2026 Knapp Lecture Nominations Close June 5

Nominations for the Seaman A. Knapp Lecture will close Friday, June 5. The Knapp Lecture is part of a Memorial Lecture series sponsored by NIFA and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. 

Reminder: National Extension Award for Innovative Programming that Addresses New Audiences

The purpose of this award is for Extension efforts that go above and beyond in reaching new audiences. It recognizes innovative teaching models and techniques that ensure Extension programs reach all audiences, especially new and those that have not been participating in traditional Extension education. The programming should reflect how a systematic needs assessment identified the audience and influenced teaching methods, created mutual respect among audiences, promoted acceptance, fostered teamwork, and improved overall effectiveness of the programming.

Nominations must be submitted online by June 1, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs

APLU’s Board of Agriculture’s interview series “Growing Together: Conversations with CEOs” showcases Presidents and CEOs of national agricultural associations, commodity groups, and other organizations and explores their powerful synergies with land-grant universities.

Christy Seyfert, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council

Christy Seyfert serves as President & CEO of the Farm Credit Council, the national trade association representing the nation’s leading provider of credit and financial services to agriculture and rural America in good times and bad.

"Growing up, 4-H helped me develop confidence in public speaking and appreciation for those who build up individuals and communities. My 4-H agent was one of my favorite people, and the broader team of Extension agents remain both friends and resources to my farm family in Georgia. Fast forward to some years later when I met my future in-laws, I was pleased to learn my father-in-law provided that same support as an Extension agent in Kansas." - Christy Seyfert

Read the full interview.

Save the Date: 2026 National Extension Directors & Administrators Annual Meeting

The 2026 NEDA meeting is scheduled for September 15-17 in Seattle, WA. Monday, September 14 will be a travel day for those attending the ECOP meeting on Tuesday, September 15. New administrator orientation will take place the afternoon of Tuesday, September 15, followed by a reception and dinner featuring a 4-H speaker.

Nominations for Individual and Team Excellence in Extension Awards Being Accepted

Please be alert for a contact from your Regional Executive Director or Administrator regarding your region’s nomination process for the Excellence in Extension Individual and Team Awards.


Rollins Sworn in as US Secretary of Agriculture

On February 13, Brooke Rollins was sworn in as the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The department has issued a press release of her day-one accomplishments, including sending a letter to the nation’s governors to outline her vision for the department.


Congratulations LEAD 21 Class #20 Graduates

Daniel Helsham, American Samoa Community College; Katie Funderburk, Auburn University; Mark Smith, Auburn University; Yiwen Chiu, California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo; Amy Lammert, California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo; Gabriel Davidov-Pardo, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Bobbie Bowling, Central State University; Mark Rendleman, Central State University; George Dickert, Clemson University; Cathy Jachowski, Clemson University; Pat Wechter, Clemson University; Shawn Archibeque, Colorado State University; Aavudai Anandhi, Florida A&M University; Sotirios Archontoulis, Iowa State University; Aileen Keating, Iowa State University; Brian Olson, Kansas State University; Gaea Hock, Kansas State University; Tiffany Williams, Langston University; Lisa Bottomley, Michigan State University; Steve Carey, Michigan State University; Nicky Mason-Wardell, Michigan State University; Trent Irby, Mississippi State University; Anne Spafford, Mississippi State University; Drew Gholson, Mississippi State University; Carlos Ortiz, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Ahlishia Shipley, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Jeff Sweet, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Barbara Chamberlin, New Mexico State University; Chastity English, North Carolina A&T State University; Lin Zhao, North Carolina A&T State University; Sean Munday, North Carolina State University; Marcela Rojas-Pierce, North Carolina State University; Kendra Greenlee, North Dakota State University; Christina Hargiss, North Dakota State University; Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University; Dave Mackey, Ohio State University; Jennifer Jones, Oklahoma State University; Karl Rich, Oklahoma State University; Ranjith Ram, Oklahoma State University; Sagar Sathuvalli, Oregon State University; Adam Ward, Oregon State University; Spirit Brooks, Oregon State University; Ashley James, Prairie View A&M University; Lea Ann Kinman, Prairie View A&M University; Talia Washington, Prairie View A&M University; Laura Bowling, Purdue University; Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi, Purdue University; Krystle Allen, Southern University; Si-Arah Jones, Southern University; Ambika Chandra, Texas A&M University; Mark Faries, Texas A&M University; Kevin Ong, Texas A&M University; Millicent Braxton, Tuskegee University; Barrett Vaughan, Tuskegee University; Eunjoo Cho, University of Arkansas; Karen DiCicco, University of Arkansas; Johan Leveau, University of California, Davis; Darren Haver, University of California, Irvine; Paulo Verardi, University of Connecticut; Charlie Li, University of Florida; Jillian Bohlen, University of Georgia; Faith Critzer, University of Georgia; Bhabesh Dutta, University of Georgia; Tanisha Aflague, University of Guam; Jacinda Dariotis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Angela Lyons, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Nick Paulson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Chad Lee, University of Kentucky; Jordan Shockley, University of Kentucky; Joel Haskard, University of Minnesota; Eli Sagor, University of Minnesota; Rob Russell, University of Missouri; Dusty Walter, University of Missouri; Sonja Wilhelm Stanis, University of Missouri; David Holding, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Devin Rose, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Mark Stone, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; James McKane, University of New Hampshire; Chris Boyer, University of Tennessee; Tricia Gorby, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Jennifer Kushner, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Josh Dallin, Utah State University; Heidi LeBlanc, Utah State University; Kevin McGuire, Virginia Tech; Kim Niewolny, Virginia Tech; Janet Spencer, Virginia Tech; Vagner Benedito, West Virginia University

