ECOP Monday Minute 5.12.14

Cooperative Extension, USDA-NIFA, and National 4-H Council Sign Agreement – Surrounded by 4-H members, Cooperative Extension, USDA-NIFA and National 4-H Council showed united support of positive youth development by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5187) clarifying the roles and responsibilities of each party. ECOP Chair-elect Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, who signed the MOU on behalf of ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, indicated its purpose was to encourage collaborative and enhanced communication and management of national 4-H policies and procedures affecting state and local programs. USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy also signed the document together with National 4-H Council President and Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Sirangelo. The signing took place as part of the historic Cooperative Extension Centennial Convocation May 8, 2014 in Washington, DC. The convocation commemorated the Smith-Lever Act signed on the same day 100 years ago establishing Cooperative Extension nationwide through the Land-grant University System. A video recording of the event, including the signing of the MOU, will be available later this week at http://www.windrosemedia.com/windstream/ext100years/. In addition to honoring the legacy of Cooperative Extension, speakers provided a compelling vision for another 100 years of Extension educational excellence by extending knowledge and changing lives. About the MOU, Henning said, “The 4-H program, designed, delivered and evaluated nationwide by Cooperative Extension in cooperation with USDA-NIFA and with support from the National 4-H Council, will continue to be one of our flagship programs as we work diligently to grow a new generation of leaders for our Nation and the world.”

L-R at the table - National 4-H Council President and Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Sirangelo; USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy; ECOP Chair-elect Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, on behalf of ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky.

Virtual Centennial Festivities – Cooperative Extension’s Centennial is an eXtension featured event this month in the online virtual world Second Life. Access to the event is at http://secondlife.com/destination/extension-centennial-celebration. The celebration includes a Virtual State Fair decorated with a Centennial theme, live musical performances, educational exhibits, live stream of the Centennial Convocation on May 8th, and a fun video recorded entirely on eXtension’s Morrill regions, where 86,000 unique visitors enjoyed a variety of virtual learning environments in 2013. View the four-minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EadsygNwc48.

USDA Celebrates Extension – USDA honored the 100th anniversary of Cooperative Extension with highlights at This Week at USDA (2nd part of news clip).
Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke at the May 8th convocation, along with USDA Chief Scientist Catherine Woteki and USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy, all of whom challenged Cooperative Extension to be innovative in the next 100 years.

Congratulations from President Carter – Watch the two-minute video message from President Jimmy Carter first aired at the centennial convocation on May 8th
The 89-year-old is a 4-H'er, peanut farmer, public servant and statesman. He comments on the importance of Cooperative Extension in his family and his life as well as the important role Extension will play in the future to feed the world. The video, made possible by the University of Georgia, is view only. There is an additional charge to use anything other than the produced piece shown at the Convocation.

APLU Celebrates Centennial – President Peter McPherson wrote an essay http://www.aplu.org/page.aspx?pid=2962 and spoke at the May 8th convocation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsE5Fudyb7Y&list=UUjNa4QiDEehsw74V0pMfQMQ. APLU staff posed with Smith, Lever and Knapp, cut-outs made available by the University of Florida Extension http://aplublog.blogspot.com/2014/05/slideshow-aplu-hangs-out-smith-lever.html.

Extension Award Nominations Due 5.30.14 – Take time now to submit nominations for the Excellence in Extension and Diversity Awards. To prepare a nomination for submission, use the handy pdf version which includes criteria found at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5116. Then submit the nomination at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ECOPAwards2014. For questions, contact Sandy Ruble at sandy.ruble@extension.org. Supporting documents for Diversity and Excellence awards are available at https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5165 and https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5166, respectively.