Tagged With "cultural assets"
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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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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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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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High Performing Culture?
You don't have to look very hard these days to stumble on an article, video or interview about workplace culture. Here are a couple lists from Charlie Kim's company NextJump where employees (among many things) won't be fired ...they'll be coached . How are things going where you are? Top 12 Signals of LOW vs HIGH performing cultures LOW SIGNALS 1. Entitlement 2. Victim Mindset (everything is impossible, why bother?) 3. Death by 1,000 paper cuts (little things go wrong all the time) 4. No...
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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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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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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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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...
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Asset Based Community Recovery - Add Your Voice!
The pandemic has shown us that we can’t do anything alone. However, we can use our experience and the experiences of others to learn and grow from this pandemic to be better prepared for future disasters and emergencies. That's our invitation to you. If you work with community groups, local government, families, businesses, non-profits, farmers, youth, or any other sector of communities, consider joining us for one of our upcoming Asset-based Community Recovery Workshops! Through the...
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ICYMI: CONNECTING LATINO YOUTH/FAMILIES/COMMUNITIES W/EXT RESOURCES
Contrary with what many think, Latino/x population in the US is not a monolith, far from fitting the one-size-fits-all formula, the 60 million Americans of Latino/Hispanic origin represent over 20 Latin American countries, and a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, education levels, geographic locations, histories, political affiliations. Visit this virtual chat archive to learn what extension professionals across the country have been doing to be successful in reaching the Latino/x...
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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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Culture puzzle
"Culture" has become such a buzz word surrounding the workplace. People expect to see something on the company's website about it. They ask current employees about it. They ask about it in interviews. The fact is, it's a big deal. It might be THE big deal of any organization. What we've learned about it is that it's much more than flexible work hours & bean bag chairs in the breakroom. It's about " the way we do things around here". The way this is answered can be profoundly revealing.
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A One Hour End-of-Year Financial Checkup
Like a medical exam, a review of clients’ finances can identify strategies to improve their “financial fitness” and screen for potential problems, such as a high debt-to-income ratio. This article features 10 diagnostic tools to assess the strengths and weaknesses of a client’s financial situation that can be reviewed in a one-hour appointment.
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How are you Showing Appreciation for Volunteers?
Did you know April is National Volunteer Month? National Volunteer Month celebrates the power of volunteers, and it is a great time for you to show appreciation for the volunteers in your Extension programs! Volunteers are a valuable asset to Extension. Programs depend on reliable volunteers to increase the reach and capacity of Cooperative Extension in a county or state. Ensuring volunteers feel valued, keeping them motivated, and recognizing their efforts are key to developing and...
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Tips to Build a Diversified Investment Portfolio
A key theme in investing that never goes out of style is building a diversified portfolio to reduce investment risk. Below are eight key investing concepts for Extension educators to suggest to their clients: Quantify Your Goals - Encourage clients to write down their goals with the projected cost and a time deadline. Doing this will help them select appropriate investments and provide the motivation required today to set money aside for the future. Discuss Risk - Explain that investment...
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Financial Health: What It Is and How to Achieve It
Extension educators are in a position to help consumers build financial health. This post describes what financial health is, how to assess it, and twelve steps to achieve it. What Is Financial Health? Financial health is the current state of someone’s finances. It includes both daily financial functioning (e.g., paying bills) and long-term resilience and opportunity. Like physical health, financial health can change over time and needs to be assessed regularly. According to the Financial...
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Connecting Communities in Asset-based Community Recovery
Learn about the community-building opportunities that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and how you can start building the foundation for community recovery for the future.
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Tips to Cope with Market Volatility
With respect to investments, the word “volatility” refers to sharp up and down movements in prices. Read on for several tips for Extension educators to share with clients to help them cope with market volatility.
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Jason Weigle Joins Extension Foundation as New Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator
The Extension Foundation is pleased to announce that @Jason Weigle has joined the Extension Foundation team as its new Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator. In this role, Jason will be leading all functions of the Impact Collaborative program to help implement and assess successful offerings to Extension Foundation members and foster the ongoing development of the national Impact Collaborative Facilitator network. The Impact Collaborative is a bundle of services and events that are...