Congratulations Daryl Jones - 2024 Excellence in Extension Award Winner

 

Upcoming NAAAN Webinar

The North American Agricultural Advisory Network (NAAAN) will take an in-depth look at how Canada’s Living Labs bring together farmers, scientists, innovators and leaders to collaboratively tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges. The webinar, CONVERSATION on NAAAN CONNECT on Canada’s Living Labs, will be Thursday, Dec.12 at noon EST.

The Living Labs are leading the way in sustainable farming solutions, focusing on critical issues like soil health, water quality and biodiversity. The webinar will explore this network of more than 1,000 active participants and 200+ innovation activities.

This session will be accessible in English, Spanish and French. Register here.

NIFA Outlines Progress and Sets New Goals on Advancing Climate Change Science in New Report

In May 2022, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) outlined an ambitious action agenda for how the agency would address the climate crisis.

More than two years on, a new report outlines the various initiatives NIFA has since undertaken to advance climate-related research, strengthen food supply chains and support communities responding to climate challenges.

Published earlier this month, the NIFA Climate Change Priority Team: Accomplishments and Action Agenda Report highlights the agency’s progress on the 44 unique actions outlined in the NIFA Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan. These concrete, near-term actions, developed through several rounds of staff and external stakeholder input, were identified to reflect a coordinated, collaborative response to the vulnerabilities and impacts caused by a changing climate.

The new report provides descriptions and overviews of NIFA’s accomplishments in the following categories: climate change programming; strategic planning; organizational effectiveness; and stakeholder outreach and engagement. It highlights NIFA’s broad climate change-relevant funding opportunities, exciting projects spearheaded by our partners and stakeholders, actions NIFA has taken to support staff and grantees, and where we plan to go next. Learn more about the report.

Nominations Begin for National Awards

The following awards are open for nomination and offered by ECOP in partnership with USDA-NIFA.

--> ECOP Program Committee Award Project
The purpose of National Extension Diversity Award is to acknowledge accomplishments of Cooperative Extension Professionals in achieving organizational changes that support diversity, pluralism and innovation through educational programs. The Award for Diversity is designed to focus national attention on innovative models and techniques that ensure that Extension programs equitably engage all learning audiences effectively.

--> ECOP Professional Development Committee Award Project - 2 Categories!

These awards are designed to focus national attention on the role of Extension – one that is fundamental to the lifelong education and development of residents in communities around the nation.

• The Individual Awards for Excellence in Extension recognize Cooperative Extension Professionals who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served, and provide visionary leadership for the System. 
  
  
• The Team Award for Excellence in Extension recognizes excellence of a team of Cooperative Extension Professionals in performing the work of Extension research, technical assistance, and outreach education.

To begin the nomination process with a competitive edge, review each opportunity, share with leadership teams and potential nominees by February 15. Online submissions accompanied by authorizing endorsement by land-grant university Extension Director or Administrator are required by May 1. Winning Cooperative Extension professionals are selected by the end of July and will travel to the APLU Annual Meeting in November to receive their awards. 

For full details, visit the new website

 awards.extension.org today! 

Click Here for a video with helpful tips and insights from the 2022 winners recorded last Friday!

EXCITE RFA Announcement
The EXCITE Implementation Phase RFA has been released and is now open for submission. This RFA for the Implementation Phase is an opportunity for all applicants, regardless of previous participation in the Design Phase, to submit proposals for the next phase of EXCITE. The project leaders are also pleased to announce that the budget for EXCITE Implementation Phase grant funding has increased 30% from $70,000 to $100,000! This additional funding will enable teams to provide more support to their projects. All interested land-grants should submit applications and take advantage of this increased funding opportunity.

Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity

Yesterday, ECOP Chair Dr. Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, and Dr. Dionne Toombs, Acting Director of USDA-NIFA presented 7 Cooperative Extension awards at the APLU Annual meeting in Denver. Congratulations to the following faculty for their hard work, positive impact for all, and visionary leadership for the Cooperative Extension System!

The Excellence in Extension Awards for Individuals recognize Cooperative Extension professionals who excel at science-based programming, provides visionary leadership, and makes a positive impact on their constituents.

The winner of the national award is Alison Davis (pictured left), University of Kentucky. Dr. Davis is Extension Professor of Agriculture Economics, and the Executive Director of the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK). She leads a team of  engagement and research staff to support for CEDIK’s five priority areas: economic development, leadership development, community health, arts engagement, and community design. Davis has attracted over $15 million in funding from federal agencies including USDA, Appalachian Regional Commission, Health and Human Services, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In 2020, Davis led a statewide Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program designed to support economic development professionals, small businesses, and communities as they rebound from COVID-19. She facilitated the distribution of nearly $1 million in grants to Kentucky businesses and communities to support their recovery from the loss of revenues resulting from COVID-19. She now leads similar efforts supporting disaster relief and recovery for businesses and communities that have been destroyed by extreme weather events.

The Regional Excellence Awards for Individuals

Winner are pictured L-R:

1890s - Angela Williams, 4-H Youth Development Specialist, Alabama A&M University, was awarded for exemplary leadership, community outreach, and positive impact with underserved youth. North Central - Christian Butzke, Extension Enologist and Professor, Purdue University, was awarded for exceptional national Extension leadership serving the wine industry.
Northeast - Nila Cobb, Associate Professor, West Virginia University, was awarded for exemplary commitments to effective engagement of underserved youth and families to help them thrive.
Southern - Paul Fisher, Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Florida, was awarded for excellence in providing science-based Extension education on controlled environment horticulture.

The National Excellence in Extension Team Award recognizes excellence and leadership of an Extension team in performing the work of Extension research, technical assistance, and outreach education.

The AES NC3169 Multi-state Research Group, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program’s (EFNEP) Related Research, Program Evaluation, and Outreach, picture above, received the brand new award. The team works to strengthen the evidence base of EFNEP, Extension’s flagship nutrition education program. The group is developing and testing critical and culturally relevant evaluation tools to assess EFNEP’s program effectiveness. Integrating the land-grant mission of Extension, research, and education, the team includes 23 university researchers, practitioners, and graduate students and represents 16 land-grant institutions. Membership reflects the diversity of expertise needed to address research needs including nutrition, physical activity, education, economics, food safety, public health, sociology, and statistics. The group engages 1862 and 1890 institutions in vital community based participatory research.

National Diversity in Extension Award recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism.

The winner in 2022 is Latinx Agricultural Network (LAN), a Community of Practice at Pennsylvania State University that was created to address an increasing regional and national issue involving a growing underserved population, the Latinx community. LAN brings together members from across the College of Agricultural Sciences and Extension, industry, and Latinx community with the goal of ensuring Latinx operators, farmers, workers, and their families in Pennsylvania and beyond receive the best extension services that Penn State has to offer, and their needs are met using comprehensive strategies and science-based information. A multidisciplinary team of over 110 faculty, educators, administrators, students, and grassroots advisors are working hand-to-hand to assess, evaluate, adapt, and amplify future services, outreach and education efforts across disciplines spanning from plant science and farm safety to 4-H and family health and nutrition. 

To learn more about nominating Extension professionals and teams, go to www.aplu.org/CESawards and watch for the release of the 2023 request for nominations. 

EXCITE Design Phase Deadline Extended to November 30 - EXCITE is a nationwide local response by U.S. Cooperative Extension made possible through an interagency agreement between USDA-NIFA and the CDC. Cooperative Extension is positioned to continue to be a partner with CDC and other federal partners in adult immunization education because of the system's ability to collaborate, deliver whole-health educational programming, and is a trusted messenger to share science-based knowledge. We have extended the application deadline for the new EXCITE Design Phase opportunity to November 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM PST. All Land-grant universities are invited to participate. Learn more at this link.

2021 Cooperative Extension Awards

Recognizing visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming, ECOP is pleased to share the following awards to be presented at this virtual event next Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 3:00 p.m. ET. Please register at the link provided today to hear the impacts from each winner! 

Dr. Ann Allgood Berry (pictured left) of the University of Tennessee will receive the 15^th Annual Excellence in Extension Award while the Coming Together for Racial Understanding Team will receive the 30^th Annual National Extension Diversity Award.

