Award Nominations Reminder

Now is a good time to check in on the status of preparing nominations for the three categories of National Cooperative Extension Awards offered by ECOP and USDA-NIFA. The deadline to submit nominations online is less than a month away, May 1, 2024. Letters from respective members of Section are required for the individual and team Excellence in Extension award nominations. The gateway to all of the details may be found at awards.extension.org. Questions about these awards may be directed to Sandy Ruble, Assistant Director, Cooperative Extension System/ECOP at sandyruble@extension.org. The value of the prizes exceed $38,000 annually.

Hales Returns to Serve ECOP Through 2027 - The Western Extension Directors Association has appointed Dr. Brent Hales (picture left) is Associate Vice President of the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) to serve on ECOP. The required 4-year term ends in the fall of 2027. Brent returns to ECOP after serving for the Association of Northeast Extension Directors from 2020-2023 when he was Associate Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences and Director of Penn State Extension. In addition, Brent returns to the ECOP Program Committee which he chaired in his earlier term. More about Brent is found here. Thank you and welcome back to Dr. Brent Hales!

First Friday Event on Cooperative Extension’s Growing Health Infrastructure - Last Friday, the Extension Health Director Roger Rennekamp and researchers from the Center for Community Health and Evaluation (CCHE) at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle, reported that Cooperative Extension has made great strides in building its capacity for health-related work over the past five years. According to the fifty-one responding land-grant institutions, 81% indicated that they had increased external funding for health-related programming. The total amount of external funding received by these institutions was approximately $140 million (excluding EFNEP and SNAP-Ed). Elements from the presentation are available at the following links:

• The 19-page report summary
• The Slide Deck
• The video is available on ECOP's YouTube Channel - 

EDEN Mini-Grant RFA Deadline is May 10 - The deadline for the EDEN Mini-Grants program RFA Advancing Disaster Education in America is set for May 10. The goal of the grants program is to fuel the development of creative educational resources and Extension initiatives. These resources will empower EDEN's mission and the broader land-grant and sea-grant systems to effectively address all phases of disaster management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.




Partnering Opportunities with Cities - Land-grant University research and Extension professionals are invited to participate in a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) by Washington State University Extension's National Urban Research & Extension Center (NUREC) to determine where the opportunities lie for partnership and collaboration with the National League of Cities. NUREC will utilize RFEI data to assess interest and gather information to create projects, build project teams and/or craft responses to RFP’s. Learn more here.

EXCITE Bridge Access Project RFA

 The EXCITE program has a fully executed agreement for an additional $6 million for the purpose of increasing awareness of the Bridge Access program for COVID-19 vaccine for uninsured and underinsured individuals. The Request for Application (RFA) for Implementation teams and EFNEP is announced HERE is open to ALL institutions receiving EFNEP funding and to existing EXCITE implementation teams. 

The downloadable RFA guide is found HERE. The deadline to apply is April 24. Michelle Rodgers, EXCITE Program Director, calls attention to the requirement of a letter from Extension Directors or Administrators to accompany each application, and expresses deep gratitude to ECOP, CDC, NIFA and Extension Foundation for the continued support. 

There is a multi-pronged approach in place.

• Current EXCITE Implementation teams can apply for $30,000 to augment their ongoing work;
  
  
• EFNEP programs at each LGU can apply for $70,000 to incorporate an awareness campaign regarding the free Bridge vaccination program;
  
  
• 1994 Institutions will coordinate with Ruth Hursman, 1994 Engagement Coordinator, to participate a mixed media campaign designed for tribal communities; and
  
  
• A social media campaign regarding Bridge vaccinations will be provided to targeted areas of the states not covered by any of the above efforts through a national marketing firm.

With this funding, EXCITE Immunization Education which is a part of the Health and Well-Being PAT, has received $23 million dollars. The impact of this funding is stated in the Extension Foundation annual report.




Food Waste Prevention Week Webinar - This week is Food Waste Prevention Week, an annual week committed to educating and encouraging culture change around wasted food. On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from noon to 1:00 pm ET, USDA will host its own webinar titled, USDA Programs, Investments, and Innovations to Prevent and Reduce Food Loss and Waste, to learn about some of the different ways USDA is advancing and engaging with food loss and waste prevention and/or reduction efforts. Registration for the webinar is required.

ECOP Liaison to EDEN Executive Committee - The ECOP Executive Committee recently appointed Amanda Marney (pictured left) as the Section’s representative to the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Executive Committee. Dr. Marney, “Mandy,” has served as the Associate Director of University of Wyoming Extension since January of 2000. She previously served as district director for research and extension at Kansas State University and a program Director for the University of Missouri’s Agricultural Experiment Station. The ECOP National Office engages with Mandy and many others with national appointments with partnering entities at least three times annually to help fulfill their liaison roles and responsibilities. 

