ECOP 4-H National Leadership Committee Names Co-chairs – Renée McKee, Program Leader, 4-H and Youth Development, Purdue University, and Ed Jones, Extension Director, Virginia Tech, are co-chairs of the new ECOP 4-H National Leadership Committee. The committee’s charge is to engage in regular and substantive discussion about issues of national importance related to the LGU Cooperative Extension System’s implementation of the 4-H program, and to develop recommendations for consideration by ECOP. Click Here to view a progress report. Charlotte Eberlein, Extension Director, University of Idaho, and an ECOP member, served as the inaugural, interim chair of the team. Chuck Hibberd, Extension Director, University of Nebraska, is ECOP liaison to the team.
ECOP Meets in Lexington, KY – ECOP Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, welcomed ECOP members, liaisons, and guests to his home state last week for a robust session focusing on significant agenda items including the future of eXtension, implementation plans related to the Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health and Wellness, and formalization of the National Impacts Database Committee. ECOP also approved the goals, calendar and budget for the new ECOP year effective November 4, 2014 when Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, becomes chair.
International Extension Webinar 11.7.14 – In celebration of the U.S. Cooperative Extension’s 100th year, the Global Forum on Rural Advisory Services www.g-fras.org and USDA-NIFA are hosting a webinar November 7, 2014, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET. The title is What is the Role of a Country’s Universities in Pluralistic Rural Advisory Services? The U.S. Land-Grant Model and Other Examples. The session is designed for policy makers, government and non-government organizations, university leaders, donors, and agricultural service providers as they work to strengthen extension/outreach services in the U.S. and around the world. If you plan to join the webinar, technically facilitated by eXtension, please send an email to CIP@nif.usda.gov.
USDA-NIFA Federal Assistance Policy Guide – Comments continue to be solicited by USDA on the policy guide, which is based on laws, regulations, and USDA and NIFA guidance. See www.nifa.usda.gov/business/managing_grant.html. Send comments to policyguide@nifa.usda.gov with “NIFA Policy Guide” in the subject line of the email message.
Energy and Federal Financing – Guide to Federal Financing of Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Deployment has been released by the U.S. Department of Energy, USDA, the U.S. Treasury and other agencies. See http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/10/f18/Federal%20Financing%20Guide%2009%2026%2014.pdf.
Future of Extension – ECOP member Michael Ouart, University of Missouri, calls your attention to the panel discussion Extension: Taking the Long View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83c61_rvlGg. The 2014 National Excellence in Extension award winner, Robert Kallenbach, Plant Sciences Extension Specialist and Program Leader, University of Missouri, is one of the panelists.
Extension Embraces Change – Cathann Kress, ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee member, Iowa State University, recommends an article about the changing Extension at 100 years http://m.iowafarmertoday.com/news/crop/extension-embraces-change-at/article_0661eac8-4f1e-11e4-b4c7-6b5bfc500c20.html?mobile_touch=true.