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Six Tips for Building Wealth
Extension Educators can change their clients’ lives dramatically by sharing information and tools to build wealth. One of the most valuable financial resources is time for compound interest to work its magic on regular savings deposits such as Roth IRA contributions.
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REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS: New EXCITE Opportunity
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS EXCITE: Design Phase ELIGIBILITY: Non-competitive phase available to ALL Land-grant universities (LGUs) (1862, 1890, 1994) by completing a simple online application. Submit only one application per institution. AWARD AMOUNT: $10,000 TIMELINE: Application Open: September 22, 2022 Application Deadline: November 1, 2022 , November 30, 2022, 11:59 PM PST 11:59 PM PST Award Period: October 1, 2022 - March 15, 2023 APPLICATION ACCESS: The deadline for receipt of the...
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The Military Family as a Cultural Identity - Supporting Families in Transition
Soldier with children | IStock
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Practicing Gratitude and Building Better Thoughts
For service providers and clients alike, life is a winding road of good things here and bad things there. Actively working toward wiring your brain to acknowledge the good and appreciating those good things can help individuals shape personal strengths and build protections. Creating protective factors which can help cultivate positive mental health and generate an asset-based outlook that reaches all aspects of life. November is National Gratitude Month Gratitude is the practice of being...
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Urban Extension Professional Development Guide Reissued as Flipping Book
An Urban Extension Professional Development guide has been reissued as a flipping book by the Extension Foundation. Initially developed as an offering for the 2019 Impact Collaborative, the publication is jam-packed with information and resources curated and reviewed by a national team of experts. Note : Registration for the next Impact Collaborative - which will be held October 4-6th, 2022 - is now open. Information about the all-virtual event can be found here . The publication’s editors...
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RFA Release: EXCITE Implementation Phase *with increased funding amount*
REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS EXCITE: Implementation Phase ELIGIBILITY: Competitive phase available to ALL Land-grant universities (1862, 1890, 1994) by completing an online application. Participation in the Design Phase is not a requirement to apply for the Implementation Phase. AWARD AMOUNT: $100,000 TIMELINE: Application Open: February 2023 Application Deadline: March 15, 2023, 11:59PM PT Award Notification: May 2023 Award Period: June 1, 2023 - November 30, 2024 APPLICATION ACCESS: The...
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The Perfect Meeting
"One can either work or meet. One cannot do both at the same time." -Peter Drucker Darn it! He's right again. Despite our best efforts we can only do one of these (effectively) at a time. Through this, he also reminds us of the multitasking myth. What we actually do is task switch. It takes 40% longer to accomplish two things we're switching on and longer when we add a third or fourth task. One thing we can do to help with effectiveness is to have better meetings. Most HR professionals will...
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Leadership ABC's
A = Attitude One of 2 things within your control; attitude and effort! Attitude is everything, pick a good one. B = Brave When you believe strongly in something or perhaps it scares you a bit, let your courage shine through. Be brave enough to go first and model the way. C = Character This is your behavior when nobody is watching. You won't always have the training and education for the situations you find yourself in. Your strong character will get you through. D = Dependable You do what...
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Safety First!
Each of us strives to fulfill basic needs as humans otherwise we're surviving instead of thriving. When we perceive a situation isn't safe our fight/flight/freeze mode kicks in automatically so we can live through it. It's a great adaptation humans have developed over the millennia. We wouldn't be here without it. The problem comes when we live in this mode more than we feel safe. Cortisol and adrenaline flood our system even when we aren't actually in danger. Prolonged exposure to these...
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New from OneOp: Military Cultural Competency Course Designed for Extension Professionals!
Military families exist in every community and you, as an Extension professional, might serve them every day - whether you realize it or not. Around two-thirds of military families live off base and often live alongside civilians. Out of uniform, these service members are unrecognizable from civilians when they are in the grocery store, picking their kids up from school, and doing other everyday tasks in their community. The well-being of these families is crucial to the Department of...
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Resource Roundup: Recruiting Training and Leading Volunteers in Extension Programs
April is National Volunteer Month , a time to celebrate the impact that volunteers have to strengthen and expand our Extension programming . Not only do volunteers extend our reach in communities , but their perspective and credibility bring a valuable contribution to our projects and program . We all know how valuable volunteers are to our Extension programs! Let us recognize the power and potential volunteers have in helping Extension by enhancing our skills and using resources to help...
