Monday, August 31, 2020

2020 NEDA Meeting Begins in 3 Weeks

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus on September 7 and will return on September 14. Have a safe and pleasant Labor Day Weekend.


Almost a third of the Cooperative Extension Section have already registered for the 2020 National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting coming up September 23 and 24, 2020. With the timely theme: Leadership in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption, this unique virtual meeting will provide Extension Directors and Administrators opportunities to engage in peer-based sharing and learning; learn to better explore and face the discomfort of the times; learn to create productive environments around uncomfortable issues; contribute to ECOP actionable items; and establish future themes, opportunities and best practices for reference by Directors and Administrators. For complete details and links to register go to neda.extension.org. Please register by close of business on September 17, 2020.




Disaster Network Annual Meeting Registration
 - Once a year, the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) delegates assemble at the EDEN Annual Meeting to share best practices, develop research, showcase projects that have been completed throughout the year, and enhance skill sets through professional development opportunities. EDEN's Annual Meeting takes place virtually September 22-25, 2020. This meeting is an opportunity for these delegates to capitalize on collaboration by providing a forum where important issues and big ideas are discussed. Breakout sessions, panel discussions, and keynote speakers will provide a glimpse into disaster programming throughout Extension. Learn more here



Military Family Readiness Academy Launches 2020 Series in September - A global pandemic, extreme weather events like hurricanes, derechos, wildfires, and heavy rains have affected people around the world. The Military Families Learning Network is pleased to introduce its Military Family Readiness Academy (MFRA), a learning opportunity that takes a multidisciplinary approach to a complex issue faced by military family service providers in their work. This free professional development is designed for military family service providers working in any field, with any organization. The 2020 Academy series includes three 90-minute sessions: September 16, October 28, and November 18, focusing on the added stressors and challenges when disasters and emergencies strike military families. Sessions will provide an overview of disaster and emergency readiness relevant to military family service providers, including Cooperative Extension, working in any field. For more information and to subscribe to the MFRA mailing list go to Military Family Readiness Academy.



Inventory of Climate Change Extension Programs - eXtension's Climate Fellows are creating a database of Extension programs relating to climate and extreme weather adaptation and mitigation. By cross-referencing eXtension’s work with the Drawdown Review’s climate solutions, we hope to find Cooperative Extension Service’s strengths when addressing climate and extreme weather issues, and where Extension may have room for improvement. As of this writing 37% of all 1862 and 1890 Extension Institutions located in 26 States, from 4 of the 5 Regions have contributed valuable data. Please add your institution's exemplary Extension programs that focus on adapting to a changing climate, mitigating the impact of extreme weather, expanding carbon sinks or reducing greenhouse gas emissions today! Learn more here.



eXtension Selects 8 Projects for Acceleration for 2020-2021 - As part of eXtension’s New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement with USDA-NIFA, eXtension selected 8 projects from 33 competitive nominations across the system for year two to participate in its project accelerator program. Projects will receive wrap-around services from eXtension to support and amplify the project outcomes. Nominations were reviewed for alignment to the USDA Strategic Goals by the eXtension Catalyst Team listed here. Selected projects represent Virginia Tech, Southern University, North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Delaware, and the University of Connecticut. Learn more about this accelerator program, wrap-around services, and the selected projects here.