Tagged With "Transform Your Work"
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ICYMI: Connect Extension Chat: Virtualizing and Social Distancing Horticulture and Master Garden Volunteer Programs
In case you missed it: We had an excellent live chat with 58 participants discussing all the innovative ways to move horticulture and Master Gardener volunteer programs to a virtual platform! Some of the ideas included virtual Ask An Expert sessions, virtual coffee hours, webinar series, podcasts, and more. To see more including tips for marketing virtual programs, best practices and lessons learned, and suggested platforms, check out the chat archive ! Your co-hosts, Stephanie Pully and...
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Health and Well Being Subgroup Open to New Members
A new subgroup for Extension faculty and staff working in the area of health and well being has opened its doors to new members. The new subgroup’s Connect Extension platform is designed to serve as a virtual gathering place for members to interact around “all things health.” The group is a diverse community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to experience optimal health and well-being across the life span through a focus on both health...
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Re: Best thing you've shared recently?
Great post and so true. When someone invests their time in you or what are involved with- it means a great deal. Our ideas and creativity as contributions demonstrate investment in our work and thus our energy and passion.
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Virtual National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) 9/14-17/2020
Registration is now open for ITEP’s Virtual National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) and there is no cost for attendance. Join us to listen and hear from various partners who will be joining us to share their knowledge and stories about the work they are doing to address the climate crisis occurring in our communities. We are so honored to feature many amazing speakers including our warriors, Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez of Earth Guardians ,...
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Connect Extension Podcast Now Available
The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce that our Connect Extension Podcast is now available! Each month in Connect Extension, eXtension hosts a virtual chat on a different topic area to highlight best practices and innovations throughout Cooperative Extension. In June 2020, we hosted a virtual chat on virtual field days, led by @Victor Villegas , Oregon State University Extension Service, and @Rose Hayden-Smith , eXtension Technology in Extension Education Fellow Following each...
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August 2020 Farm Journal Story Lead Contest: Soil Health
Get your story lead developed and published by Farm Journal! For this month’s Cooperative Extension feature, Farm Journal’s Trust In Food wants to hear from your county/state/region about an innovative research project, on-farm trial or farmer engagement program you or Extension is leading to help farmers measure, analyze and improve their soil health. Are you ready to pitch your story for a national audience? Post your submission in Connect Extension in the Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead...
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10 Leadership Theories
"There's nothing so practical as a good theory." - Dr. Kurt Lewin To fully understand where we are on our leadership journey it's important to see how far we've come in our thinking about leadership. Here are 10 of the most common leadership theories... 1. The Great Man Theory (1840s) -The thought that Great Leaders are born...not developed. 2. The Trait Theory of Leadership (1930s - 1940s) -The thought that there are ideal characteristics for Leaders. 3. The Skills Theory of Leadership...
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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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GLOBAL LEADER
Do you consider yourself a leader? Comfortable calling yourself a leader? Why not? Think maybe someday you'll be worthy? If leadership is simply influence then we're all leading in our own way every day. Our actions spread like ripples in the water. Here's the effect they can have... In our lifetimes (about 30,000 days or 80 years), we'll have the chance to know about 1,000 people. If those 1,000 people each know 1,000 then we're up to 1,000,000. If those 1,000,000 people each know 1,000...
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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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TRUST
Funny thing about trust...we have to give it away to get it. Every day we're awarding or taking away our trust. When you think about it, the same people who were NOT trusted 20 years ago still don't have our trust. The people we trusted 20 years ago still have our trust. So, there's enough trust to go around. The goal should be to intelligently give & refuse trust to the trustworthy & be vulnerable enough to provide our own behavioral evidence we're trustworthy. Here are some...
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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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EMPATHY
Help! My empathy meter is falling & I need to know how to bring it up! If you're confused about the difference between sympathy, empathy & compassion you're not alone. Too often these "cousins" are misused so here's a quick run-down... Sympathy When we act out of sympathy we're not really connecting with the other person. It means we understand what the person is feeling. It's pity for them. Empathy When we act out of empathy, a connection emerges with the feelings of the one who is...
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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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OVERWHELMED...
When things get tight it seems we always are expected to do more with less...not less with less. This can lead to that uncomfortable feeling of being overwhelmed. While this one post won't be able to address the cause here are a couple things to help deal with the symptoms... JUST START The start is what stops most people. Just pick something & accomplish it. Whether you start with something you don't care for or something you love, just getting it checked off the list will help create...