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Virtual Chat: My Hometown is Cool… and So Is Yours! Empowering youth through place-based community development
My Hometown is Cool… and So Is Yours Virtual Chat, May 9th, 2023, 2-3 pm ET ENTER CHAT HERE Extension Professionals are invited to participate in a virtual chat focused on empowering youth through place-based community development with the year 4 NTAE project team from West Virginia. In this chat, explore effective ways to engage youth in Extension-led community development efforts, as they are crucial to long-term rural economic growth. The My Hometown is Cool initiative adopts a...
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2 Leadership Styles
Recently our family was at a party of mutual school parent friends. Had a conversation with one of the Dads about "what we do". This led to him sharing a bit about where he works and their culture. He said they are highly transactional in how they approach almost everything. Curious, I inquired how he felt about their approach. He stated that for his industry it was probably appropriate, then added that it didn't always feel very good. We had a great conversation about his experience and the...
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Summit Panel Discussion: From Good To Great
The NTAE Incubation Summit provided attendees with valuable insights and discussions for NTAE teams currently going through the incubation track. This event was an opportunity for teams to collaborate and receive support to help propel them forward in their projects. Participants had the opportunity to learn from speakers, engage with mentors and professionals, and share their own experiences and projects. One of the panel discussions at the Summit was "Ways to Take Your Work from Good to...
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5 Reasons Estate Planning is Vital for Caregivers
While most Americans plan for retirement, many neglect another crucial aspect of financial planning – end of life or estate planning. Although about 6 in 10 Americans have a retirement account (Census Bureau, 2020), only 1 in 3 have an estate plan according to Caring.com’s 2023 Wills and Estate Planning Study. Estate planning is one of the most important, yet often overlooked aspects of caregiving. When someone becomes a caregiver for a loved one, their focus is primarily on providing...
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EXCITE Launches Implementation Phase for 33 Immunization Education Projects/37 Land-grant Universities
Cooperative Extension has been given the opportunity to continue immunization education work through the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE). The Extension Foundation, in cooperation with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), through an Interagency Agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are funding the Cooperative Extension System to increase...
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Ten Tips for Military Families to Survive a “Financial Tornado”
U.S. consumers haven’t just experienced a “perfect storm” of financial challenges…they have experienced a “perfect tornado!” Challenging financial events include sustained high inflation (and increased costs for food, utilities, rent, gas, insurance, housing, etc.), recession fears, increased interest rates, bank failures and government bank take-overs, volatile stock prices, lower savings rates, and increasing household debt. Extension professionals routinely answer questions from clients...
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What makes a successful Executive team?
Being chosen for a role with the primary responsibility of caring for others is a privilege. It's an honor to be selected for these positions. The real challenge is to be worthy of that honor every day. Too much? You're right to think that. It's a lot. Notice though, you're part of an executive "team". Everything that needs to be done can only be done with a team. An executive team is expected to model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the status quo, enable others to act, and...
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Celebrating Culture & Pollinators: Animated Series Honors Native Languages, Provides Science Education
Pollinators like bees, bats, and butterflies are vital for human health because they transfer pollen between plants, allowing many fruits, vegetables, and nuts that nourish us to grow and reproduce. Without these busy pollinators, our diets would be less diverse and lack essential vitamins and minerals found in pollinator-dependent crops. Educating youth about the importance of pollinators is critical. It empowers them to become stewards of these vital creatures, ensuring a healthy future...
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The Puzzle of Culture
"Culture" has become such a buzzword surrounding the workplace. People expect to see something on the company's website about it. They ask current employees about it. They ask about it in interviews. The fact is, it's a big deal. It might be THE big deal for any organization. What we've learned about it is it's much more than flexible work hours and bean bag chairs in the breakroom. It's about " the way we do things around here". The way this is answered can be profoundly revealing. Why...
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Culture Clues
Life is always teaching us stuff. Lately, it's reminded me that we're human beings, not human "doings". When we are in an environment focused on all the "doing" we often feel like a thing or a resource. The clues to this are displayed in a lack of hearing people say... I'm sorry I need help I don't know I made a mistake These clues may seem overly simplified, they aren't. They often indicate too much fear is present. When we don't feel safe, our moral courage is shut down and replaced with...