The Excellence in Extension Award is given to Cooperative Extension professionals who excel at programming, provides visionary leadership, and makes a positive impact on constituents served. Dr. Berry is an Extension specialist responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating consumer economics programs to support outreach through the University of Tennessee’s network of family and consumer science and 4-H youth development agents in 95 counties across the state. By conducting 124 teacher workshops, personal finance instruction reached 1.2 million high school students. The estimated impact of this Consumer Economics program is $297,261,026 since 2007.

The National Diversity Award recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism. The Coming Together for Racial Understanding Team, comprised of Extension specialists and administrators from 22 land-grant universities from 17 states, and other national representatives, is the winner. The team helped train facilitators who guided community dialogues across the country around issues of race and discrimination. The effort involved 29 states sending teams for national training, with more than 100 participants completing train-the-trainer workshops. All told, over 900 Cooperative Extension System staff completed some portion of the trainings. The principal for the CTRU Team, Rachel Welborn, Associate Director for the Southern Region Rural Development, will accept the award on behalf of the Team.

Regional Excellence in Extension Awards:

• 1890s Region: Michelle L. Eley, Community and Economic Development Specialist, North Carolina A&T State University, for communication and economic development for underserved agricultural and rural audiences.
• North Central Region: Ashley L. Mueller, Extension Specialist, Disaster Education Coordinator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for disaster education leading to increased community preparedness and resilience.
• Northeast Region: Harry Crissy, Business and Community Vitality Extension Educator, The Pennsylvania State University, for promoting access to broadband Internet.
• Southern Region: Robert C. Kemerait, Jr., Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, for advancing public understanding of managing major disease threats to Agronomic Crops.
• Western Region: Ana Lucia Fonseca, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist, Oregon State University, for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all learners.

Member Updates with Wendy Powers, ECOP Chair - Last week Members of the Cooperative Extension Section, were cordially invited to participate in ECOP’s First Friday Section Update event on November 5^th from 3:00-4:00 PM ET. Important information will be shared directly with members with ample time discuss ideas, concerns, and emerging opportunities. These opportunities are part of Dr. Powers’ 2021-2022 Action Plan: To continue to develop and improve upon the understanding about the role of ECOP and ECOP activities, providing regular updates on ECOP activities, through the ECOP Monday Minute and virtual Section briefings. Extension Directors and Administrators are asked to keep the first Friday of each month (except August) open on their calendars from 3-4:30 PM ET for these sessions. Connection details may be obtained by contacting Sandy Ruble at sandyruble@extenssion.org, 




Two Events Slated on Sustainability of Forest and Rangeland Resources - The 2021 McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research (MCSFR) and the Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA) programs will hold two events (fall and spring) to identify opportunities, discuss challenges, and collaborate in addressing the sustainability of forest and rangeland resources through research, education, and extension strategies. The first meeting November 15 at 1 p.m. (ET) intends to connect MCSFR administrative technical representatives and RREA project directors through a series of talks, breakout groups, webinars, and guest speakers to learn about the latest changes in the reporting system, financial, and administrative management of the programs. For more information, go to the MSCFR and RREA webinar announcement.




USDA NIFA Civil Rights Compliance Review Schedule for FY 2022-2025 - Civil Rights (CR) compliance reviews are a tool to determine how benefits and services are delivered by NIFA-funded programs and activities. The collaborative reviews provide recipients of NIFA funding with technical assistance and strategies to improve access, equal opportunity, and program delivery. Onsite compliance reviews are conducted annually on a rotational basis for recipients in the U.S. and territories. The NIFA CR Compliance Review Schedule for 2022-2025 is available here.

Call for 2021 Cooperative Extension Award Nominations

Nominations are being accepted for the 2021 Extension Awards program through May 1, 2021. The Excellence in Extension Awards, recognize Cooperative Extension professionals - 1 National Award, and 5 Regional Awards - who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served, and provide visionary leadership for the System. The Award for Diversity is designed to focus national attention on innovative models and techniques that ensure that Extension programs equitably and effectively engage all audiences. A new Team Award for Excellence is under development for later release. The Awards include a cash prize and travel stipends to attend a reception and the Board of Agriculture Assembly Awards Session at the 2021 APLU Annual Meeting. With only 3 months before the deadline, visit www.aplu.org/CESAwards and start completing nominations today.



