Tagged With "Fitness for all"
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eXtension RFP for Climate/Extreme Weather Fellowship
Cooperative Extension is positioned to be the leading national resource with the most experience with on-the-ground implementation of conservation-based programming. The eXtension Climate Coalition proposes creating a Fellowship effort as a short-term project dedicated to the compilation of program data across the Cooperative Extension System (CES). The fellow(s), which could be one or two, will identify programming that is currently being implemented that aligns with Project Drawdown, other...
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eXtension Social Café
eXtension Social Café Every Thursday from March 26th - April 30th 1 PM - 2 PM ET Available to All Cooperative Extension Professionals The eXtension Social Café will provide a weekly opportunity for informal, drop-in conversations and questions about the effective use of social media and communications in Extension work. Each Social Café will open with a 5-15 minute “tutorial” of a tool or feature on commonly used social platforms, or a brief showcase of a Cooperative Extension employee who...
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ICYMI: Back To the Future: Using Mass Media for Extension Communications Webinar
Yesterday’s Back the Future: Using Mass Media for Extension Communications webinar had over 300 participants who engaged with the Mass Media Pollinators New Technologies in Agricultural Education (NTAE) grant project team who shared what they have learned so far creating a mass media campaign to encourage the creation of more pollinator habitats.
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May 25th Deadline: Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest
This is just a reminder that the deadline for the monthly Farm Journal Story Lead contest is coming up for the month of May on the 25th ! In case you missed the details about this contest, I've included them below. We look forward to your submissions! The eXtension Foundation, in partnership with Farm Journal, is pleased to bring this opportunity to Cooperative Extension. Each month, we will offer a story lead contest right here in Connect Extension in the new Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead...
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National Action Dialogue: Participant Leadership Needed
eXtension has been mobilized to support Cooperative Extension System (CES) during this tough time of social distancing and in response we have started a webinar series to address working virtually and connecting with your audiences through digital technology. You will also find more information at virtual.extension.org and for eXtension members in the Connect Extension Group: Extension Response & Resources for Extension Professionals Working Online . WHAT NEXT? To take this all one step...
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NEW Monthly Story Lead Contest! Your Chance to Get Published in Farm Journal!
The eXtension Foundation, in partnership with Farm Journal, is pleased to bring this opportunity to Cooperative Extension. Each month, we will offer a story lead contest right here in Connect Extension in the new Farm Journal Monthly Story Lead Contest group. Monthly winners, along with their Extension Directors and Administrators, will have the chance to work with Farm Journal to further develop their story and have it published in Farm Journal media. Submissions for the contest are simply...
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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...
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Smart Cities: Technology, equity, livability and trust
Cities are getting smarter. New technologies help monitor traffic and enforce parking. First responders use camera systems to explore incident scenes for potentially hazardous materials or spills. Autonomous vehicles are being piloted. With these new technologies, governments and communities have concerns about safety, privacy, and equity. The key to successfully navigating these issues is trust. So what's the role of Extension in smart cities? We asked this question of our panel experts and...
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eXtension Migrates Learn Platform to Connect Extension
Over the past few years, the eXtension Foundation has been migrating its custom technology platforms to commercial tools. This has resulted in providing Cooperative Extension professionals with better technology solutions that are consistent with industry standards and provides greater flexibility, usability, and marketability. To date, the Articles publishing platform (articles.extension.org) and its companion content-authoring platform Create (create.extension.org) where former eXtension...
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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...
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How To Adjust Your Notification Settings in Connect Extension
I had a couple of people recently ask about adjusting their email notification preferences for Connect Extension, so I thought I'd share this with everyone! You have control over your own settings - how many or how few notifications you wish to receive. 1. On the navigation bar, hover over your name and choose Notifications from the drop-down menu. 2. You'll come to the Notification Settings screen, where you'll see three tabs: Settings, Follows, and Group Follows . On the Settings tab, you...
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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...
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National Extension Response Resources Site to Include Resources for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
eXtension has updated virtual.extension.org with a collection of resources related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This is just the start, if you have other similar resources to share, we invite you to submit them to contact-us@extension.org . In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the eXtension Foundation launched virtual.extension.org to create a national resource site for Cooperative Extension professionals. The purpose of this site was and still is to help Extension professionals...
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ICYMI: A Virtual Tour: Explore Nutrition Tools and Resources from USDA and HHS Websites
We had a wonderful and very informative webinar yesterday with @Marcia Greenblum & @colleen.sideck from USDA, and @Holly H. McPeak from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services! During the webinar, these panelists guided participants through the different nutrition tools and resources found on the USDA and HHS sites. There were a TON of resources that they covered, and as promised - we wanted to share that list here: If you missed the webinar, you can find a recording of it here...
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ICYMI & What's Coming Up! - From "Me" to "We"
In this first of three sessions during From "Me" to "We" the focus was introspective as we looked at how our values help us with our daily decisions, guide our behaviors & inform our beliefs. Our core values are the platform for authentic leadership. They are the way we connect with ourselves & how others' begin to trust us. In case you couldn't join us, you can watch the "Values" video here . Here are some resources for continued action on your journey! KNOW YOURSELF Here's a FREE...