Soils in the City Webinar - The National Urban Research & Extension Center (NUREC) invites interested parties to attend the Urban Underground: Agroecological Functions of Soils in the City Webinar to be presented on April 17 at 12:00 PM ET. Attendance is free and registration here is required. To learn more, visit the webinar announcement here.

National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Annual Meeting - Registration is now open for the 2024 NACDEP Annual Conference, which will take place June 17-20, 2024, in Houston, TX. Hosted by Prairie View A&M University Extension in collaboration with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, this conference offers a unique opportunity for community development extension professionals to collaborate, grow professionally, and network. Held in downtown Houston at the prestigious Marriott Marquis-Houston, TX, attendees can expect engaging sessions and discussions focused on leveraging "The Power of Together" to enhance the impact of land-grant institutions on research, teaching, and Extension.

Extension Foundation 2023 Annual Report Available

Since 2006, the Extension Foundation has been a steadfast partner to the Cooperative Extension System. Through innovative technology solutions, professional development, and strategic collaborations, the Foundation has helped Extension programs scale, adopt new models, and make a more visible and measurable impact on local issues across the nation. The Extension Foundation partners with Cooperative Extension through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) to increase system capacity. Learn more about the organization and our work by reading the Extension Foundation’s 2023 Annual Report.

Reminder for 2024 PILD Participants - The ECOP Program Committee asks Extension Directors and Administrators with delegations attending the PILD Conference to raise awareness of the concurrent sessions by the ECOP Program Action Teams (PATs) slated for the 8:15-10:00 a.m., April 16, 2024 as described in the final 2024 PILD Conference program. This will be an excellent opportunity for PILD attendees to understand how various PATs work, what they do, and account for the benefits locally. 

Also, please be mindful that Extension Directors and Administrators who are attending the PILD Conference should mark their calendar to attend their in-person meeting on, Monday April 15, 2:00 p.m.




National Cooperative Extension Awards Nominations Reminder - Now is a good time to check in on the status of preparing nominations for the three categories of National Cooperative Extension Awards offered by ECOP and USDA-NIFA. The deadline to submit nominations online is about five weeks away, May 1, 2024. Letters from respective members of Section are required for the individual and team Excellence in Extension award nominations. The gateway to all of the details may be found at awards.extension.org. Questions about these awards may be directed to Sandy Ruble, Assistant Director, Cooperative Extension System/ECOP at sandyruble@extension.org. The value of the prizes exceed $38,000 annually. 

JCEP Excellence in Extension Engagement Award Applications Due May 31 - JCEP’s Excellence in Extension Engagement Award recognizes high-quality, evidence-based Extension work with documented outstanding outcomes and impacts. The award is for an individual or a team, members of these seven JCEP organizations, whose programs are driven by local needs, grounded in scholarly practice, adequately evaluated, showing adoption beyond initial audiences, within or across states, and bringing innovation to Extension. First place is $750 and includes being an invited speaker at ELC 2025 with registration waived. Honorable mention receives $250 and ELC 2025 registration is waived. Applications open at PILD and are due by May 31. Details and application are at www.jcep.org/awards. Also online is a synopsis of The Remote Online Initiative from our 2024 winner, Dr. Paul Hill, Extension Professor & Program Director, Utah State University.




Demystifying the Panel Review Process for Grant Funding - NIFA offers several technical assistance events to help prospective applicants understand NIFA funding opportunities. Supporting material from these events — which also provide guidance on grant development and grant management — is available here. The next session, that may be of interest is Demystifying the Panel Review Process for Grant Funding on May 2, 2024, 12:00 PM ET. Click here to register to attend and submit questions ahead of time. While this session is conducted by NIFA, the concepts taught in the session will be transferrable to other granting agencies.

USDA Outlines Vision to Strengthen the American Bioeconomy Through a More Resilient Biomass Supply Chain - USDA has released a plan that will boost biomass supply chain resiliency for domestic biobased product manufacturing, while also advancing environmental sustainability and market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers. The report — Building a Resilient Biomass Supply: A Plan to Enable the Bioeconomy in America — calls for three broad areas of activity: (1) research, development, and demonstration for innovation in newly emerging biomass supply systems; (2) capacity building to expand existing biomass supply systems; and (3) market development and assessment to match biomass supply to demand for the biobased products. Read more here on how this roadmap will strengthen biomass production and preprocessing systems.

National Program Leadership, Partnerships and Capacity

Members and liaisons to the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) assembled in Oklahoma City last week. During the day-and-a-half-long meeting the group addressed support for sustainable Program Leadership, partnership enrichment, and the approach to increasing capacity funding for Cooperative Extension. The ECOP agreed to continue meeting in-person three times per year around strategic directions and Annual Action Plan.