Application Process Open for FSLI's Seventeenth Cohort - Applications are now being accepted for the seventeenth cohort in the Food Systems Leadership Institute starting in the fall of 2021. The Food Systems Leadership Institute (FSLI) offers executive leadership development to upper-level leaders in higher education, government, and industry to prepare them to meet the leadership challenges and opportunities of the future. More information on the FSLI program can be found in the short video on their website. Go to https://fsli.org/apply to apply. For optimal consideration interested parties should apply before March 1! 

Updated Guide to Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities - It can be difficult for farmers and ranchers to navigate the wide range of USDA resources and stay up to date with program changes after each Farm Bill. Thanks to the newly updated Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities, producers, researchers, nonprofits, and landowners can easily find USDA programs that can help them achieve their goals. For more information, download your free copy of Building Sustainable Farms, Ranches, and Communities.

eXtension Responds to Evolving System Needs for Operational Excellence Online - eXtension Foundation would like to remind Directors & Administrators that all Extension professionals can join Connect Extension regardless of membership in the eXtension Foundation. Extension staff are invited to join the Technology in Extension Education Subgroup to access and contribute resources for delivering Extension programming in a virtual world. Also, for 2021, the Impact Collaborative program is hosting a Leadership series available to members leading teams of five or more. The topics in this series are a result of work with individuals & teams from across Extension wondering: What does effective leadership look like when we no longer have the ability to put a hand on a shoulder? How do we reduce friction, confusion & underperformance for individuals, teams, and organizations? Learn More & Register here.

Upcoming Webinar on Federal Resources for Creative Community Development - On Tuesday, February 9 at 4 p.m. ET, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations, and Metris Arts Consulting are offering a free web seminar on Federal Resources for Creative Community Development. This seminar is designed to help gain access to federal funds and harness the power of arts and culture for community development. The seminar will feature the new Creative Placemaking Public Resources Guide and will discuss a curated selection of federal funding sources that can be used to advance equitable community development, examples of initiatives that have transformed community development through create partnerships, and practical tips on accessing federal grant programs. To view the complete session details and register, click here.

Top Honors in Extension Excellence and Diversity

The National Excellence in Extension Award is given annually to a Cooperative Extension professional who excels at programming, provides visionary leadership and makes a positive impact on constituents served. Jamie Ellis, recipient of this year's award, is a Professor and Extension Specialist in Agriculture in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida, where he directs the Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory. Regional Award winners are listed below. The National Diversity in Extension Award recognizes significant contributions and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism. The University of Missouri’s 4-H Center for Youth Development is the recipient in 2020. USDA-NIFA and Cooperative Extension have sponsored the awards since 1991. The awards will be presented virtually on October 28 (Registration will be appear here soon). Click Here to read more including quotes by ECOP Past-chair and Acting NIFA Director and here to learn more about the awards program.

Regional Excellence in Extension Awards 
· 1890s Region: Sanjun Gu, Horticulture Specialist, North Carolina A&T State University, for expansion of horticulture science to all communities.

· North Central Region: Lisa A. Bottomley, Senior Extension Specialist and Manager of Volunteer Services, Michigan State University, for leadership in best practices in volunteer and youth engagement.

· Northeast Region: Jennifer Robertson-Honecker, STEM Specialist, 4-H Youth Development Program, West Virginia University, for innovative programming to educate youth in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

· Southern Region: Hailin Zhang, Nutrient Management Extension Specialist, Oklahoma State University, for using agricultural science to advance public understanding of effective agricultural practices.

· Western Region: Paul Allen Hill, Extension Professor, Applied Sciences and Technical Education, Utah State University, for innovative economic development program empowering rural communities through remote work.

NIFA's New Integrated Reporting System - The New NIFA Reporting System will eventually be home to all research (competitive and capacity) and Extension programs, and enable the new, service-oriented NIFA and Land-Grant Institutions to more fully "tell the story" of how they are working together to advance agricultural research and Extension across the nation. The current phase of work to be released will bring AREERA research and Extension activities together for the first time in a centralized reporting portal equipped with dashboards. Cooperative Extension will have the means to describe their programs in greater detail and offers the expanded format requested for the Plan of Work. NIFA designed the Extension module with representatives from the Land-Grant University System at the table, providing valuable input and guidance. For several months, the Extension Working Group worked with NIFA staff to develop a user-friendly product to collect quality information to serve both NIFA and our partners, while streamlining the overall effort. A similar effort is underway with the Research Working Group to streamline reporting requirements for Hatch, Hatch Multistate, and Evans-Allen. REEport will remain unchanged until the new system is completed and fully operable. Additional guidance will be provided at monthly webinars and on this website. To receive invitations to the project’s monthly webinars, contact pow@usda.gov. 

