Hibberd and Eubanks Inducted into NIFA’s Hall of Fame

On April 25, 2019 during the NIFA Day of Appreciation, Past ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd (pictured top-left), University of Nebraska, was inducted into the NIFA Hall of Fame. The program was established in 2011 to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to NIFA’s mission. Other inductees this year are Gina Eubanks (pictured bottom-left), Louisiana State University, and Ian Maw, retired leader of the Board on Agricultural Assembly (APLU). Click Here to read more about NIFA’s recognition of our Pacific land-grants, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University. The event was typified by compelling comments made by NIFA Director Scott Angle (pictured right in both images), Chuck, Gina, and Rachel Novotny’s (University of Hawaii) that trusted land-grant science delivered through Extension Education improves lives and provides resilience to richly diverse communities. Another former ECOP Chair, Delbert Foster, South Carolina State University, received this same honor in 2015.



Two Days Left to Nominate for National Awards  - The 2019 nomination process for the National Excellence in Extension and Extension Diversity Awards ends in 2 days at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, May 1. Honorees who are selected will receive cash awards and will travel to the APLU Annual Meeting in San Diego California on a stipend to accept their awards. The awards are sponsored by ECOP and NIFA. Go to www.aplu.org/CESawards or contact Assistant Director Sandy Ruble at sandyruble@extension.org or 202-478-6088 for more details.

Opportunities! Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders 5/3/19 - ECOP Chair Ed Jones (Virginia Tech) welcomes colleague, Michelle Rodgers (University of Delaware), Well Connected Communities Project Director, to a conversation this Friday, 5/3/19, 3-4:00 p.m. ET. All 1890, 1994, and 1862 land-grant Extension Leaders are encouraged to participate. The program is ECOP endorsed and privately supported (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) program in partnership with National 4-H Council. The case for sustained funding for the program which equips volunteer leaders to help their neighbors be healthier at every stage of life, continues to roll toward 2020. Add to calendar: Join Zoom Meeting https://extension.zoom.us/j/129450710 or dial by your location 646-876-9923 (New York), 669-900-6833 (San Jose); Meeting ID: 129 450 710. For more information contact Sandy Ruble (contact info above). This will be the 16^th in a series of recorded 1-hour national conversations by the Cooperative Extension Section on topics that are system-wide issue driven and enterprising for the members of the Cooperative Extension Section and beyond. The archives are held here-2019 and here-2018.


Low-Income Nutrition Program Enhances Leadership - The Land-Grant University (LGU) SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (PDT) identifies itself as an action-oriented, proactive group, and is focused on long-term projects. Represented by all regions, the Team is comprised of family and consumer science (FCS) program leaders, university administrators, SNAP-Ed program coordinators, an office manager, and a federal partner from NIFA. In 2019, an EFNEP Coordinator was added to help facilitate coordination among SNAP-Ed, EFNEP, and other LGU extension low-income nutrition education programs. A second FCS administrator was added to the Executive Committee to share volunteer leadership responsibilities. Go to https://community-nutrition-education.extension.org/2019/04/2019-snap-ed-program-development-team-meeting to learn more. Later this year ECOP will consider renewing an agreement to collect assessments that support the work of the PDT.

60 Years of 4-H Leadership in Washington, DC - As the National 4-H Conference Center (Center) celebrates its 60^th year as the home of 4-H in Washington, DC, it remains a unique source of exceptional learning opportunities for 4-H youth, volunteers and professionals. In addition to national 4-H events like 4-H Conference and Citizenship Washington Focus, the Center now offers workshops on civic engagement and civil discourse, food and agriculture, STEM and many other topics that focus on today's important career paths. To keep these offerings relevant, dynamic and attractive, National 4-H Council is making improvements such as engaging industry experts, providing access to government leaders, and working with Cooperative Extension to maintain cutting-edge curriculum. As a result, program staff are adjusting event pricing to account for enhancements and the increases in the cost of goods and services, while continuing to provide a cost-effective product. Center staff will be communicating more about 2020 program opportunities over the next few months. For more information, contact Freeman Thompson at fthompson@4hcenter.org.

Census of Agriculture Data Now Available - Several census items are currently available for sharing, including two highlights on demographics and economics, a census data highlight video series (farms and land in farms, economics, and demographics), the press release, several Partner Tools (an email signature and letter footer, web banner, print and web ad, FAQs, PPT presentation, and more), and the new census data query tool. Devoted to census data, the new query tool is unique in that it automatically displays matching data sets from the past five censuses for easy comparison. Additional products such as state and county profiles (May 30) and congressional district rankings (June 26) will be available later the this year.