Blayne Arthur, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, President of the Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture, and President of NASDA Foundation Board of Directors warmly welcomed ECOP members March 13, 2024.

The delegation of voting members, EDA Team, Liaisons and guests at the Sheraton OKC Downtown.

Oklahoma State Extension hosted, Oklahoma Farm Bureau sponsored dinner at the Petroleum Club.

(L-R) ECOP Chair Damona Doye presented Laura Perry Johnson (University of Georgia), with an engraved clock, for service to ECOP since 2021. Laura will retire in April 2024. Damona also led a standing ovation for Southern Region Executive Director Ron Brown for his service to ECOP for the past two decades. Ron will retire at the end of June 2024. 

Resolution Passed by the Section - Eighty-three percent of the membership of the Cooperative Extension Section participated during the two-week voting period last month. The final tally, 61 yeses, 2 no's, was recorded in the minutes of the 2024 ECOP Spring Meeting to approve the following. Billing for ECOP by APLU in 2024 (April) will remain the same dating back to 2019. The temporary, three-year resolution will be implemented in 2025.

Resolved: ECOP assessments for state-based 1862 institutions will be proportionally based on the amount that each institution receives in capacity funds (Smith Lever 3.b&c, Smith Lever Special Needs, EFNEP and RREA), calculated using a three-year rolling average. Assessments for 1890 institutions, American Samoa Community College, University of Guam, Northern Marianas College, College of Micronesia, Puerto Rico Agricultural Extension, University of the Virgin Islands, and the University of the District of Columbia will remain at 2024 baseline levels. This calculation method will remain in effect through the 2027 assessment year, at which time the issue will be reevaluated. If the total ECOP budget changes, this will proportionally change the assessment for all 76 institutions.

4-H Work Readiness Reaches 10M+ in USA Today Special Edition - On March 15, USA TODAY published a U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Edition that included a National 4-H Council full-page ad (page 79) to bring visibility to 4-H among corporate prospects, farmers, growers & ranchers, highlighting how 4-H is preparing youth to be work ready. In addition, 100,000 hard copies of the publication was sent directly to key officials at USDA. 

Registration for the 2024 Urban Food Systems Symposium - On June 11-13, The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) hosts the Urban Food Systems Symposium in Columbus, Ohio. The event includes keynotes, a grower panel, 40 presentations, a reception with approximately 50 posters, a choice of six off-site educational tours, and dinner at The Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. This symposium brings together a national and international audience of academic, non-profit, government, and research-oriented professionals to share and gain knowledge on how we can build coalitions to adapt to this changing world and how urban food systems contribute to these solutions. Please share now to take advantage of early registration prices through April 13. Visit UrbanFoodSystemsSymposium.org for complete information.




Globalizing Extension Innovation Network Seeks Participation - The Globalizing Extension Innovation Network (GEIN), accessible through Connect Extension, is open to Cooperative Extension and other Land-grant University professionals, their community partners, and federal partners, as a network of professionals interested in globalizing Extension innovation. GEIN shares and develops best practices for augmenting extension programs through cross-cultural and international experiences. The network supports the engagement of extension professionals through educational programs emphasizing understanding of global dynamics and using cultural knowledge. shares and develops best practices for augmenting extension programs through cross-cultural and international experiences. GEIN leadership team represents over a dozen extension systems, and is committed to connecting and supporting the global engagement of extension professionals. Extension Directors and Administrators are invited to nominate someone from their system to participate in GEIN if there isn't already a participating member. GEIN Council currently meets monthly on Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. ET. For more information, contact GEIN Chair, Taryn Devereux, Affiliate, University of Maryland, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

ECOP Spring Meeting This Week

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) is a standing committee created by the Cooperative Extension Section Rules of Operation. The 15-member board represents the 76 state, territorial, and 1890 land-grant universities in policy decisions, and provides nationwide program and organizational leadership. ECOP functions as a board of directors with authority to make decisions consistent with a common mission to strengthen Cooperative Extension at national, state and local levels, in concert with APLU and USDA-NIFA, to initiate strategic planning and identify nationwide issues that lead to program and budget priorities; represents the states, territories, and 1890s in legislative matters before Congress, and develops and maintains linkages and supportive relationships with other national organizations and associations. This week the ECOP board gathers for its Spring Meeting in Oklahoma City. Some of the themes of meeting are the annual launch of priorities selection process, sustainability of National Program Leadership, and collaboration with academia on microcredentialing.