Planning for NEDA 2021 - Thank you to all (5% rate of response) who have completed the 2020 NEDA Survey so far. For everyone else, please take a few moments to assess this year's virtual NEDA meeting and speak to next year's planning committee. Click Here to begin. 

RFA Announcement - Military Teen Adventure Camps - Due November 5, 2020 - Purdue Extension announces an opportunity to land-grant university colleagues to support military teens by hosting military teen adventure camps during summer, 2021. As part of an ongoing partnership between the Department of Defense, Office of Family Policy, Children & Youth and USDA/NIFA, this project and funding opportunity allows the Extension system to offer to military teens some of the best “adventure” camping opportunities that can be found across the nation. The link to the RFA is here.


Community Learning With Data-Driven Discovery Strategies Webinars - As a follow-up to the ECOP sponsored National Action Dialogue and Day 1 NEDA discussions, Oregon State’s three-state partnership team has developed a six-part webinar series for Extension professionals. Organizers will take the concepts of community learning through data driven discovery and provide strategies to help Extension professionals maximize their time, develop responsive programs using data insights, and foster impact in collaboration with communities. Extension professionals are invited to register for webinar series here.

   October 7, 2020--The Process: Community Learning for Data Driven Decision Making

   October 14, 2020--The Community: Community Capital Framework for Economic Mobility

   October 21, 2020--The Team: Team Science & Working Virtually as a Team

   October 28, 2020--The Discovery: Data Discovery Process

   November 4, 2020--The Culture: Building a Data-Ready Culture

   November 18, 2020--The Action Plan: Finding Insights in Data

2018 Top Honors in Extension

Ron Cox,
Oklahoma State University

Lesia Oesterreich,
Iowa State University

On November 11 in New Orleans at the APLU Annual Meeting the Cooperative Extension Section and USDA-NIFA will recognize the following for visionary leadership and diversity in educational programming.

--> National Diversity in Extension Award: Ron Cox, Oklahoma State University, for the leadership and impact of ¡Unidos Se Puede!
(United We Can!), the comprehensive approach to programming, collaboration tactics, and potential for the program to expand to other states.

--> National Excellence in Extension (EiE) Award: Lesia Oesterreich, Iowa State University, for innovative educational partnerships and programming with vulnerable families and early childhood education professionals.
     -- 1890 Region EiE Award: Jason de Koff, Tennessee State University.
     -- North Central Region EiE Award: Joe Luck, University of Nebraska.
     -- Northeast Region EiE Award: Molly Donovan, University of New Hampshire.
     -- Southern Region EiE Award: Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University.

L-R: Jason de Koff, Tennessee State University; Molly Donovan, University of New Hampshire;
Joe Luck, University of Nebraska, and Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University.

CLICK HERE to read entire article and to learn more about future nominations go to www.aplu.org/CESAwards.


Inspire Kids to Do STEM With 2018 4-H National Youth Science Day - Now in its eleventh year, 4-H NYSD was created by National 4-H Council, USDA-NIFA and Cooperative Extension to ignite an early interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among young people. The 2018 National Youth Science Day challenge, Code Your World, co-developed by West Virginia University Extension Service and Google, is a four-part challenge that teaches kids ages 8-14 to apply computer science to the world around them through hands-on activities. Code Your World is easier than ever to facilitate, with each kit including a computer-based activity on Google’s CS First platform and three unplugged activities that bring coding to life through games and interaction. The national NYSD celebration kicks off October 1, and coding events can take place throughout the month of October. Click here to purchase NYSD kits and inspire kids to do STEM this fall.


Registration for the Impact Collaborative Summit Extended to September 27 - More than 160 professionals including Key Informants, teams from 26 eXtension member institutions, and external partners will be joining us at the Summit on October 16-18, 2018 in Indianapolis, IN. The deadline is extended it until September 27 to accommodate any remaining teams that still wish to attend. Five free registrations are offered to premium member institution teams, and 3 free registrations are offered to basic member teams. Community partners are welcome. The purpose of this Summit is to guide project and program teams from your institutions through the Impact Collaborative Innovation Process and send them home with a project or program better informed by Key Informants and capacity-building Partners that is ready to be implemented at their institutions or within their communities. Learn more and register here.

Extension Serves as Outreach Leader for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Program - The CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity is pleased to announce funding to 15 land-grant universities across the country through the High Obesity Program (HOP)--CDC-RFA-DP18-1809. The land-grant universities will leverage community extension services to increase access to healthier foods and opportunities for physical activity in counties that have more than 40% of adults with obesity. Since 2014, CDC has funded land-grant universities to work with existing county Cooperative Extension and outreach services in predominantly rural areas that have less access to healthy foods and fewer opportunities to be physically active. The High Obesity Program has demonstrated communities’ progress to improve access to healthy foods and physical activity across different settings. Please email DNPAOPolicy@cdc.gov if you have any questions about this announcement.

