Tagged With "Extension Infrastructure"
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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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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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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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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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ICYMI: Poetry As A Tool in Extension Programs
Last week, we were fortunate to host Dr. Hiram Larew, an award-winning poet, advocate, and leader in the Arts and Poetry community, and David Myers, an Ag Extension Agent at the University of Maryland Extension for a wonderful webinar! The purpose of their presentation was to demonstrate how poetry is being used to help deliver messages about an important agricultural issue, namely local and global hunger. They used hunger as an example to illustrate how poetry can be used when discussing a...
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Re: ICYMI: 63 Extension Professionals joined the Connect Extension Chat on Gamifying Food Labels
It was a wonderful event!
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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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Re: ICYMI: 63 Extension Professionals joined the Connect Extension Chat on Gamifying Food Labels
Resources Shared During the Chat: UConn EFNEP Fat Game: https://bit.ly/EFNEP_FatGame Healthy Lifestyle Resources (Baylor): https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare...-lifestyle-resources Water Calculator: https://www.watercalculator.org/ National Geographic Food Education: https://www.nationalgeographic...tion/food-education/ FDA Whyville Snack Shack Games: https://www.fda.gov/food/nutri...le-snack-shack-games H5P Virtual Tour: https://h5p.org/virtual-tour-360 H5P Interactive Content:...
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ICYMI: 63 Extension Professionals joined the Connect Extension Chat on Gamifying Food Labels
Our team at University of Connecticut (UConn) Extension is developing a game to help consumers understand food labels. The Connect Extension chat included questions about food labels and gamification in Extension programs. You can access the chat archive at: https://connect.extension.org/chat-event/connect-extension-virtual-chat-gamifying-food-labels . Chat participants agreed that there is confusion with labels and terms among the consumer audiences. They don't know what is healthy and what...
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Ask Extension In Transition
Ask Extension (formerly Ask an Expert) has been an important national digital service and content asset since 2006. During the peak summer season this year, over 1100 experts handled about 11,000 questions per month. This year, eXtension launched two new projects with funding from its USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Ag Extension Cooperative Agreement: Building an artificial intelligence platform that provides information from a wide range of Extension educational resources Modernizing the...
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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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Five Extension Project Teams Receive Seed-Funding Grants from Impact Collaborative Summit
Twenty-five 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. Teams were provided one-on-one coaching from twenty-six of our Impact Collaborative’s Innovation Facilitator network.
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Key Takeaways: Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve
Key Takeaways: Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve Approximately thirty participants -- Extension professionals from all over the US, from Oregon to Ohio, Connecticut, and Virginia -- joined us today for a productive Connect Extension Virtual Chat on Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve. We discussed their experiences with data, their data-related needs, and and how we might best design and bring data literacy resources to Extension. You can access the chat...
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2021 Impact Collaborative Events: Registration Open NOW for eXtension Members!
eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce open registration for several 2021 events in our Impact Collaborative program. This includes registrations for the Innovation Skill-Building Experience and the Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Training. These events are for everyone inside eXtension Foundation member institution s . The eXtension Foundation invites all members to participate in the Impact Collaborative program to build skills in innovation, hone project & program...
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Virtual Volunteer Opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago
Greetings and Welcome to 2021! Although travel restrictions are still in effect, there are opportunities to volunteer internationally virtually through USAID’s Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) project in Trinidad and Tobago. During the COVID-19 pandemic, how we implement the F2F program has had to adjust and is temporarily offering virtual/remote assignments that will meet the needs of Trinbagonians. Over the holiday break, the Purdue F2F team has been working hard to get new assignments approved and...
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Training Videos for Connect Extension Subgroup Administrators
Happy New Year! Since we rolled out Connect Extension in March 2020, we've had a number of folks create and administer their own subgroups. I've worked with individuals one-on-one to help get subgroups off the ground and offer some training on how to do things. Now, there are some videos available that will help new subgroup administrators get quickly oriented in managing their subgroups. Those are available at extension.org/subgrouptraining . If you are interested in creating a subgroup...
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Results from the November/December 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest
Last year, 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 November/December 2020 contest was about the important work Extension is doing to better...
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Atomic Habits: An Extension Conversation About Moving Forward in the New Year
James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results , was the subject of a recent Connect Extension Virtual Chat. The hour-long interaction stimulated participants to extend Clear’s lessons into vignettes describing their personal and professional experiences with habits. The recorded chat can be found here . Atomic habits are intended to be small and easy to do-thus reinforcing their value by becoming a part of one’s identity. Multiple atomic habits can begin to influence...
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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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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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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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Re: CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BEGINS FASTTRACK FARMING FOR BEGINNING FARMERS
Thanks for sharing this, it's great to learn more about some of your initiatives!
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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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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: 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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Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement: May 2021 Immunization Education Programs Spotlight
Cooperative Extension programs are making an impact on communities across the country with immunization education efforts, particularly with vaccine-hesitant individuals. Activities include mobile vaccination clinics in partnership with local health organizations, social media campaigns, the development of online toolkits promoting research-based immunization information, and more. This month, the EXCITE program is highlighting how an immunization education program in Virginia implemented a...
