National
Extension
Directors and
Administrators (NEDA) are invited to attend 2017 NEDA Meeting, October 2-4, 2017, entitled
Invigorate, Innovate, Celebrate: Positioning Extension for 2020s. “We hope you will come ready to learn, network, engage, and explore,” says Michelle Rodgers, NEDA Meeting
Planning Committee Chair. Participating Universities will return home with an Adobe Kickbox, an innovator program that delivers an actionable process for discovering new opportunities, validating client engagement, and evaluating new service potential. Innovation in Extension is a strong priority by ECOP just as it was when catalyzed at the 2015 NEDA Meeting (Capstone video:
https://youtu.be/LqtZTJ3vdZ8). Stay tuned for introductions to each session that will occur around the
5 goals! Go to
http://www.cvent.com/d/55qd1t to learn more and register.
2018 ECOP Agenda Survey Reminder - As noted in last week’s Monday Minute, incoming ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd
hibberd@unl.edu, working with the ECOP Executive Committee, is placing an emphasis on engaging Extension Directors and Administrators more directly in the development of ECOP’s short and longer-term action agenda. This is a reminder to respond to the initial survey (if you have not already done so)
by Friday, June 23!
SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT) Update - Actions identified by the
PDT Shared Expertise Ad Hoc Committee for the
2017 strategic plan are under development including:
- a mentoring program for new SNAP-Ed coordinators at Land-grant universities (LGU)
- a plan to consistently communicate PDT reports on regional calls
- dissemination of information from the 2016 survey of expertise of SNAP-Ed programs at LGUs
On the survey, the areas of expertise are separated into sections of programming strengths, the name of the university, and contact person. Strategies are underway to keep survey information current and easily accessible to all LGU SNAP-Ed programs once it is released. Based on a positive vote by the Cooperative Extension Section from a poll held in 2016, ECOP reauthorized SNAP-Ed assessments to continue through 2019 to support PDT efforts.
NIFA Infographic: Diversifying the Next Generation of Agricultural STEM Leaders - The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is committed to developing an agricultural science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce representative of current and projected demographics in America. A diversified workforce is critical for developing the innovations that will drive the continued success of the agricultural sector and U.S. economy while serving respective communities in culturally-relevant ways. NIFA supports this future workforce through specialized partnerships and programs that build institutional capacity, facilitate access to higher education, and provide experiential learning opportunities in the community. See
https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Diversifying-the-Next-Gen-of-Ag-STEM-Leaders.pdf for an infographic on this topic.