BFRDP Grant Deadline 5/16/19 - The 2018 farm bill reauthorized the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). NIFA has released the FY2019 BFRDP Request for Applications (Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-BFR-006742), with a deadline of May 16, 2019. The estimated total program funding for FY2019 is $14 million. For more details on criteria and eligibility, go to Request for Applications. To apply, applications must be submitted through grants.gov at Apply for Grant. Direct questions regarding preparing application to electronic@nifa.usda.gov or call 202-401-5048.

ECOP Members Recognized for National Leadership Service

At the ECOP Spring Meeting on April 11^th, Scott Reed, Oregon State University, (2016-2019), and Lou Swanson, Colorado State University, (2017-2019), were recognized for their national service. ECOP Chair Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, pictured to the left, presented these leaders with a small token of appreciation earlier than normal (usually done at NEDA meeting) due to their upcoming retirements. Scott (upper photo) and Lou (lower photo) will continue their national duties until retirement (Scott - end of July; Lou - September 8). ECOP will celebrate all national leadership accolades during the “recognitions” portion of the Annual Cooperative Extension Section Business Meeting on the morning of September 25, 2019 in Nashville. Registration for the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA meeting will be released next month.

Celebrating EFNEP - On April 9, 2019, ECOP established a resolution to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the grand accomplishments of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). The resolution, demonstrating the collective appreciation of the Cooperative Extension Section, was presented last week to Helen Chipman, National Program Leader for Food and Nutrition Education, USDA-NIFA, during the PILD conference in Crystal City, Arlington, VA. To learn more about the 50 years of impact go here and follow #EFNEP50th on Twitter.



Awards Deadline is About 1 Week Away - Extension Directors and Administrators should note that time is running out to prepare letters of support for the Excellence in Extension (EiE) Awards. Nominations for EiE awards (submitted by Region) and for the National Diversity in Extension Award (any individual or team may apply) must be submitted using an online form by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Wednesday, May 1. To learn more about these prestigious awards administered in partnership with USDA-NIFA go to www.aplu.org/CESawards or contact Sandy Ruble, sandyruble@extension.org or 202-478-6088.

eXtension Funds New Fellows for 2019 - eXtension announces the following individuals as Fellows for 2019. eXtension Fellows create a pathway for new work in high-priority topic areas, disseminated and used across the Cooperative Extension System.

  => Lindsey Lunsford, Tuskegee University. Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Fellow. Continuing the work of eXtension’s 2018 DEI Fellow, the focus of Lindsey's fellowship is to develop a second version of the DEI eFieldbook to be published with eXtension for the October 2019 Impact Collaborative Summit.

  => David Warren, Oklahoma State University. Artificial Intelligence Fellow. David will guide & frame a digital content scoping project which will be conducted by an eXtension technical partner in April, 2019.

  => Mike Masiuk, The Pennsylvania State University. Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) Fellow. In partnership with ECOP and eXtension, Mike Masiuk will develop a JCEP Extension and Engagement Core Competency Framework for Extension professionals.

Stay tuned for the announcement of Fellows representing Extension professional organizations such as ACE, NUEL, & NAEPSDP.



RWJF Research Funding Opportunity - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the private funding partner for Well-Connected Communities, is dedicated to building a Culture of Health—one where everyone in America has a fair opportunity for health and well-being. Directors and Administrators are invited to spread the word about RWJF’s latest funding opportunity. The Equity-Focused Policy Research Funding Opportunity is for researchers, state and local government agencies and public and private sector professionals, from a variety of fields who are interested in better understanding the use of income supports like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Programs. Ten grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 (for a total of $1.5 million) will fund research with the potential to impact 4 key areas. An optional webinar will occur May 3, 2019 (1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET); registration is required. The brief proposal deadline is Tuesday, May 21, 2019.

ECOP Activity at Spring Meeting

ECOP met last week for its Spring Meeting at Virginia Tech. Highlights:
• Approved updated ECOP Operating Guidelines including a section on Relationships with Partnering Entities.
• Received an update on ECOP’s decision to discontinue funding for kglobal and next steps on investing in communications and marketing.
• Approved moving forward to hire a full-time Executive Director at the end of Rick Klemme's contract in April 2020. ECOP Executive Committee will provide leadership on next steps.
• Initially addressed the Future of Extension by focusing on three questions: What is our relevance (why)?, What is our opportunity (how)?, and What is desired outcome (what)? ECOP Executive Committee will provide leadership on next steps.
• Approved ECOP Executive Committee (budget availability) and Extension Resource Partnership Development Committee (workplan draft) to continue work on private resource mobilization with reports due for May ECOP meeting and a progress conversation at July ECOP meeting.
• Approved ECOP Program Committee’s recommendation that the National Urban Extension Leaders’ Implementation Plan be adopted with minor changes.
• Approved ECOP Professional Development Committee’s plan to develop draft criteria for an Extension team award.
• Established an International Extension workgroup starting with Directors Jon Boren (New Mexico State University), Beverly Durgan (University of Minnesota), Chuck Hibberd (University of Nebraska), and Lou Swanson (Colorado State University).