Capacity Funding Whiteboard Videos Unveiled - At the recent Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) spring meeting in Washington, DC, three APLU produced videos were unveiled. These videos endeavor to explain the importance of federal capacity funding to those not familiar with those funds or even the Land-grant University system. They are themed around capacity investments using three example concepts. ECOP's YouTube playlist, Investing in People with Solutions in Food Security, is a great place from which to share and embed the videos. Each video, about one minute long, can quickly educate the untutored about capacity funding.

The AI Revolution: An Inflection Point for Higher Ed - At the 2023 Seattle APLU meeting, there was an interesting session regarding how Artificial Intelligence could affect the work of public universities. As we will have further discussions on this technology as a section, I encourage you to watch the video of this presentation. Tune in at 20:45, as the first AI panel is introduced.




Check Out New Land-grant Impacts Educational Materials - Impact statements from last year are captured with excellence in National Land-grant Impacts Database. Anyone can use the impact statements throughout the year to help tell the stories and accomplishments of land-grant universities’ research, education, and Extension. Join ECOP to congratulate the team of professional land-grant university communicators who recently prepared educational materials with 2024 impact stories and summaries highlighting outstanding examples of LGU impacts.

NAAAN Connect Goes Live - The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) has developed the NAAAN CONNECT platform to assist in growth and engagement. This is a community for extension and rural advisory services experts, practitioners, researchers, and those interested in agriculture across Canada, Mexico, and the United States to engage with one another.

Join NAAAN CONNECT to interact with colleagues and share your extension resources across the continent around themes of biodefense and biosecurity, soil health and water management, and building the next generation of leaders in agriculture. The NAAAN looks forward to hearing your voice and learning more of the work underway for food security in North America.

We are excited to announce a new chapter of engagement, collaboration, and work across our three countries.” – Chancellor Tony Frank, CSU System and Chair of the NAAAN Steering Committee.




$26 Million LAMP Program from USDA-AMS - On February 27th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of approximately $26 million for the Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) to help local and regional food entities develop, coordinate, and expand producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets, and local food enterprises. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is accepting applications for the grant program until May 14, 2024. Additionally, AMS has added to the suite of resources available to support communities and practitioners in local and regional food systems development.

News From ECOP Program Action Teams

Last Friday, March 1, 2024, members of the Cooperative Extension Section from as far away as American Samoa discovered who to contact for more information about each of the ECOP Program Action Teams (PATs), including the new Food Systems and Food Waste PAT. Check out the video recording for insights from recent visits to Washington, DC by ECOP Chair Damona Doye, Oklahoma State University, and interesting activities from the Climate Mitigation, Resiliency, and Adaptation PAT. ECOP's First Friday events are for the benefit of new and seasoned land-grant university (1862, 1890, 1994) Extension Director and Administrators and are archived on ECOP's YouTube Channel. Topics of these regular meetings are searchable here on the ECOP Monday Minute. 

2022 Census of Agriculture Released - On February 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, spanning more than 6 million data points about America’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them down to the county level. The full Census of Agriculture report as well as publication dates for additional ag census data products can be found at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Ag census data can also be found in NASS’s searchable online database, Quick Stats.

Economic Development Administration Technology Hubs - Last year, the U. S. Economic Development Administration, a bureau of the U. S. Department of Commerce, designated 31 inaugural Tech Hubs, as well as awarded 29 Tech Hubs Strategy Development Grants. The 31 Tech Hubs found here focus on developing and growing innovative industries in regions across the country, including semiconductors, clean energy, critical minerals, biotechnology, precision medicine, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and more. Tech Hubs bring together private industry, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, labor unions, Tribal communities and nonprofit organizations to compete for up to $75 million implementation grants to further develop these fields and make transformative investments in innovation, supply chain resilience, and job creation.



Still Time to Submit Ideas to NSF Through CASA-Bio - Catalyzing Across Sectors to Advance the Bioeconomy (CASA-Bio) was inspired by the Executive Order (EO) on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy. Released by the White House in September of 2022, the EO laid out a grand vision to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing through foundational and use-inspired research and development in five thematic areas (Bioeconomy EO Themes): climate change, food and agriculture, supply chain resilience, human health, and cross cutting areas to advance all these areas. While their four February listening sessions are done, their written feedback forms are still working.



Kenya: March 8 Zoom Meeting Reminder - Remember that this Friday, March 8, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET, APLU and Executive Director Bill Hoffman will host an information sharing Zoom meeting regarding Extension and related activities in Kenya. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture recently held a trade mission to that country and there is a very positive US agricultural benefit proposition to cooperation in Kenya. Please register here for this meeting. Also, contact Dr. Hoffman at whoffman@aplu.org to request the opportunity to share an institution’s work in Kenya during the session.