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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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RESPECT
"When employees respect each other and get along in the workplace, it's amazing how productivity increases, morale increases and employees are more courteous to customers." -Maureen Wild Gifford Thomas, the founder of Leadership First & author of The Inspirational Leader, Inspire Your Team to Believe in the Impossible writes... "Respect is the glue that holds teams and organizations together. When there is a high level of trust and respect, in any environment, loyalty is extremely high...
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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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Re: 1 PM ET Today! Connect Extension Chat - Asynchronous Programs
Can’t get into the room/chat/whatever. Will this be recorded? Warmly, Gemma As you know, the State of California has issued a shelter-at-home order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and the state 4-H office people are now working remotely. We are still here to answer your questions and address needs during this unprecedented situation. [signature_719300967] The information transmitted, including attachments, is intended only for the person(s) or entity to which it is addressed and may contain...
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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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Re: ICYMI: Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
Phones are the primary device (especially for Hispanics) to access social media. Budget and Savings are key words that are powerful motivators; tie these words into messaging and your call to action. Visual, step-by-step, beginning with the elemental step and don't skip steps. These are the key things I got from listening to this zoom. The phone being primary device surprised me, as I thought computer, but this zoom raised my awareness that many urban folks don't have computer but do have...
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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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Re: ICYMI: Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
Debra, thanks so much for joining us and those are some great takeaways!
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APHA Annual Meeting Deadline Extended to September 10
If you have never attended the Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) because of the added cost of travel, meals, and lodging then this may be your to attend the all-virtual conference. Better yet, is that workshop will also be available on-demand after the conference, so you won't have to among sessions in the same time block. This is a big conference with over 1,000 concurrent sessions. For more information, visit https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
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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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July 2020 Story Lead Contest Winner Published in Farm Journal
Congrats again to @Jason de Koff , Tennessee State University, for submitting the winning story lead for the July 2020 Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead contest here in Connect Extension. Thank you to everyone for your submissions each month! The story, Q&A: Maximize Drone ROI On Your Farm has been published by Farm Journal. You can read the full story here . Photo Credit: Corey Blick
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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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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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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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"ALIVE"
At this time during a pandemic we find ourselves physically distanced & isolated from one another. However, it's been exciting to see so many creative ways to stay socially connected. These connection times are meaningful and are essential to our overall health. To help focus this time, one of the things you could do is interview your loved ones. Stay with me here... LOSS One of the things we all have in common is loss. It's maybe the only thing we all truly have in common. We've all...
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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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Is It YOUR Story To Tell?
In a meeting a few years ago we were discussing the aspects of what we did that might be interesting to the general public. Pretty quickly it was suggested that we have a "rumor mill" button on our website. A little "behind the curtain" of what was going on. While this would probably peak visitors curiosity, the message it would send about our organization could be damaging. Is it your story to tell? Gossiping is one of, if not the most destructive actions anyone can take on another person.
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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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New eFieldbook Available! Kemēcemenaw: Tribal Extension Partnerships That Support Indigenous Food Sovereignty on the Menominee Indian Reservation
“This eFieldbook will serve as a valuable resource to Cooperative Extension professionals that are working with indigenous populations, while focused on sovereign food production.” - Fred Schlutt, New Technologies for Ag Extension Catalyst, Former Extension Director - University of Alaska Fairbanks. The US Department of Agriculture 2018-2022 Strategic Plan recognizes it’s role in helping provide access to safe and nutritious food for limited income people, by supporting limited resource...
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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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WORRYING...
Worrying is a habit. Do you have it? First, check out " Getting to the bottom of your worrying-and how to let it go " by Gordana Biernat for some great insights! We all have dreams, aspirations & goals. It's healthy to be in a growth mindset but not at the expense of getting meaningful things done today. Making zero progress toward your preferred vision of the future is demotivating. Focus on the task at hand, like the mantra of former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The main thing...
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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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Re: Free Publication: Eat Healthy, Be Active Community Workshops
All - I would be happy to provide an overview with you on a conference call about the Eat Healthy Be Active Community Workshops, i.e talking points, learning objectives, handouts, how to access videos, and creating the certificates for participants, and the Powerpoint for instructors/educators. Email me: Holly.McPeak@hhs.gov Please share "success stories" with me, as well! Would love to hear about your implementation and results!
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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...