and how dietary guidance have evolved over time. Marcia and Colleen highlighted life stage resources on the Nutrition.gov and Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) websites that support 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations, and shared a historical...
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USDA to Host Educational Webinar Series on Livestock Mandatory Reporting in June 2021
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a series of three live educational webinars about USDA’s Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR) Program from Tuesday, June 8, through Thursday, June 10, 2021.
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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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CRISES OF LEGITIMACY OF SCIENCE-WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Lou Swanson, Emeritus Vice President of Engagement, Colorado State University Scott Reed, Vice Provost Emeritus, Outreach and Engagement, Oregon State University Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash A lot can be done and is being done. In our previous blog we underscore the self-evident importance of science in the US. Science has become a required knowledge creating and disseminating force in the economy, public and personal healthcare and general social well-being, our personal lives. 21...
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Healthy Questioning
My Great Uncle gave me a small plaque when I was in Junior High with a powerful quote. It hung in every place I lived until passing it along years later. "The important thing is not to stop questioning!" -Albert Einstein What my Great Uncle encouraged was a healthy curiosity. His wisdom has been & remains valuable to me to this day. In this spirit, let's discover how one question has led to just the right "thing" when it was needed most! "What would have happened if we didn't do what we...
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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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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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Extension Foundation & National Extension Climate Initiative Request Entry of Climate & Extreme Weather Programs to National Registry
In 2020, select members of the National Extension Climate Initiative (NECI) steering committee served in a fellowship through the Extension Foundation to identify existing work across Cooperative Extension in the area of climate and extreme weather. Their research resulted in the 2020 report on Extension Climate/Extreme Weather Programming . In a continued partnership, NECI worked with the Extension Foundation on the development of Climate & Extreme Weather program questions for...
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30 Days Left to Submit Presentation Proposals for the 2022 National Urban Extension Conference!
Proposals for individual presentations, panels, lightning talks and posters are due by November 20, 2021 at 5pm Pacific Time.
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Digital Gratitude
We've talked about this "gratitude" thing before in this post... Get More Gratitude . This year, instead of awkward silence, when it comes around to you to say what you're thankful for you'll be ready! If you're like us and are feeling bad about not being able to be together with everyone you'd like, here are some ways to let you friends & family know you're thinking about them. Embrace some technology to share your gratitude for the special people in your life. Share a memory from your...
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DISRUPTING ENGAGEMENT OR ENGAGEMENT, THE DISRUPTER?
Dave King, Professor Emeritus, Oregon State University When the analog-to-digital information evolution began in the mid 1990s, Extension and engagement—as functions of higher education—appeared to be likely targets for disruption. Yet, today, fundamental aspects of Extension and engagement appear to be untouched by disruptive competition. Or do they? “The past is prologue,” wrote William Shakespeare. So a quick review of Extension and the digital evolution, and what we can learn from...
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National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets February 2022 Update
The National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets (NRCEPA) provides ready-access to a living database of efforts across the system in order to rapidly respond to system-wide funding opportunities. Over 200 Cooperative Extension Programs and Projects have been registered in the NRCEPA since its inception. In February 2022, several improvements were made to the NRCEPA based upon feedback received from individuals and organizations across Cooperative Extension: Improved...
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Teamwork Part 5: Make a difference together!
Have a confession to make. This 5-part series on teamwork has been based on the research of Google's " Project Aristotle " with some of my own tidbits thrown in for fun! The story of the stonemasons is perfect for setting up the final aspect of highly effective teams. A man was walking by a huge construction project. He came upon a worker and asked what he was doing. He replied, “I’m making a living” . Curious, the man kept walking. Soon he came upon another worker and asked him what he was...
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Moving Toward Inclusive Practice
How do we start engaging people in marginalized communities and why is th i s important? What does it mean to “come in differently?” Are helping professionals able to tell a well-meaning question from one with judgment behind it? Dr. Anne Phibbs poses these questions and more in OneOp’s podcast series entitled, Moving Toward Inclusive Practice with Dr. Anne Phibbs . By tuning in, each episode may help you on your journey toward a more inclusive, culturally-informed way of working. Hosted by...