About Contacting the USDA Foreign Ag Service - Extension leaders and professionals who are conducting Extension work in countries and regions around the world, are encouraged to contact the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) which serves as a great connection to a particular country’s American embassy. Contacting FAS by email is easy to do using Ag(name of country's capital)@usda.gov. Examples include aglondon@usda.gov, agtokyo@usda.gov, or agbeijing@usda.gov. FAS is interested and supportive of the work of Extension. 

ECOP Climate Mitigation, Resiliency, and Adaptation PAT Update

The ECOP Climate Mitigation, Resiliency, and Adaptation Program Action Team (Climate PAT) recently hosted a gathering from 1862, 1890, and 1994 land-grant institutions and leaders from the USDA. Through focused conversations, participants identified opportunities in three areas where Extension is uniquely suited to deliver climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions: communities, natural resources, and working lands. For more information, click here.

Innovations and Disruptions: Strategies for Success - The National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting planning committee recently has decided on a theme for 2024 even, Innovations and Disruptions: Strategies for Success. The following leaders are hard at work organizing meaningful, interactive sessions for Members of the Section. More details on topics such as artificial intelligence and Extension's evolving role in outreach and engagement by institutions of higher education. Stay tuned for more details.

>> North Central Region – Bev Durgan, Chair, University of Minnesota

>> 1890s Region – De'Shoin York, Southern University

>> Northeast Region – Jenn Volk, University of Delaware

>> Southern Region – Mike Gutter, Virginia Tech

>> Western – Kris Elliott, Oregon State University

Energy Department Regional Resource Hubs for Purpose Grown Energy Crops - The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently released an RFP for a program titled Regional Resource Hubs for Purpose Grown Energy Crops. These are going to be very large, multi-million dollar and multi-institutional hubs. Team Partners - like Cooperative Extension Services - can sign up here today! The earlier potential partners sign on, the better the outcome to get involved.

2024 National Health Outreach & Engagement Conference - Registration is now open for the 2024 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference to be held May 13-15 in Greenville, South Carolina. The conference is co-hosted by Clemson University, University of Georgia, and North Carolina State University. The conference schedule is packed full of keynote speakers, educational workshops, poster presentations, and an awards banquet. The early bird rate of $450 is available from now through April 15. Special lodging rates are available at the Westin Poinsett and SpringHill Suites in downtown Greenville. For more information and to register for the conference, visit https://t.uga.edu/9FF.




AMS Infrastructure Grants to/from State Departments of Agriculture - States and territories are partnering with USDA to competitively subaward Infrastructure Grants to projects that support infrastructure in the middle of the supply chain for domestic food and farm businesses and other eligible entities. Individual states and territories are opening their Request for Applications (RFA) as state plans become finalized. Interested applicants must apply through their state’s department of agriculture. While the application widow has closed for some states, it is still open for many states and territories.

Kenya: Extension and Related Activities, March 8 Zoom Meeting

On March 8 at 3:00 PM ET, APLU and Executive Director Bill Hoffman will host an information sharing Zoom meeting regarding Extension and related activities in Kenya. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture recently held a trade mission to that country and there is a very positive US agricultural benefit proposition to cooperation in Kenya. Please register here for this meeting. Also, contact Dr. Hoffman at whoffman@aplu.org to request the opportunity to share an institution’s work in Kenya during the session.



NSF Virtual Town Halls - The National Science Foundation (NSF) is hosting a series of events this month as part of its new Catalyzing Across Sectors to Advance the Bioeconomy (CASA-Bio) initiative. CASA-Bio is the latest federal effort to organize activities across agencies related to biotechnology, synthetic biology, and the bioeconomy, and follows from the September 2022 Executive Order and the March 2023 Bold Goals report on the bioeconomy. CASA-Bio aims to provide direction to the federal government (including research funding agencies) on which specific priorities within the broad bioeconomy landscape are most pressing and ripe for cross-sector collaboration. Slides from an informational webinar about CASA-Bio are available here.

CASA-Bio is hosting a series of town halls in February as an opportunity for stakeholders to provide their perspectives on the most important challenges in this space.

There are four virtual town halls scheduled for this month, all of which will have the same agenda and content according to NSF. Registration is on the CASA-Bio home page:

· Monday, February 12 – 7 PM ET
· Thursday, February 15 – 9 AM ET
· Wednesday, February 21 – 12 PM ET
· Thursday, February 22 – 5 PM ET



North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) - The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN…pronounced like the flat bread…nahn) is launching NAAAN CONNECT, an online community for extension and rural advisory services professionals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, this March. Subscribe to the NAAAN Newsletter to stay updated on the launch and be a part of fostering collaboration and innovation in agricultural and rural development. This network represents an opportunity to share your state’s Cooperative Extension resources and research results across our nation, as well as with Canada and Mexico.