Excellence in Extension and Diversity Awards Announced

Please Note: The ECOP Monday Minute will return on November 6, 2017 

Louie Rivers, Jr.
Kentucky State University

Louie Rivers, Jr., Kentucky State University, will receive the 2017 Excellence in Extension Award, and the 2017 Extension Diversity Award will go to Oregon State University’s Youth Development Program "Attitudes for Success Youth Leadership Program". With visionary leadership, excellence in programming, and positive impact, Rivers has helped secure and manage more than $12 million in extramural funding to enhance Kentucky State University’s work with the small, limited-resource, minority, veteran and women farmers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Participants of the Small Farmers Program have shown an annual increase of $5,000 per participant. His leadership has impacted more the 20,000 individuals at Kentucky State University’s monthly sustainable agriculture workshop “Third Thursday Thing”.
Since the inception of "Attitude for Success" in 1989, more than 9,000 Hispanic and Native American youth have participated in the “Attitudes for Success” program. Over 950 students have served as youth council officers and 270 professionals, including university and college representatives from institutions located in the northwest, have volunteered as presenters, many for multiple years. Local mentors assist the youth in leadership engagement such as running for student body officer positions or planning community events. As a result of the impact, longevity, and the availability of curriculum and evaluation tools, the program is being replicated to other states. In addition to the 2 national awards, the Extension educators named below, one from each of the five Cooperative Extension regions, will be recognized for excellence. U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) and the Cooperative Extension Section have sponsored the Excellence in Extension and National Diversity awards since 1991. All awards will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in Washington on Nov. 12, 2017.

Row 1- Misty Blue-Terry, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (1890s Region); Kevin Erb, University of Wisconsin-Extension (North Central Region) and Chet Arnold, University of Connecticut (Northeast Region). Row 2-  Damona Doye, Oklahoma State University (Southern Region), and Marsha Goetting, Montana State University (Western Region)

Seeking a Host Land-grant University for 2019 National Extension Conference on Volunteerism - Volunteers form the basis of a very effective leveraging of core funding from federal, state and local sources. The National Extension Conference on Volunteerism provides an opportunity to develop volunteer management skills and has been held every other year since 1999. Since then, new strategies have been developed, research conducted, evaluations implemented, and priorities identified at the local, state, and national level. The 11th National Extension Conference on Volunteerism will be held in April or May, 2019. All land-grant universities interested in hosting the conference should submit a hosting proposal by December 8, 2017. Email Doug Swanson dswanson@nifa.usda.gov to request hosting criteria and application.


Reminder – New Administrators Orientation Registration Is Open - The orientation workshop is intended for individuals on the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) and their supporting administrators or faculty and USDA-NIFA personnel who have entered an administrative position since 2013 and any others who would like to learn more about APLU, the land-grant university system, the BAA, and USDA-NIFA. Information presented will be particularly useful to administrative heads, directors, associate/assistant directors, and USDA-NIFA national program leaders and administrators. The workshop’s learning objectives are:

• Discuss compelling issues facing land-grant university Administrators as well as budgeting and accountability advice. 
• Gain valuable tips from experienced administrators and how to be a proactive administrator. 
• Learn how the APLU, BAA, USDA-Research, Education, and Economics, and USDA-NIFA work together to advance research, education and Extension. 
• Learn how to become involved at the national level to influence federal legislation and decisions made by USDA-NIFA and other agencies. 
• Understand the diverse roles of various institutional types within the Land-grant University System and the BAA. 
• Establish strategic networks with colleagues. 

Reserve a hotel room (by 11/21/17) and register for the meeting ($375 until 11/6/17). The planning committee is finalizing the speakers for the agenda, and every session will include time for Q&A with many having small group and other interactive components to them. For information and to register, please click here. A pre-workshop webinar will be conducted on December 5th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Connection details will be provided in the 11/6/17 ECOP Monday Minute.

Director Ed Jones (Virginia Cooperative Extension)
joins Vermont 4-H'ers from the Flying Hooves Club
on October 4 as they build their "Incredible Wearables"
fitness trackers.

