Tagged With "innovation skill-building"
Blog Post
College of Menominee Nation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative partner with eXtension through USDA-NIFA Cooperative Agreement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2018-2022 Strategic Plan recognizes its role in helping provide access to safe and nutritious food for limited income people, by supporting limited resource individuals and families in their efforts to escape food insecurity and hunger and improve their well-being. These objectives require partnerships between State, local agencies, Federal, and public and private entities to support best practices in implementing effective programs and ensuring...
Blog Post
NPSEC and Texas A&M Agrilife Extension partner with eXtension through USDA-NIFA Cooperative Agreement for Mass Media Pollinator Stewardship Effort
Advancing the role of integrated pest management, including effective use of pesticides, is critical to controlling the spread of harmful pests and diseases. It is estimated that 40 percent of global crops are lost to agricultural pests each year. The US Department of Agriculture Strategic Plan 2018-2022 emphasizes prevention and mitigation of agricultural pests and disease. There are recognized, undesirable effects associated with application and misuse of pesticides, especially by the...
Blog Post
UNL’s Weather Ready Farms Partners with eXtension Through USDA-NIFA Cooperative Agreement
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation is partnering with four existing programs aligned with USDA strategic goals across Cooperative Extension in Year 1 to explore new methods and models for program scale and implementation. These initiatives are being documented in a series of eFieldbooks to inform the system of the models, learnings, and outcomes. Professional development opportunities will...
Blog Post
What’s it Like to Work with the eXtension Foundation as an NTAE Project? - Bridging the GAPs
eXtension recently announced the opportunity for nominations for the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) for Year 2 projects. The nomination form will be available on June 15th until July 20th, 2020. Selected projects will receive wrap around services from the eXtension Foundation to support and amplify the project/program outcomes. Wrap around services include: Project/Program advisory support from a Catalyst (current or past senior program or administrative Cooperative...
Blog Post
On a Time for Grit
During these uncertain times when programming has ceased as we know it, as well as most other aspects of our life being upended, it can be discouraging or even overwhelming. It seemed a perfect time to continue my read and study into the concept of “Grit” by renown researcher and author, Angela Duckworth. In her New York Times best-selling book “ Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” ; she lays out her initial studies at the U.S Military Academy at West Point. Duckworth’s quest was to...
Blog Post
In Case You Missed It! - Unpacking the Content Creation Process Webinar
Yesterday afternoon Nathan Hermond with Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension and Kara Maddox with the National Pesticide Safety Education Center hosted a webinar on how we transformed existing Cooperative Extension content into an engaging Pollinator Prep Guide designed for Millennials and their families. Click here to watch the recording today! In the webinar, we spoke about the nifty poll featured offered by 99designs - as well as the ability to start a competition among...
Blog Post
ICYMI & What's Coming Up! - From "Me" to "We"
Thanks for joining us for our discussion on "Trust"! If you missed us, here's a recap...we discussed how TIME isn't what supports the conditions for being trustworthy...it's our behaviors. We can behave in ways that lead others to believe we are trustworthy. What evidence are we giving that we're trustworthy? Watch the "trust" session video here ! We recognize this can be a complicated topic, thanks for hanging in with us! Here are some notes from our time together & a couple resources...
Blog Post
eXtension Welcomes West Virginia State University and the University of Arizona as Newest Members for 2020
The eXtension Foundation welcomes West Virginia State University and the University of Arizona as our newest members for 2020. A complete listing of eXtension members is available here . Institutions that are members of the eXtension Foundation get access to the Impact Collaborative program and Impact Collaborative sponsored events. A listing of member-only events is available in Connect Extension or directly on the eXtension website and includes, but not limited to: Two national Innovation...