Priester Health Awards - Nominations and self-nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Jeanne M. Priester Extension Health Awards. The awards are named for Jeanne Priester, former National Program Leader at ES-USDA involved in the development of such landmark programs such EFNEP and Mulligan Stew. Today, these awards recognize extraordinary programs and professionals that are modeling next generation work in health and well-being. Awards are presented in six different categories. Award recipients will be recognized at the 2024 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference in Greenville, SC in May. The nomination deadline is March 20. For more information regarding the nomination process can be found here.

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until February 26. 

Call for Nominations for 2024 Awards

Last Thursday, the call for nominations for the 2024 Cooperative Extension Awards by ECOP and USDA-NIFA was sent to all Extension Directors and Administrators urging them to share the opportunity with leadership teams and potential nominees. Online submissions are required by May 1. Award recipients are selected by the end of July and will receive cash awards. The announcement of the winners will occur in Fall 2024 just prior to, and travel to the APLU Annual Meeting in November to accept their awards. Learn more at awards.extension.org. The website hosted by Extension Foundation, is a gateway to full details and provides answers to frequently asked questions.

First Friday Recap: Assessments Ballot Overview and Budget and Legislative Matters - Last Friday, Extension Directors and Administrators from over 30 land-grant institutions joined ECOP Chair Damona Doye for an informative briefing on an upcoming vote by the Cooperative Extension Section. Consultant Christina Laridaen, Lewis-Burke Associates, shared what was happening with Federal Budgets and the next Farm Bill. Links from land-grant.org shared during the briefing: 

--> Fiscal Year 2025 Appropriations Request aka "2025 Unified Ask"

--> 2023 Farm Bill Title VII Policy Recommendations

The concise 30-minute recording is available below. 

Registration for USDA’s 100^th Agricultural Outlook Forum (REMOTE PARTICIPATION AVAILABLE) - The Agricultural Outlook Forum, USDA’s largest and premier annual gathering, will take place February 15-16. The breadth and timeliness of the forum’s programs have consistently drawn a diverse group of participants. The 2024 Program will feature a keynote address by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a presentation on the outlook for agricultural markets and trade, and 30 breakout sessions covering a wide range of agricultural, food market and environmental issues. This is a hybrid event.



Health and Human Sciences Leadership Fellows Program - Applications are being accepted here for the third iteration of the Board on Health and Human Sciences (BHHS) Leadership Fellows program now through February 16, 2024. Faculty and Extension Specialists with interest in becoming administrative leaders in the health and human sciences field are encouraged to apply. Information on the program can be found in the 2024 Leadership Fellows Brochure. Selected fellows will receive up to $3,000 to support their projects and assigned mentors to support their activities. Project funds (including travel stipends) will be awarded to the fellows for a period of one year, to begin immediately following the BHHS annual meeting and to culminate in attending and presenting at the following BHHS annual meeting. Questions may be directed to bhhs@aplu.org. 



MyPlate Helps Make Every Bite Count - MyPlate.gov is the Federal symbol for healthy eating, and it offers a collection of easy-to-use tools and resources that promote healthy eating habits for people of all ages, budgets, and cultural backgrounds. The MyPlate Quiz (available in English and Spanish) provides resources that fit any need, and the MyPlate Plan (also available in English and Spanish) can be personalized for age, sex, height, weight, and activity level. There are also tools for on-the-go lifestyles: Shop Simple with MyPlate offers money-saving tips for grocery shopping and new ideas for preparing those foods, while the Start Simple mobile app helps set food group goals and track progress.



Registration Open for 2024 National 4-H Conference - Registration for the 2024 National 4-H Conference opened February 1. National 4-H Conference, the flagship youth development opportunity of USDA and hosted by NIFA, will be April 19 through 24. Read more about National 4-H Conference including registration details here.

Secretary's Speech Praises and Charges Land-grant Research, Education, and Extension

On January 8, 2024, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack visited the University of New Hampshire. ECOP Member Ken La Valley was particularly impressed with the Secretary’s talk, which featured the important role of Land-grant University research, education, and extension. The Secretary gave a similar presentation at the APLU Annual Meeting in November 2023. The presentation, starting at the point when Extension was referenced, is captured below.

New 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development Impact - Many may be familiar with the 10-year longitudinal study, The 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, conducted by Tufts University and sponsored by the National 4-H Council, which concluded in 2011. This research has been a tremendous asset for 4-H and helped the Cooperative Extension System tell a powerful story nationally and locally.

Council recently funded a follow up study to replicate the research with new youth, as well as reconnect with original study original participants who are now adults.