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From "Me" to "We" - TRUST
We sincerely hope you will join us on June 18 at 2PM Eastern for our session on "Trust". One of my favorite videos on this topic is from Colin Powell...here's a sneak peek before we're together again! “ The Essence of Leadership ” Invite others to our sessions here & please share your best resources, favorite articles, videos or books on these topics in the comments in these posts. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow! WHAT HAPPENED ALREADY? In our first of three sessions during From "Me"...
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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...
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The Ins and Outs of the Learn Calendar on Connect Extension
I’ve received a number of GREAT questions about the Learn calendar here on Connect Extension. What is it? Who can use it? What’s the value in using it? I thought it would also be helpful to explain some of the things that are happening on the backend that many might not be aware of - and how you, as Cooperative Extension professionals, can take advantage of that with ease! First - who can use it? Anybody in Cooperative Extension can use it. You do not need to be a member of the eXtension...
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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...
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Re: Live Stream Today at 2 PM ET! Start Simple with MyPlate: Your “go to” nutrition resource!
Please forward the recording Take care of yourself, -Ang Angela DeSmith, RD Pronouns: she/her/hers FoodWIse County Coordinator Adams/Juneau Counties University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension I am following Wisconsin Department of Health Services, UW-Madison, and federal guidelines due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak. I am working remotely. I am checking phone messages from office phone once per week. Adams County Juneau County 569 North Cedar Street, Suite 3 220 E. State Street,...
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Announcement of eXtension Foundation New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Project Acceleration Opportunity for 2020
Acclerate Your Projects & Programs The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce nominations for New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) for 2020. The NTAE cooperative agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will enter the second year on September 1, 2020. Nominations are a short request for information that is quickly and easily completed in minutes. Nomination forms will be available June 15, 2020. Requirements of projects/programs to...
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Too Many Notifications? Not Enough? Here's How to Adjust Your Settings
A couple of months ago, I wrote a post on how to adjust your notification settings here in Connect Extension. It occurred to me this week that we have many more users now than when I originally wrote that. So, I thought I would share this information again: You have control over your own settings - how many or how few notifications you wish to receive. You can turn them all off entirely, or pick and choose what you would like to receive based upon content type. You can also customize your...
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What’s It Like to Work with the eXtension Foundation as an NTAE Project? - Using Mass Media for Extension Messaging
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, accelerate, and amplify the project/program outcomes. Wrap around services include: Project/Program advisory support from a Catalyst (current or past senior program or administrative...
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ICYMI: Accelerate Your Projects and Programs: A Discussion on the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) Nomination Process for 2020-2021
Yesterday, we had the opportunity to sit down and talk with eXtension Catalyst Team members @Scott Reed , @Jimmy Henning , and @Fred Schlutt for an overview of the New Technologies for Ag Extension Nomination process, wrap-around services provided to projects, goals, outcomes, and how eXtension is able to help accelerate projects and programs through NTAE. This opportunity is available to ALL Cooperative Extension professionals, not just those from eXtension member institutions. Thank you to...
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Your Leadership & Culture
These days we don't have to look far for articles on how to positively affect workplace culture. The founder of Southwest Airlines, Herb Kelleher, was once asked by an employee if they could serve sandwiches on their flights. He responded by asking if that would help them become THE low-cost airlines in the industry? It didn't so they don't! Every great leader believes their leadership can make a difference in their organization & helps keep everyone focused on their vision of what that...
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21st Annual Summer Program in Population Health
The Summer Program courses are taught by national experts in Population Health. Courses educate and train practitioners, researchers and students in population health methods and builds their capacity to address emerging health priorities. Courses are designed to appeal to a broad range of professionals interested in understanding and improving the health of communities. The 21st Annual Summer Program in Population Health has adapted this year’s program to a complete virtual format due to...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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eXtension Selects 8 Projects For Acceleration From Cooperative Extension for 2020-2021
As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, the eXtension Foundation selected 8 projects from 33 competitive nominations across the system for year two to participate in its project accelerator program. The nomination process opened in May 2020 and closed in July 2020. All Land Grant Universities were eligible to submit nominations. The project period is September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021. Requirements included: Projects...
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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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National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Since 2007 Juntos has been bridging communities together with the goal of graduating Latino students from high school and supporting their journey to high education. On September 23, 2020, eleven land-grant Universities, Juntos partners, advocates, and investors will come together for the opening of the first National Juntos Convening to answer Why Juntos Matters to our communities and nation. On September 24th Juntos leaders from all eleven Universities will come together to set the stage...
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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...
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Re: National Juntos Convening: A Thirteen Year Journey
Appreciate all that you've included to help me learn more about this wonderful initiative. Thank you!
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Urban Foods Systems Symposium in October will focus on climate, community, security, production and distribution
All things food in and for urban areas will be in focus during the 3 rd Urban Food Systems Symposium scheduled for virtual delivery on Wednesdays in Octobe r and hosted this year by Kansas State University and K-State Research and Extension. 2020 Urban Food Systems Symposium online sessions will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT every Wednesday in October. If you’ve got an interest in any aspect of urban food systems there’s a session for you and you are encouraged attend. The...
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Juntos National Convening Article
What an exciting time for the National Juntos Program. Last week our National Convening proved to be a much-needed time for all Juntos states and partners to gather and unite with the understanding of why Juntos matters and why Juntos is here to stay. We also set the stage for the future of the program with 2020 Vision as our driving force. Check out this great article which summarizes the event from our partner Education NC .