Monday, April 25, 2016

Study Documents Extension’s Value


Stephan Goetz, Penn State
Cooperative Extension programs have helped nearly 138,000 farmers stay in business since 1985, according to economists. In a recently published study, Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics at Penn State, and Meri Davlasheridze, assistant professor and economist, Texas A&M University at Galveston, said that without Cooperative Extension and the underlying land-grant university research, the country would have lost an estimated 28 percent more farmers than actually left agriculture. The broader youth, family and community development programs offered by Extension also support rural entrepreneurship and innovation, enhancing rural economic vitality. "An obvious policy recommendation for keeping farmers on their farms and supporting rural economies is to continue to fund the land-grant universities and their Cooperative Extension and related research efforts," said Goetz. Learn more at http://aese.psu.edu/nercrd/news/2016/land-grant-programs-keep-farmers-farming

Extension Award Nominations Due Now – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the prestigious national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is 5.1.16 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Winners are recognized at the Board on Agriculture Assembly Awards Event 11.13.16 prior to the APLU Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.

Grow True Leaders Campaign LaunchesThe Grow True Leaders Campaign is off to a great start thanks to the support of Cooperative Extension and 4-H leaders. New, national coverage over the past week includes CNN Money, USA TODAY and Farm Journal on top of the many other national stories reaching millions via print, online and social channels. Social media activation peaked with the true leaders hash tag trending on Twitter, a first for 4-H. The campaign public service announcement has aired in 24 states. News coverage continues to highlight the 4-H National Youth Survey on Leadership conducted by the Harris Poll, which found that 90 percent of young people (high school students) say they are concerned about the future leadership of America, and nearly 70 percent are more confident in the next generation of leaders than in the leaders they see today. View and download the survey findings at www.4-H.org. Less than a week after the National 4-H Council Congressional Breakfast, the United States Senate, independently and unanimously approved a bipartisan resolution authored by Senators Roger Wicker, R-MS, and Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, in support of 4-H and the Grow True Leaders Campaign. The measure, which was co-sponsored by 34 senators, recognizes the benefits of the 4-H program for young people and its potential growth. 

MEiE Survey Responses Due – Managing Excellence in Extension (MEiE)is a database supported by ECOP to share information amongst Extension directors and administrators. It documents institutional-level indicators of Extension’s success. The usefulness of this database will depend on the extent of participation of land-grant institutions and the quality of the information each institution provides. Please take a moment to complete the MEiE Assessment if you received an invitation to do so. Those needing to complete the assessment are users in the MEiE system and should have received an email from Scott Cummings dated April 11, 2016. If you did not receive an email and think you should have, or have questions, please reach Scott at s-cummings@tamu.edu.

Urban Extension Webinar This WeekRegister at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7332687399589713665 for a 3:00 p.m. ET webinar 4.28.16 focused on the basics of National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL). This webinar will cover the NUEL structure, goals, engagement benefits, and action team initiatives underway, strategies for involvement and networking opportunities. Urban programming, while maintaining Extension’s impact in rural areas, is a goal of ECOP in 2016. Participation in NUEL is encouraged. 

Jason Henderson, Purdue University, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, and
CEO Bill Bynum, Hope Enterprise Corporation
Poverty Forum Highlights Extension  – Jason Henderson, Extension Director, Purdue University, joined USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Bill Bynum, CEO of Hope Enterprise Corporation of Jackson, MS, last week in Washington, DC, to speak at a Farm Foundation Forum on rural poverty. The forum focused on the costs of poverty in rural America and the role of public policy in the fight against poverty. For presentation details and to hear the audio, CLICK HERE.

Monday, April 18, 2016

4-H Grows Here! Campaign Launches

4-H Alumna & ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers,
University of Delaware
ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers joined former 4-H members who are now members of Congress and USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy last week speaking at a Congressional Breakfast hosted by the National 4-H Council. This was part of multiple events launching a powerful new campaign designed to make 4-H accessible to 10 million young people, up from the 6 million reached now. 4-H Alumna Jennifer Nettles, county music star and Grammy award winner, is the national spokesperson for this effort to “Grow True Leaders” with 4-H. Learn more online at http://www.4-h.org/get-involved/grow-true-leaders-campaign/ or by Twitter at #TrueLeaders. Encourage 4-H alumni to engage in this effort by signing up at www.4-H.org/4HAlumni