This Replication and Reconnection Study confirms the original, powerful outcomes: 4-H helps youth thrive, now and into adulthood. Here is the top line:

Compared to their peers, 4-H participants are:

• 4X more likely to make a positive contribution to their communities

• 2X more likely to participate in out-of-school-time science programs

• 2X more likely to make healthier choices

• 2X more likely to report feeling competent

• 2X more likely to feel positive about their wellbeing

4-H alumni are:

• 3X more likely to participate in community service

• 2X more likely to report living life with intentionality and purpose

• 2X more likely to have the goal of being a leader

Updating Economic Engagement Framework - This APLU Commission on Economic and Community Engagement developed framework is the foundation of a number of APLU projects and programs in economic and community engagement including the Innovation & Economic Prosperity Program. The new Principals of Practice for Higher Education’s Engagement in Inclusive Economic Engagement Strategies updated the 2015 previous framework “Foundations for Strategy and Practice” and articulates the values public and land-grant campuses can bring to this work, illustrates a theory of change showing that inclusive growth and social mobility are possible, and offers principles of practice for campuses to consider.




Revealing Article on Microcredentials - A new survey found training partnerships between employers and four-year colleges fell between 2022 and 2023 while instruction provided by third-party providers rose. The Inside Higher Ed article that quotes this statistic cites a new report released Tuesday by Collegis Education, an online program support company, and UPCEA, the organization previously known as the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. In 2023, 40 percent of organizations surveyed had partnerships or relationships with four-year colleges and universities, which was a nine-percentage-point drop compared to the previous year’s inaugural survey. Partnerships between employers and LinkedIn Learning, however, rose from 44 percent in 2022 to 52 percent in 2023. A quick search shows that several Cooperative Extension Services have a presence on Linkedin.

USDA-NIFA Hosts EFNEP Listening Session – February 23

On Friday, February 23, 2024, the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will host a listening session for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) at 10:15-11:30 AM ET – immediately following the EFNEP National Conference. The hyperlink below provides details for this live and virtual event. Please consider attending, submitting written comments, and sharing this event information with Family and Consumer Sciences and EFNEP Coordinators. NIFA is seeking stakeholder feedback on all aspects of EFNEP.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/events/expanded-food-nutrition-education-program-efnep-listening-session

ECOP Appoints Martin as NUEL Liaison  - ECOP has appointed Dr. Edward C. Martin (pictured left) as the Liaison to the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Steering Committee. Dr. Martin serves as Associate Vice President and Director of the Arizona Cooperative Extension System and is a faculty member in the Biosystems Engineering Department. Ed replaces Dr. Brent Hales, University of California, in this role. The appointment was established in 2015 with the adoption of A National Framework for Urban Extension. Please join ECOP to thank Brent and Ed for their national leadership!




ECOP/APLU Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good Webinar Now Online - Last Friday, ECOP sponsored a webinar titled, Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good, which is now online for asynchronous viewing. APLU launched the initiative to spur more publicly engaged and impactful research and scholarship. Over the past two years, Civic Science Fellow Elyse Aurbach led this initiative, and focused on the strategies public research universities can support scholars working in Public Impact Research, Cooperative Extension, civic science, and other forms of public engagement. ECOP thanks Elyse for sharing and discussing the initiative, action framework and case studies. The recording is available on ECOP's YouTube Channel. 

Associated links from the presentation: 

• Slides - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lH0lfG_ekefCYejSPaaSHAj2u_wIGbMh/view
• Report Executive Summary: https://osf.io/b4qw3 
• Access the Database: https://airtable.com/appTKXGHSza4RHNJj/shraoZlcCgYrXCiki

Rural Health & Safety Education RFA - NIFA recently published the 2024 Rural Health and Safety Education Competitive Grants Program (RHSE) RFA. The RHSE program improves the quality of life in rural communities by providing the essential knowledge necessary for successful programs of rural health and safety in the context of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences. Proposals are expected to be community-based outreach education programs, such as those conducted through human science Extension outreach that provide individuals and families with information regarding:

• The value of good health at any age;
• To increase individual or family’s motivation to take more responsibility for their own health;
• Rural environmental health issues that directly impact human health;
• Access to health promotion and educational activities; and
• Training for volunteers and health services providers concerning health promotion and health care services for individuals and families in cooperation with state, local, and community partners.

Application deadline is March 14, 2024. For more information, read the RHSE funding opportunity.




GusNIP - Produce Prescription Award Applications - The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) presents the opportunity to bring together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems to foster understanding of how they might improve the health and nutrition status of participating households. The Produce Prescription portion of this program is of particular interest to Cooperative Extension. Applications for this portion of the program are due February 28, 2024. NIFA recently conducted a technical assistance webinar, for which the slides are now available.