Blog Post
Data and Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs
The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research has released the next white paper in their Leading Edge Dialogue series: Data and Policy: Responding to Human Services Needs . Data is needed for decision-making, particularly around human services and community development, which are complex and intersectional issues. Skill in leveraging and presenting data will position research at the forefront of social policy conversations and decisions; however, retaining current silos of data...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
Impact Collaborative Trains 31 New Innovation Facilitators
In August 2020, the eXtension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative program hosted its second Innovation Facilitator training for the year. 31 new Innovation Facilitators representing 12 Land-Grant universities completed the training, joining 153 others that represent 50 Land-Grant Universities. Participants spent six sessions learning the Impact Collaborative’s Innovation Skill-Building methodology and obtained skills and tools that will help catalyze innovation with local project and program...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
No Holes in the "Boat"
Gary Hamel says in his book The Future of Management , that the practice of management is to... "set & program objectives, motivate & align efforts, coordinate & control activities, develop & assign talent, gain & apply knowledge, amass & allocate resources, balance & meet stakeholders demands AND... build & nurture relationships." The companies that have survived crisis & thrived have leveraged the wisdom of all the members on their team. Companies where...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
Workforce Readiness & Makerspace Team from Oregon Brings Community Partners to Impact Collaborative Summit, Wins Seed-Funding Grant for Western Region
“The Impact Collaborative provided an ideal space for the Malheur Workforce Readiness team to work through a structured process that challenged their thinking and assisted them with building a strong, informed, foundation. It equipped them with critical insights on how to best evaluate their program and the potential impact, and better communicate and engage with their partners moving forward” - Anita Azarenko, Interim Vice President - Outreach and Extension, Extension Director, Oregon State...
Blog Post
Colorado State Extension Mindful Engagement Project “Ready to go in a way we wouldn’t have been”, thanks to the Impact Collaborative Summit
Mindful Engagement is a newly conceptualized project from Colorado State University (CSU), led by Sue Schneider, an Extension agent in Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Development based in Fort Collins. The team also includes CSU Extension’s Lisa Auer, who serves as the site coordinator for the Larimer County Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI); and Tony Lynch, a community champion who is a member of the 2020 FLTI cohort. The team was one of 25 groups from across the...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
FREE Course: The Science of Well-Being
Offered by Yale University, taught by Laurie Santos , delivered by Coursera! Course Description In this course you will engage in a series of challenges designed to increase your own happiness and build more productive habits. As preparation for these tasks, Professor Laurie Santos reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change. You will ultimately be prepared to successfully incorporate a...
Blog Post
Impact Collaborative Announces Rev-Up Your Virtual Leadership Series for Extension Professionals Leading Five or More Peers
For 2021, the eXtension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative program is hosting a series available to eXtension Foundation member institutions . This series is led by Karl Bradley, Leadership Development Specialist, eXtension Foundation. Last year we all pivoted quickly as we redefined how to accomplish our work almost exclusively in shared virtual spaces. The topics in this series are a result of our work with individuals & teams from across Cooperative Extension wondering: What does...
Blog Post
Good Soil!
The people we surround ourselves with are more valuable than words can often express. Recently, an old friend popped into my mind so I reached out to catch up. He was amazing, generous & supportive as always. We spoke about many things but the most prevalent & surprising was workplace culture. He spent some 27 years in the newspaper business only to be unceremoniously let go in the name of “progress”. Their loss was another’s gain. His one-of-a-kind voice & magnetic temperament...
Blog Post
Cornell Extension LIVCO Project Team Finds Impact Collaborative Was “An amazing team building opportunity”
A team from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Livingston County came together at the recent eXtension Foundation Impact Collaborative Summit. Their association is situated on a park-like campus of more than one hundred acres. They had an idea of turning their campus into a learning laboratory for the community, with demonstration gardens and more. The team was one of 25 groups from across the country that participated in the first ever virtual Impact Collaborative Summit , held in...