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Seeking input for New England’s livestock and poultry farm enhanced biosecurity plans
We are reaching out on behalf of the Secure Food Supply-New England Style project which is funded by the USDA’s 2020 National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP). This project and the research we are conducting is managed by Dr. Julie Smith at the University of Vermont (UVM) with assistance from the UVM Center for Rural Studies . The goal of the project is to improve foreign animal disease preparedness in New England. As part of the research study, we are reaching out...
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Leader of Character
How would you describe a leader of character? While you ponder that question, here are some thoughts... Leader is a position, leadership is our behaviors. Character is how we behave when nobody is looking. The U.S. Air Force Academy defines character as: At their Center for Character and Leadership Development they help prepare cadets to serve our nation. The framework they use is Own, Engage, Practice with the goal of living honorably while lifting others to elevate performance. You'll...
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What are your rocks, and How will you prioritize them today?
by Jenny Rea, Ph.D. Have you ever heard of the rocks, gravel, and sand metaphor? I learned about this parable from Dr. Tai Mendenhall ( check out his full bio here ) in a recently published webinar entitled, “ The Realities of Resilience in the Face of Burnout .” I, then, had the opportunity to converse with Tai on a more personal level through a podcast interview for our Family Transitions team at OneOp. Tai reflected upon this metaphor once again - connecting it to burnout among helping...
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Re: Understanding the Financial Literacy Divide
Good morning, John. Great question. I am sure there are a lot of resources available that would cater to each one of these areas in depth, but there are a few resources that I personally have experience with that I think would be a good place to start, depending on your needs. Free resources: For those working with military families, the Department of Defense Office of Financial Readiness and OneOp Personal Finance are both a wealth of research-based information. University of Florida/IFAS...
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Extension Skills: Podcasting Basics with Aaron Weibe Follow-up
The Impact Collaborative's new professional development series, Extension Skills , invites members to attend every month to learn new tech skills, processes, and other training from experts in Cooperative Extension. This month's Extension Skills session was “Podcasting Basics: What You Need to Get Started” led by Aaron Weibe . Aaron covered the basics of getting a podcast started including the software and hardware needed, audio editing, and how to upload and broadcast your podcast to...
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The SEED Method - Engaging Martinsville Podcast Interview
Communities throughout the nation have been greatly affected by the opioid epidemic, and it was deemed a public health emergency nationwide in October 2017. Since many factors contribute to this crisis, addressing it requires solutions involving every level. Cooperative Extension has collaborated at the local, state, and federal levels to help communities address this critical issue. The opioid epidemic has heavily impacted Southwest Virginia. The town of Martinsville has one of the nation's...
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TRUST
Our biological need to trust is strong. We approach situations with an almost automatic seeking of a transaction to occur. Knowing how we approach our daily interactions is important for creating moments of clarity that fit with our values. Naive & Distrust Some of us approach awarding our trust from a place of distrust making it hard for others to convince us we should place our trust in them. Some of us approach from a more naive place that can make it hard for us when trust is fragile...
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Re: National Extension Climate Initiative needs Beta Testers for Climate Curriculum
While some specific target populations were discussed (individuals 60+, individuals with developmental disability, people with SUD, youth) there was agreement that this issue is prevalent across many target populations. The only curriculum was discussed was a digital literacy curriculum, one through a google grant (4-H) and one at one of our counties in the capital district of New York. We did not dive into the learning objectives of specific curricula as this was a high level, introductory...
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EXCITE(ing) Strengths!
Since launching in 2021, the EXCITE program has reached more than 12 Million individuals with immunization education in 1,017 counties across 48 states and territories through the hard work of Extension Professionals from 72 land grant universities and 410 community and healthcare partners. It all began with support for the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) "Vaccinate with Confidence" campaign in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHY EXTENSION? Cooperative Extension has an over 100-year...
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Not a leader?
Do you consider yourself a leader? What about a global leader? Usually when this question is asked only a few people respond positively to the first question and almost everyone says "no" to the second question. Why? Perhaps they are hesitant to respond positively because "leader" isn't part of their title, position, or rank. Then when the question escalates they're definitely out. John Maxwell defines leadership as influence. If we use his definition (which I totally dig) then we're all...