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Re: Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement: May 2021 Immunization Education Programs Spotlight
@Krystle J. Allen
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"Extension’s Role in Disaster Response and Mental Health" Virtual Chat
On Wednesday, May 19 th , over a dozen Cooperative Extension professionals across the nation gathered in a Connect Extension chat to discuss disaster response and mental wellness in our work. The main themes interrogated throughout the hour were: mental wellness, disasters*, disaster recovery, and community interaction within those sectors. In this discussion, we wanted to learn how branches of Extension approach mental wellness in their communities and if they find themselves in disaster...
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Cooperative Extension grant aims to vaccinate NYS’ vulnerable
COVID-19 infection rates in New York state have plummeted in recent months, thanks in large part to the development and deployment of several safe and effective vaccines. But reaching population-wide protection from the virus means getting the vaccine into the arms of as many people as possible – including farmworkers and other traditionally vulnerable, marginalized populations in New York’s cities and rural areas. “Catastrophic health disparities have been a long-standing reality for many...
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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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It's July already?!
Historically, July is a big month for the Cooperative Extension Service . Our own @Rose Hayden-Smith reminded us a couple days ago. On this day (July 2nd) in 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act , providing the funding framework and vision for land-grant institutions and public higher education in the U.S. It was a visionary act, part of a legislative sweep that year! Emancipation Proclamation Homestead Act Pacific Railroad Act USDA was created as a cabinet-level agency This...
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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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New Extension Foundation Report Available: Technologies Impacting the Cooperative Extension System
The Extension Foundation , in partnership with a research team from Ohio State University, has released a new report on emerging technologies. The “Extension Foundation Report on Emerging Technologies Impacting the Cooperative Extension System” was supported by funding from the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) project. The report was developed by the research team in part through interviews with a panel of thirteen experts representing all five Extension regions, as well as...
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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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Wits Wellness research is looking for participants
Wits Wellness research is looking for participants A research team from the University of Illinois is looking for participants for the WITS Wellness Research Study . Any person 50 years and older who has not been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is eligible. Participants can receive up to $60 for their participation in the study. The study will include 12 weekly health and wellness sessions at various locations across the state. The sessions will be fun, with interactive...
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Extension Foundation 2021 Mid-Year Update
We are excited to provide you with a mid-year update about the Extension Foundation and our progress towards helping Cooperative Extension (CES) make a greater impact on local issues. Funding to the Cooperative Extension System (2020-2021) $22.4M in 2020-2021 85% to LGU’s Total of $19M to LGU’s across Extension program areas Funding Sources (2020-2021): $2M EPA Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP) 85% to LGUs $4.9M USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE)...
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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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Re: Extension in the 21st Century: A Conversation with Chuck Hibberd
What a great article. Enjoyed learning more about Extension through the eyes of "not done yet," Dr. Hibberd.
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New Connect Extension Podcast Episodes: Juntos National Roadtrip
The Juntos program out of NC State University has been receiving support from the Extension Foundation through New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE). The NTAE program is funded by USDA-National Institute of Food & Ag through a partnership with Oklahoma State University. The Juntos program, like others served through NTAE, receive one-year of support from the Extension Foundation and its services to help accelerate their work. We had the pleasure of working with Diana Urieta, Senior...
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Unpeeled: The Case Files of Maya McCluen Game is Available for Extension Programs
Navigating the grocery store aisle is challenging for many consumers—especially those who want to buy the most nutritious food and stay within their budget. The University of Connecticut (UConn) Extension New Technologies in Agricultural Extension (NTAE) team developed an interactive learning activity (or game), Unpeeled: The Case Studies of Maya McCluen . Our team sought to clarify food marketing labels and empower consumers to make science-based decisions while shopping. We hosted a...
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New! Partnership and Development Specialist
A key program in the cooperative agreement is the Program Accelerator. The Program Accelerator is a unique partnership between a project/program team and the resources of the Extension Foundation for a year of rapid growth and progress resulting in expanding the team’s local impact and national potential. Our unique methods and a team of catalysts and key informants work individually with each team to produce scalable, better-resourced, and more effective programs and community-based...
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Re: New Connect Extension Podcast Episodes: Juntos National Roadtrip
Excellent! University of Idaho Jerome County Extension Juntos 4-H shines as a pathway to academic success. Thank you North Carolina State University.
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Re: New Connect Extension Podcast Episodes: Juntos National Roadtrip
Great work Diana, Aaron, and Claudia (amongst all the other amazing people across the extension world) for putting together a great podcast!
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Extension Foundation Announces 2021-2022 New Technologies for Ag Extension Projects
The Extension Foundation will be supporting 20 projects across Cooperative Extension as part of its third year of the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) program. This program is made possible by funding from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) through a partnership with Oklahoma State University and the Extension Foundation. This program serves all Land-Grant Universities in the United States. The combined award going directly to all projects is...
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Re: New Connect Extension Podcast Episodes: Juntos National Roadtrip
I learned and gained from all the states who shared their Juntos stories in these podcasts. There is no way the Juntos Program would be where we are today without the work of some amazing Extension/4-H professionals. Onward Juntos!