Monday, September 26, 2016

CES/NEDA 2016 Meeting in Review

ECOP 2016 goals of innovation, national system, private resource mobilization, urban programming, and professional development grounded the 2016 Cooperative Extension Section/National Extension Directors and Administrators (CES/NEDA) meeting https://goo.gl/XI1xQA last week at Jackson Lake Lodge, WY. In its national leadership role designed to benefit state and local Cooperative Extension programming, ECOP rolled out a fast-paced, informative session including ignite-style talks, system-wide decision making using electronic polling, and insights on the importance of trust in the workplace. See http://bit.ly/16NEDAignite and http://bit.ly/16NEDAissues for selected presentations, enjoy the photo collage below, and for those available to be at the meeting in Wyoming, watch for a short survey to evaluate the meeting.
  
 

Monday, September 19, 2016

ECOP Meets This Week in WY

ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, welcomes ECOP members to a face-to-face meeting at Jackson Lake Lodge, WY, in conjunction with the Joint ESS-CES/NEDA meeting September 19-21. As ECOP provides national leadership to benefit state and local Extension programming, key discussions are based on ECOP 2016 goals related to innovation, national system, private resource mobilization, and urban programming. Thanks to the work of the ECOP Budget Task Force, Jimmy Henning, Chair, University of Kentucky, ECOP will consider approval of a balanced budget for 2017. Further, the agenda includes discussion with USDA-NIFA, possible next steps on civil discourse for community safety programming, and ECOP emphasis areas for 2017. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for reports of actions. 

Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, &
Gary Thompson, Penn State University
ECOP and ESCOP Budget and Legislative Committees to Connect in WY – ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC) Chair Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, and ESCOP BLC Chair Gary Thompson, Pennsylvania State University, combine efforts of the two committees Tuesday, 9.20.16, at Jackson Lake Lodge, WY. The primary purpose is to engage in a conversation about how the two committees can work most effectively together to advance advocacy for federal appropriations and authorizations. Priorities for 2018 farm bill preparation also are on the agenda for discussion. 

James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, &
Albert Essel, Lincoln University
Next Farm Bill Focus of Workshop – The ECOP Farm Bill Coordinating Committee co-chaired by James Trapp, Oklahoma State University, and Albert Essel, Lincoln University, will engage with others in facilitating a workshop Tuesday, 9.20.16, as part of the ESS-CES/NEDA meeting in Wyoming on New Ideas and Key Changes for Federal Authorization. The purpose of the two-hour workshop is NOT to set priorities, instead it is to identify through a facilitated process some concepts for potential authorization of interest to directors/administrators of Cooperative Extension and Experiment Stations. It is expected the results of the discussion will be considered at the October 3-4, 2016 meeting of the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Committee on Legislation and Policy in Washington, DC. 

Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, &
Mike O'Neill, University of Connecticut
Orientation for New Directors/Administrators on Agenda Today – ECOP Personnel Committee co-chairs Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, and Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, helped plan the ESS/CES New Director/Administrator Orientation 9.19.16 to precede the ESS-CES/NEDA Joint Meeting in WY. Stovall will moderate the panel discussion based on core competencies for leadership in Extension and research, dealing with the political realities of these top positions, and highlighting state-level ESS and CES collaboration to achieve results. 

Urban Conference Proposals Due 9.30.16 – Proposals for the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference, “Engaging in Collective Purpose”, are due the end of this month. The conference in metropolitan Minneapolis, MN, May 8 – 11, 2017 will include presentations and applied research on urban programs with impact along with how to position your Extension office or program in your urban community, how you attract and retain personnel in highly competitive environments, and creative and effective partnerships. See https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/urbanextensionconference2017/call-for-proposals

Cultural Competency Workshop – Those attending NAE4-HA http://www.nae4ha.com/2016-national-conference are encouraged to add the daylong pre-conference on Sunday 10.9.16 to professional development plans. The topic Towards Cultural Competency - Tools for the Journey Towards Cultural Competency is designed for Extension professionals to increase proficiency in navigating ever increasing global communities. Models and theories will be presented that can guide work with others in cross cultural interactions with applications for both personal and professional relationships. An additional registration fee is required for the pre-conference.

Monday, September 12, 2016

See You in Wyoming!

Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware
ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, announces the agenda https://goo.gl/XI1xQA for the annual meeting of the Cooperative Extension Section (CES)/National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Wednesday morning, September 21, 2016 at Jackson Lake Lodge, Wyoming. In addition to brief updates on ECOP national leadership priorities, the meeting is designed to engage Extension directors/administrators in discussion and decision-making. Note the links to supporting documents on innovation, the Extension health agenda, National 4-H Council Board of Trustees, and the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team. Throughout the meeting participants will be asked to use mobile devices (e.g. smart phone, laptops) to provide your opinion or vote. In the case of the SNAP-ED Program Development Team, you will be asked to vote on continued investments in this work via assessments to Extension in institutions receiving SNAP-Ed funding. If you are not able to attend the meeting in person and have comment about any of the agenda items, please send them to Rodgers mrodgers@udel.edu with a copy to ECOP Executive Director Jane Schuchardt jane.schuchardt@extension.org by 9.19.16. The CES/NEDA meeting is joint with the Experiment Station Section. See http://goo.gl/c9WM74 for the full agenda. 

Building a Culture of Health: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Grant Update – For the last year, leaders from Cooperative Extension, USDA-NIFA, National 4-H Council, and the RWJF together with 4-H members have been exploring a potential partnership to impact Americans' health within communities throughout the United States. This important work will continue this fall with the help of a second planning grant. The start-up phase (September 2016-April 2017) will be dedicated to designing a systems approach and organization for implementation while testing tools and support systems to begin activating the Extension-RWJF partnership in 2017. States will have the opportunity to determine readiness to participate and opt into the partnership. For more information, click here

4-H Youth in Action Awards Webinar 9.14.16 – National 4-H Council is accepting applications for the 2017 4-H Youth in Action Awards to be presented at the eighth annual Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C. on March 21. The 2017 awards will recognize one remarkable 4-Her within each pillar area: agriculture, citizenship, healthy living, and STEM. Each of the four 4-H Youth in Action Awards pillar winners will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education, an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to be recognized at the Legacy Awards and a shopping experience to select attire for the event. A 2017 4-H National Youth in Action winner also will be selected and given an additional $5,000 scholarship. The application deadline is 10.24.16. To find out more, join the webinar 11 a.m., ET, 9.14.16. Click here to register To apply, go to www.4-h.org/youthinaction. Direct questions to YouthinAction@4-H.org

Extension Urban Programming Webinars – The Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research announces two webinars. The first at 3:00 p.m. ET, 9.22.16, is on Urban Communities Re-Imagined, a multi-region, multi-state project funded by the Kettering Foundation. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9183739417566395650. A second webinar on Leadership in the City is 3:00 p.m. ET, 9.29.16. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7742191711828300803. For more information visit: http://metroextension.wsu.edu/. Extension urban programming is an emphasis area for ECOP national leadership this year. 

Final Rule on AFRI with Request for Comments – USDA-NIFA is soliciting comments on its final rule on a revision of the general administrative guidelines applicable to the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grant program. The solicitation appeared in the Federal Register (81 FR 58809, August 26, 2016) and can be found at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-26/pdf/2016-18422.pdf. The comment deadline is 9.26.16.