"Urban Innovation: The New Extension Story” was featured at the
JCEP Public Issues Leadership Conferencelast week in Crystal City, VA.
Presenters pictured (L-R) are Travis Burke, North Carolina State University;
Jody Squires, University of Missouri; Patrick Proden, Oregon State University,
and Julie Fox, Ohio State University. Joining via video was Deno De Ciantis,
Pennsylvania State University.
Focus on Urban Programming – Aligned with the ECOP 2016 goal to advance urban programming while maintaining rural presence, the National Urban Extension Leaders point you to www.nuelaction.org for current updates. Included is the “National Framework for Urban Extension” (December 2015) and directions for joining the mail list. The next NUEL meeting is May 23-26, 2016 in Columbus, OH, http://cityextension.osu.edu/NUEL_meeting. Also, mark your calendars for the National Urban Extension Conference, May 7-11, 2017 in Minneapolis.

Chronic Disease Survey Due 5.15.16 – All Extension professionals are encouraged to participate by May 15th in an environmental scan conducted by the Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CDPM) Action Team chaired by David Buys, Mississippi State University. The CDPM is part of the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team. The survey https://msudafvm.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bBnfv3eNsmku6C9 asks questions about CDPM program characteristics and processes, partnerships, and barriers. Responses will be used to identify model programs, process, and evaluation approaches. 

USDA-NIFA Suspends University POWs – A memorandum from USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy describes the suspension of plan of work submission requirements for FY 2017 and FY 2018. Additional information is available at the NIFA Plan of Work web page. The transition to a new reporting and accountability system at USDA-NIFA was advised by a Panel of Experts which ECOP helped to form with representation from all regions. 

Extension to Meet at 2016 APLU Annual Meeting – ECOP Chair Michele Rodgers invites you to the Cooperative Extension dinner Monday evening of the 2016 APLU Annual Meeting November 13-15 in Austin, TX. Make hotel reservations at the JW Marriott Austin in Austin, TX at https://resweb.passkey.com/go/APLU2016. To register, go to http://www.aplu.org/meetings-and-events/annual-meeting/.

Resources for Climate Change – Iowa State calls your attention to fact sheets for Extension educators and other farm advisers related to impacts of climate variability. Go to http://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/Climate-Change-and-Agricultural-Extension

LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LEFT: Awards Reminder-Nominate by 5.1.16 – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.

Monday, April 11, 2016

PILD Session for Directors/Administrators 4.11.16

Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin; Doug Steele, Texas A&M University; Jim Richards,
Cornerstone Government Affairs; and Stan Moore, Michigan State University
The ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC), chaired by Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, invites Cooperative Extensions Directors and Administrators to a one-hour session, 4:00 p.m. ET, 4.11.16 at the Pubic Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference, Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, VA. The session titled National Leadership: Advocacy and Action will feature Klemme along with Doug Steele, BLC vice-chair, Texas A&M University; Jim Richards, Cornerstone Government Affairs, and Stan Moore, Joint Council on Extension Professionals (JCEP) representative, Michigan State University. Learn about the current status of federal budget advocacy efforts and discussions about Extension as a national system. 

Virtual Communications Camp Applications Due 4.15.16 – Up to five teams will be selected to participate in the first Virtual Communications Camp, the culmination of an eXtension innovation project awarded in June 2015. Developed and taught by Becky Koch and Bob Bertsch, communications professionals, North Dakota State University, the online camp is based on the successful in-person camp they have been hosting for the last four years. Participants will work on planning their institution's communication strategy (goals, target audiences, key messages, and user scenarios) and applying them to specific tools (web pages, social media posts, news releases, videos) The no-cost, 8-week program begins May 6, 2016. For details, see https://extension.org/2016/04/06/virtual-communication-camp-applications-due-april-15/

Chronic Disease Prevention & Management, Health In All Policies Education,
Health Insurance Literacy, Positive Youth Development for Health,
and Health Literacy Action Teams are listed at http://bit.ly/ECOPHealthTeams
One Extension, One Health – All Extension programs ultimately engage and impact human health emerged as a general theme of the pre-conference to the 2016 National Health Outreach Conference last week in Roanoke. The ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team composed of action team leaders for health literacy, health insurance literacy, positive youth development for health, chronic disease prevention and management, and health in all policies education helped engage 75 Extension professionals in a World CafĂ© session. Other common themes of the fast-paced informational gathering session focused on motivating changed behavior at the individual and community levels, being guided by the socio-ecological framework, and connecting partners for positive action. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for periodic reports of news you and your colleagues can use from the health action teams. 

