Executive Director of Cooperative Extension System Position Announcement

The ECOP Executive Director Search Committee recently completed and released the new position announcement. The Committee encourages readers to share the announcement widely through professional channels across the country. The short link is bit.ly/ED-CES.

Health in All Policies Team Beta-Tests Professional Development Course - Cooperative Extension leaders, researchers and educators ACROSS ALL PROGRAM AREAS are invited to beta-test a new online professional development course, Extension Health in All Policies: Building cross-program awareness for health impacts of decision-making. Members of the ECOP/ESCOP Health Implementation HiAP Action Team chaired by Roberta Riportella, Oregon State University, have adapted and developed the course content specifically for Extension. Registration for this self-paced course, is hosted by Oregon State University Professional and Continuing Education (PACE). Early learners who are willing to provide feedback on the course may do so prior to August 15. Contact Deborah John Deborah.john@oregonstate.edu with: Evaluate Extension HiAP Course typed in the subject line to receive a link to the evaluation survey.


Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Input Opportunity - On 14 and 15 June, NIFA hosted EFNEP administrators and locally based staff, interested partners and ECOP Chair Fred Schlutt and other Extension leaders in a Call to Conversation on Nutrition Education Programming - The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. See https://nifa.usda.gov/nifa-calls-conversation-meeting-series. NIFA is now reviewing the excellent feedback that was shared. In that meeting, NIFA leaders noted that they would also invite comments from those who did not participate in that meeting. Those of you who were not in attendance are invited to respond to the following questions.

• Who in the target audience would not be served if EFNEP remains the same in 2047 (30 years from now)? 
• What do we need to do to reach these audiences – not worrying about resources? 
• What barriers/challenges exist for making needed changes, and how might these be overcome? 
• Based on your comments, what are your recommendations for the future of EFNEP? 

Please feel free to email us your thoughts (link sends e-mail). You can also send comments directly to hchipman@nifa.usda.gov by August 1, 2017.


Fueling Discovery and Engagement in Ag through Competitive Grants Programs - The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) envisions a future in which all people, at all times, have sufficient access to safe and nutritious foods that meet the needs and preferences for active and healthy lifestyles. Depressed agricultural production and farm incomes need a boost from evidence-based agricultural science, driven by research and extension supported via a competitive peer-review process. NIFA is the largest source of competitive agricultural research funding in the United States and supports the research, education, and extension activities needed to fuel discoveries and innovations in agriculture. Click here to see the infographic.