L-R: NIFA Director Scott Angle, ECOP Chair Ed Jones,
USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky,
and National 4-H Council CEO Jennifer Sirangelo
at 2019 National 4-H Conference, Chevy Chase, MD

4-H National Partners Renew Memorandum of Understanding - Leaders from Cooperative Extension, USDA/NIFA and National 4-H Council strengthened their commitment to our nation’s young people, and each other, by renewing their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on April 9, 2019 bit.ly/4H_MOU. The MOU runs through 2024 and outlines each partner’s roles and responsibilities, and recognizes our shared goal to reach millions more youth with Extension’s high-quality 4-H programming. Representing each of the national 4-H partners in signing were: USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky, NIFA Director Scott Angle, ECOP Chair Ed Jones and National 4-H Council CEO Jennifer Sirangelo. The signing was held during last week’s National 4-H Conference at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, MD and was appropriately witnessed by hundreds of young 4-H leaders from across the nation.



SoAR Retaking the Field - The Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation recently released the fourth volume in the Retaking the Field series, which celebrates the advances and explores the potential of food and agricultural sciences. Retaking the Field: Science Breakthroughs for Thriving Farms and a Healthier Nation highlights research projects in the areas that the National Academies identified as the most important fields to advance in agriculture by the year 2030: genomics, microbiomes, sensors, data and informatics, and transdisciplinary research. SoAR leads a non-partisan coalition that advocates for full funding of the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. SoAR also coordinates FedByScience, a collaboration of 20 universities with the goal of securing increases in congressional appropriations for USDA NIFA’s capacity, extension, and competitive funding.


Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grant Program RFA - The NIFA recently released the 2019 Request for Applications (RFA) for Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grant Program. The Application Deadline is June 10, 2019. NIFA anticipates 8-10 awards with funding amount per award up to $350,000 over a 2-year project period. The Funding Opportunity Page can be found at:

• NIFA – https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/rural-health-and-safety-education-competitive-grants-program-rhse  
• Grants.gov - https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=314715 

Interested institutions may join a webinar on April 25, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET that will focus on general guidelines for the program, the RFA, and the application process. Click here for more webinar information and add to calendar.

A Leader's Guide to Natural Disasters In Review

Extension Directors and Administrators from the 5 regions of the Cooperative Extension Section participated in last Friday's Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders', A Leader's Guide to Natural Disasters. Nick Place, University of Florida Dean and Director of Extension and ECOP's Liaison to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Executive Committee, guided the conversation. To explore how Florida's Extension leaders leveraged EDEN resources to reduce the impact of Hurricanes Michael and Irma and how Nebraska Extension leaders are relying on EDEN to lift up volunteer centers to help relieve the effects of the recent "bomb cyclone" related flooding, go to recording go to https://youtu.be/XJefcUoKujc and view the PowerPoint. ECOP thanks all of the presenters and participants for demonstrating how federal, state, community, and land-grant university post-disaster resources are linked to a proactively well-prepared Extension workforce. Stay tuned for the release of EDEN's new website and quarterly newsletter. Save the date of 5/3/19, 3-4:00 p.m. ET for the next CES conversation; the topic is Well Connected Communities, Wave 2.

ECOP Meets This Week - The the representative leadership of the  Cooperative Extension Section is meeting this week, April 11-12 in Blacksburg, Virginia. Ed Jones, Chair and host, will lead the meeting of national decision-makers; 3 representatives from each region. National office staffing 2020 and beyond, resource and partnership development, and the futuring of Extension are the featured agenda items. Click here to view the complete agenda and collection of written reports. Stay tuned when next week's ECOP Monday Minute will feature the actions taken during the meeting. The ECOP Calendar lists the remaining meetings of 2019. Send agenda inquiries to your ECOP Representative or to Executive Director Rick Klemme at rickklemme@extension.org.



Countdown to Award Nominations Continues - Remember to move the nominations along for the National Cooperative Extension Awards. Only about 15 working days left to submit. The deadline is 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, May 1, 2019. Go to www.aplu.org/CESawards or contact Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org for more information.

