ECOP Monday Minute - 6.9.14

ECOP Recommends Distribution of Ag Act Funding – USDA Secretary Vilsack announced $6 million in funding, primarily to Cooperative Extension, to educate farmers about key programs authorized through the Agriculture Act of 2014. ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, and ECOP Member James Trapp, along with others, were key contributors in framing the process for distributing the $3 million non-competitive portion of the funding. View a list of allocations to 1862 and 1890 institutions and $75K for eXtension in the chart at http://www.usda.gov/documents/StateExtensionServicesFunding.pdf. For more details, see http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=landing&topic=ner&newstype=newsrel&type=detail&item=nr_20140529_rel_0106.html. Continued discussion relates to an evaluation process. Additional details will be shared when available. 

UPDATE: Disruptive E-nnovation – eXtension Strategy Committee Chair Keith Smith, Ohio State University, reports four targets for the new eXtension: 

• Innovation as the engine to move and keep digital Cooperative Extension in the forefront of open access online learning; 
• Engagement and retention of new and existing audiences, and digital professional development of Extension educators to bring new opportunities to Extension, enhance use of local resources, and increase institution’s capacities; 
• Leadership and management structured as a nonprofit cooperative to support the flexibility, innovation and entrepreneurship needed in fast paced digital environments; and 
• Entrepreneurship supporting a new “investment” business model that includes institutional choices to invest, public and private national and global partnerships, fees for services and leveraging revenue streams. 

Smith said the eXtension Strategy Committee is taking into account the pace of technology advancements to mobile devices, young and old engaging in digital personal learning networks, and that forty-five percent of those seeking information go to a friend first. Details will be provided to ECOP at its Tuesday, July 22, 2014 meeting in San Diego by Smith, together with Elbert Dickey, interim eXtension director, and Dennis Calvin, eXtension Governing Committee Chair, Pennsylvania State University, with additional information provided to Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators shortly thereafter. 

CDC Funding for Obesity Reduction -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announces about $4.7 million to fund up to six land-grant colleges and universities located in states with counties with an adult obesity prevalence of more than 40 percent of the population. The pilot project will include intervention strategies through existing Cooperative Extension and outreach efforts at the county level. See http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/highobesitycounties/index.html for details. The deadline for submitting applications is July 23, 2014. 

Alabama Extension Centennial News – Alabama Extension celebrated 100 years with a Commendation from the Governor’s Office https://sites.aces.edu/group/comm/newsline/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=787.

Teens Take on Health – The National 4-H Council and Molina Healthcare released findings from an 18-month project listening to teens about their health concerns http://www.4-h.org/about/youth-development-research/health-research/?utm_campaign=MOLINATTOH&utm_source=4HORG&utm_medium=CAROUSEL. 

USDA-NIFA Releases “Hot Spot” Maps – See http://www.reeis.usda.gov/portal/page?_pageid=193,1&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL for new maps showing funding received by State and Congressional District.