Name JOE Institutional Delegate – Ami Smith, West Virginia State University, ECOP representative to the Extension Journal Inc. Board of Directors, encourages all directors/administrators to name an institutional delegate. During its meeting late March 2016 in Starkville, MS, the Board changed the name from institutional liaison to delegate. They are responsible for maintaining the Journal of Extension’s (JOE) visibility as a professional resource within their institution, engaging in active promotion and marketing of JOE, and informing colleagues about the National Job Bank. Letters were sent to each institution with this request. In other business, the Board considered a special issue on “innovation” and began work on a new strategic plan. 

Extension Leaders Highlight PILD Conference This Week – Doug Steele, Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, kicks off the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Public Issues Leadership Development conference today in Crystal City, VA. In a separate session, ECOP updates of interest to Extension professionals will be provided along with comments by Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA-NIFA Director, and Tim Cross, University of Tennessee, Chair of the National Impacts Database Committee. The capstone speaker is Chris Geith, CEO, eXtension Foundation. More information about the conference is available at www.jcep.org

LESS THAN 3 WEEKS LEFT: Awards Reminder-Nominate by 5.1.16 – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.

Monday, April 4, 2016

ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team Midpoint Check

Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, and
Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin
As co-chairs, Rick Klemme, University of Wisconsin, and Celvia Stovall, Alabama A&M University, will engage the ECOP-ESCOP Health Implementation Team this week in Roanoke, VA. On the agenda for the midpoint check of a three-year assignment is to track the accomplishments and plans for the action teams focused on health literacy, health insurance literacy, positive youth development for health, health in all policies education, and chronic disease prevention and management. The implementation team resulted from recommendations in the 2014 Cooperative Extension National Framework for Health and Wellness http://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=5134.The action teams also have a significant role in the pre-conference to the National Health Outreach Conference, A Picture of Health: How are Land-grant universities fitting into the puzzle? also this week in Roanoke, VA. 

L-R Sally Bowman, Oregon State University; Patsy Ezell, University of Maryland; Lisa Sullivan Werner, University
of Massachusetts, and Michelle Vineyard, University of Tennessee
SNAP-ED Program Development Team Names New Members – Sally Bowman, Oregon State University; Patsy Ezell, University of Maryland; Lisa Sullivan Werner, University of Massachusetts, and Michelle Vineyard, University of Tennessee, are the newest members of the Land-grant University SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT). Paula Peters, Kansas State University; C.Y. Wang, South Dakota State University, and Helen Chipman, USDA-NIFA, provide key leadership for the PDT. Members serve on one of three committees: Evaluation and Reporting, Legislation and Advocacy, or Professional Development. The work of the PDT is supported by an assessment from institutions where Cooperative Extension receives funding for SNAP-ED. 

Building a Culture of Health at National Health Outreach Conference – There are three opportunities to learn more and share your thinking about building a Culture of Health in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) at the National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) in Roanoke, VA., April 6-8. Stop by the National 4-H Council booth. Attend the April 8 Plenary Session featuring Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair, and Monica Vinluan, RWJF Senior Program Director. Attend the breakout session, The RWJF and the Cooperative Extension System: Bold Partnership Proposal, also on April 8. 

Interagency Committee Releases Nutrition Research Roadmap – To continue successful nutrition interventions, the Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research (ICHNR) recently released the first National Nutrition Research Roadmap designed to guide federal nutrition research. The roadmap identifies three key questions that cover a broad spectrum of research: How do we better understand and define eating patterns to improve and sustain health? What can be done to help people choose healthy eating patterns? How can we develop and engage innovative methods and systems to accelerate discoveries in human nutrition? ICHNR co-chairs are Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics and USDA Chief Scientist, and Karen B. DeSalvo, Health and Human Services (HHS) Acting Assistant Secretary for Health. The Roadmap is the result of more than a year of interagency collaboration through the ICHNR and integration of public comments. 

Learn How to Write Impact Statements – The Impact Statement Reporting Course is part of eXtension professional development offerings for Cooperative Extension professionals. Created by the Office of Professional and Continuing Education at Oregon State University in collaboration with a nationwide team of Extension educators, the content addresses specific needs of Extension professionals. eXtension’s online course format ensures continuity across trainings, widespread accessibility, and ease of use. Requiring approximately 80 minutes to complete, all at one time or across modules, this course provides timely instruction or can serve as a refresher. Employees of eXtension member institutions receive this course as a no-cost benefit through their institution’s membership. The course fee for employees of non-member institutions is $80. Check out the free sampler of the course.

LESS THAN 4 WEEKS LEFT: Awards Reminder-Nominate by 5.1.16 – ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA offers the 2016 nomination process for the national Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2016 at 5:00p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandy.ruble@extension.org, ECOP Staff Associate.