Blog Post
ICYMI: Take a Tour with the MyPlate Team: Walk Through The New Personalized Digital Tools and Resources
Yesterday, we had three guests from the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion to learn about the new MyPlate website and suite of digital tools and resources that were launched upon the release of the Dietary Guidelines, 2020-2025. In this webinar, we explored the MyPlate tools to help you reach audiences at every life stage. Here are some resources from that webinar: Recording MyPlate National Nutrition Month Playbook (Attached) Slide deck (Attached) Q&A questions answered in...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
New Grant Opportunities: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services
New Grant Opportunities: Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services The Administration on Aging | Administration for Community Living (ACL) has released two Innovations in Nutrition (INNU) Funding Opportunities Announcements (FOAs) to establish cooperative agreements to conduct research projects that enhance the quality, effectiveness, and outcomes of nutrition programs and services within the aging services network. Innovations in Nutrition Programs and Services – Statewide Research...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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.
Comment
Re: Procrastinate now...don't put it off!
There is a term used in engineering called OBE. Overcome By Events. It refers to a decision or task that you were slated to make but before you were able to, something changed and the decision or task is no longer required. OBEs can be bad i.e. I had the winning lottery numbers but never got around to buying a ticket. They can also be good when some difficult decision or task is no longer required. When I run across a task or decision that I must do, I often evaluate the OBE index and act...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
UC ANR is hiring a Statewide Director, Communities, Nutrition and Health
Dear Colleagues, Please follow the link to learn more about the position and apply/share the information: https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=1824 The closing date is September 3, 2021. Thank you, Tatiana tavoce@ucanr.edu
Blog Post
UC ANR is hiring a County Director Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino
Dear Colleagues, UC ANR is hiring a County Director for Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Please follow the link and apply/share the information: https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=1829 The position closes on August 22, 2021. Thank you, Tatiana tavoce@ucanr.edu
Blog Post
UC ANR is hiring a County Director Capitol Corridor MCP
Dear Colleagues, UC ANR is hiring a County Director for Capitol Corridor MCP, located in Woodland, California. Please follow the link to apply and share the information: https://ucanr.edu/About/Jobs/?jobnum=1755 The recruitment closes on August 27, 2021. Thank you, Tatiana tavoce@ucanr.edu
Blog Post
“Alexa, enable the MyPlate skill.” MyPlate nutrition information for babies and toddlers.
Thank you @Barbara Jirka, USDA-CNPP, for sharing the following update regarding MyPlate! MyPlate is now available on Alexa ! Get MyPlate nutrition information for babies and toddlers straight to your home on an Amazon Alexa device or on your smartphone or tablet via the free Amazon Alexa app. MyPlate on Alexa provides healthy eating tips for parents and caregivers on what and how to feed babies and toddlers based on their age (between 4 to 24 months – older ages coming soon!). Parents and...
Blog Post
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!
Blog Post
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...
Blog Post
In Conversation with Dr. Rick Klemme
Dr. Rick Klemme grew up on a farm in east-central Illinois. He received his BA in economics and math from Illinois State University. He later earned an MA and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Purdue. Rick began his nearly four-decade Extension career as an agricultural economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). He later became Dean and Director of UW Extension. Rick transitioned from that assignment to serve as the Executive Director of Extension’s Committee on Organization...
Blog Post
New for Extension Foundation Members: Video Resource Library in Connect Extension
The Extension Foundation has created a database available for Cooperative Extension professionals from Extension Foundation Member Institutions . This member resource was designed to provide Extension Professionals with concise and succinct tutorials, tips, and introductions on various subjects applicable to Cooperative Extension Professionals. It can be found on the main navigation of Connect Extension and is visible to Foundation members. To get your free Connect Extension account,...
Blog Post
New Job Opening: Manager, Climate-Smart Ag Interactive Programming - Farm Journal's Trust In Food
I'm sharing the following opening in case anyone in the Extension community might have recommendations for a great person to fit the needs of this role -- recognizing you all work with so many fantastic collaborators across the U.S. Please feel free to email any questions or recommendations to me at NBirt@FarmJournal.com. Thank you! -Nate Birt, Vice President, Trust In Food , a Farm Journal initiative Trust In Food, a fast-growth startup division of 145-year-old Farm Journal, seeks a...