USDA Names Participants in 2024 Future Leaders in Agriculture Program - On January 17th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the selection of 20 undergraduate and graduate students as the 2024 winners of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture program. The selected students hail from land-grant universities and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSI). The recent USDA press release names the students, their hometowns, and their universities. Program winners will travel to Washington, D.C., in February to tour the nation’s capital and attend USDA’s premier annual event, the Agricultural Outlook Forum. They will also participate in several USDA briefings, gaining numerous opportunities for career development with leaders at USDA.

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until January 22, 2024, to honor the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good Virtual Event - A special presentation on Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good: An Action Framework for Public Research Universities has been organized by ECOP for Friday, January 19, 2024, 3-4:00 p.m. ET. Elyse Aurbach, Director of Public Engaged and Research Impacts, University of Michigan, the leader of the APLU project, will present. The framework includes helpful ways to manage organizational change.

Public research universities have over 150 years of history of spearheading scholarship that advances the public interest. Founded to serve the public through their education, research, and engagement work, they provide life-changing education to students, advance society-shaping innovations, and engage communities to tackle our most stubborn challenges. The abstract and full report are available here.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://aplu-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMscOmprDMqHt38xL5efL7Irw507p37HFBm and receive a confirmation email containing connection details.

NIFA Grants Development & Management Networking Sessions - NIFA will pilot four networking sessions to help enhance grants development and grants management. The first session on January 30, 2024, will be on allowable and unallowable costs. NIFA experts on grants management, our OGFM staff will be answering questions as a Panel. We are requesting you to share the link with your grantees. The sessions are designed to answer questions asked by attendees. Pre-submitted questions will be answered first, which can be submitted during registration. Please encourage your applicants and grantees to attend as these sessions will not be recorded.




Build and Strengthen Leadership at the JCEP Extension Leadership Conference - The Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP) invites and encourages Extension Deans/Directors/Administrators to support Extension personnel to attend the 2024 Extension Leadership Conference (ELC). This event gives attendees opportunities to connect with others across Extension Associations and the U.S. Karl Bradley, Extension Foundation, will be the keynote and capstone speaker to excite and equip attendees to strengthen and grow their leadership.

Participation in ELC greatly depends on Extension Director support. Dr. Barbara Petty (pictured left), Associate Dean and Director of the University of Idaho Extension and ECOP Liaison to JCEP, shares the value of ELC. “The Extension Leadership Conference is an outstanding opportunity for field staff to learn how to be more effective in their roles as Extension Professionals. In addition to the dynamic speakers, a great benefit is the networking that occurs across the disciplines with colleagues from all over the nation. Idaho personnel have identified this conference as one of the most impactful in their professional development. I highly recommend this conference for your field staff and encourage you to support their attendance.”

ELC is February 14-15, 2024, at the Saddlebrook Resort Tampa. Registration and details are here: https://www.jcep.org/elc.



New Issue of the Journal of Extension Published - The newest issue of the flagship journal for Extension professionals, Volume 61, Number 3 of the Journal of Extension, is now available.

2022 Census of Agriculture Data Coming Soon - The 2022 Census of Agriculture data will be released February 13, 2024. NASS recently shared information about data release, preliminary return rate, and upcoming special studies. NASS Public Affairs Office states that with the census data that was collected in 2022, over 400 reports about agricultural commodities were produced. NASS reminders and updates for Extension Directors and Administrators appear regularly in ECOP Monday Minute to help track the schedule of data collection and promote the value of the census.  

SARE Coordinator Sought - In 2024, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program will initiate a $10 million national food loss and food waste grants program to support projects that align with USDA activities aimed at reducing food loss and reducing food waste, getting surplus wholesome food to individuals, and developing linkages between food producers, providers, and food recovery organizations.

To accomplish the goals of the grant program, SARE is seeking a Program Manager/Coordinator to assist in the organization, coordination, and implementation of selected grant projects. The Program Manager/Coordinator is a national seat, open to qualified applicants in the contiguous U.S.; Alaska; Hawaii; the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Micronesia, and Northern Mariana Islands; and sovereign nations Republic of Palau and Marshall Islands. Institutions, such as colleges and universities; and organizations such as non-governmental organizations meeting qualifications are invited to apply.



2023 Extension Foundation Professional Development Needs Assessment Report Available - The purpose of the Extension Foundation Professional Development Needs Assessment study was to identify professional development needs for Extension professionals at 1862, 1890, and 1994 Land-grant universities in the US and US territories. The Extension Foundation issued a request for applications for a Fellowship to complete this needs assessment. Dr. Karen Vines, Assistant Professor, Continuing Professional Education Specialist, Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education at Virginia Tech was selected as the Fellow and researcher for this project. Read the summary and access the full report at this link.