The 4‑H club in Quincy, Washington gathering data from their peers,
parents, teachers and community members to help them determine how
they want to pursue digital skills training in their communities.
Click Here for more examples.

4-H and Microsoft Bridging the Digital Divide through 4-H Tech Changemakers - According to the Federal Communications Commission at least 24 million people in America’s rural communities don’t have access to high speed broadband internet, and millions more lack the digital skills needed to utilize this important tool. National 4-H Council and Microsoft, in partnership with the Southern Rural Development Center, the National Digital Education Extension Team and Cooperative Extension, including Georgia 4-H, are working together to help teens address this issue through the 4-H Tech Changemakers program. In this program, 4-H teens in 15 states are working with their communities to identify local needs and create action plans for using digital skills to help people thrive in a digital economy and benefit from high-speed connectivity. This summer Tech Changemakers stories along with materials for teaching your communities and 4-H’ers digital skills will be shared through the 4-H.org website and other platforms. For more information please contact Jennifer DePasquale at National 4-H Council at jdepasquale@fourhcouncil.edu.


Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program) - Recently Acting Assistant to Agriculture Secretary for Rural Development Joel Baxley announced that USDA Rural Development will begin accepting the first round of application for the Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program) on April 23, 2019. USDA is making available up to $200 million in grants, $200 million in loan and grant combinations, and $200 million in low-interest loans. Use the link https://www.usda.gov/reconnect to note deadlines, learn more and to apply.

Extension Leaders’ Response to Disasters: Join the Conversation 4/5/19

On Friday, April 5, 2019, 3-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Directors and Administrators will convene the Next Generation Extension – Learning for Leaders conversation, Extension Leaders’ Response to Disasters: Effectively Utilizing our EDEN Network. ECOP Chair Ed Jones encourages all 76 of his colleagues to please join! ECOP’s Liaison to EDEN, Nick Place, University of Florida, will be on hand to help facilitate the discussion. Connection details:
   • Join Zoom Meeting https://extension.zoom.us/j/129450710 
   • Or join by phone, dial by your location
        646-876-9923 US (New York)
        669-900-6833 US (San Jose)
            Meeting ID: 129 450 710

Award Nominations Deadline 5/1/19 Closes In - There is one month left to draft and submit nominations for the National Extension Awards. Go to www.aplu.org/CESawards to begin. Recipients of either the National Excellence in Extension or the National Extension Diversity Award will be featured in a coordinated national press release (NIFA, ECOP, APLU) and receive $5,000 cash. Typically, a travel stipend is included to attend the APLU Annual Meeting to receive these award. This year the meeting will be held in San Diego. The contact is Assistant Director Sandy Ruble at 202-478-6088.

eXtension Quarterly Report Available - eXtension would like to share with you some of the exciting things they have going on in their first quarter 2019 update. You can find that information in this attachment. This attachment includes:
   • Membership & Funding
   • Training Innovation Facilitators Around the Nation
   • Helping Members Catalyze Innovation Across Their States & Institutions
   • The Impact Collaborative Summit • National Collaborations
   • New Technology



Federal Legislation Re-Introduced to Create Tax Exemption for FFA and 4-H Projects - National 4-H Council wants to make Directors and Administrators aware that legislation (H.R. 1770) to create a tax exemption for the first $5,000 in proceeds on the sale of livestock or agricultural projects by 4-H'ers and FFA participants was re-introduced by Congressmen McCaul (R-TX) and Cuella (D-TX) on March 27 - National Ag Day. The National FFA Organization, the American Farm Bureau Federation and National 4-H Council have supported the Student Agriculture Protection Act since it was first introduced to the House in 2017. The bill has had major bi-partisan support but has never passed the House.



Grant Availability to Decrease Impact of Disasters - Last week USDA-NIFA announced $462,000 in available funding through Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program (SLSNCGP) to decrease the impact of disasters through Cooperative Extension programming. SLSNCGP supports innovative, education-based projects that address disaster or emergency preparedness and specific responses related to natural and human-made disasters. SLSNCGP sponsors targeted projects that enable Cooperative Extension System to assist in preparing for, providing an educational response to, and recovering from disasters. This RFA includes a new component for a Conference Grant or Training Workshop. Eligibility is limited to 1862 Land-grant Institutions in the 50 states and the US territories, American Samoa, Guam, Micronesia, Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. The deadline for applications is May 28, 2019. See https://nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/smith-lever-special-needs-competitive-grants-program for details.