4-H Science Grows with help from "Incredible" Design Challenge - The 10th annual 4-H National Youth Science Day, the world's largest youth-led science challenge, engaged thousands of young people across the nation in October, thanks to the popularity of the 2017 Incredible Wearables design challenge, created by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This year's challenge, including the flagship event co-hosted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension and National 4-H Council in Brooklyn, New York, also garnered prominent news coverage from several media outlets: Popular Science, Scientific American, RFD-TV and Axios. The hands-on project challenges young people to use the engineering design process to build a wearable fitness tracker that will help people lead healthier lifestyles. 4-H NYSD is made possible by Cooperative Extension, USDA-NIFA, National 4-H Council and the generous support of several corporate partners, including U.S. Cellular, DuPont Pioneer, Lockheed Martin, Hughes Net, Google and CA Technologies. Shop 4-H (formerly 4-H Supply Service) is on track to sell a record number of science kits this year -- nearing 10,000 as of October 19. For more information, including photos, click here.

2017 NEDA Wrap-Up - All presentations from 2017 NEDA are now available on the gadget on the right of this blog called "NEDA Links and Downloads" (the web view of the ECOP Monday Minute). Recently added is the summary from "Recruitment and Retention of an Innovative Workforce" and videos of "Anticipating and Planning for Paradigm Shifts",

Civil Discourse Rapid Response Team Webinar

Rachel Welborn, Southern Rural
Development Center, and Chris Boerboom,
North Dakota State University

The Rapid Response Team (RRT) on Civil Discourse, established by ECOP, is hosting a one-hour webinar on Wednesday, May 17th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time to showcase findings and share potential next steps for this work. Please save the date and join in the conversation. Additional information on the agenda and speakers will be posted in a future ECOP Monday Minute. For more information, please contact Rachel Welborn, RRT Chair, at Rachel.welborn@msstate.edu or 662.325.5885 or Dr. Chris Boerboom, Chair, ECOP Program Committee, at Chris.Boerboom@ndsu.edu or 701-231-8944. No preregistration is required. Simply save this link to use for the session: https://zoom.us/j/115542421

2017 National Awards Process Underway - ECOP and USDA-NIFA announce the 2017 nomination process for the National Excellence in Extension and Diversity awards. The due date for on-line nominations is May 1, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. For details and to access the worksheets and online nomination forms go to: http://www.aplu.org/CESawards. When completing a nomination for Excellence in Extension Award, please note that there are some changes to the criteria. Extension Directors and Administrator are to encourage nominations from previous years that were not selected for the National Awards to reapply. Questions can be directed to Sandy Ruble sandyruble@extension.org, ECOP Program Assistant.

2017 National Health Outreach Conference - The University of Maryland Extension will host the 2017 National Health Outreach Conference (NHOC) at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland, May 2-4, 2017. Come join Cooperative Extension and other national leaders dedicated to building a culture of health for all of America. The theme of the 2017 NHOC is Navigating the World of Health: A Sea of Opportunity. Conference tracks include: 1. Individual and Family Health, 2. Organizational Health, 3. Community Health, 4. Environmental Health and Safety, and 5. Health Policy and Systems Change. Check out the pre-conference workshop/tours, early-bird registration (on or before Friday, March 31) and other details at: https://app.certain.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x2512143e722

Diversity and Inclusion Resources - Over 80 Extension professionals representing nearly 40 eXtension Issue Corps projects on diversity and inclusion participated in a Designathon on February 14-15. The Designathon uses concept mapping and one-on-one mentoring with key informants to assist team members in their project planning. eXtension developed the Issue Corps program to identify innovative thinkers in the Cooperative Extension System, catalyze their work, and amplify the local impact of these teams by sharing their efforts on a national scale so that other Extension professionals can integrate innovative approaches into their programs. Future plans include tailored professional development and sharing about the projects and experience. To see what the Designathon experience was like, visit the recap at D&I Issue Corps Designathon 2017.


Register Early for PILD - The early registration rate for the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) conference ends on March 3rd! Registration information is available on the jcep.org website. The conference will be held in DC April 2-5. The theme for 2017 PILD is Relationships, Relevance, Results. The purpose of PILD is for Extension administrators, professionals, and volunteers to improve their skills in telling Extension’s story about local program impacts. In addition, participants will get up-to-date information about the Farm Bill, Federal budgets, NIFA focus areas and grants, and how to effectively meet with members of Congress and other decision makers. This video contains more information about PILD: https://mymediasite.online.ncsu.edu/online/Play/450e8074a5a94d6ead09f499ef4a39a11d

Celebrating Extension Excellence and Diversity

Standing L-R:Terry Messmer, Utah State University; Fe Moncloa, University of California; Nozella Brown, Kansas State University;
Sonny Ramaswamy, USDA-NIFA; Michelle Rodgers (ECOP Chair) and Richard Taylor, University of Delaware. Seated L-R: Stanley
Culpepper, University of Georgia, Russell Hill, University of California; Karnita Garner, Alabama A&M University,
and Steve Green, Texas A&M University

ECOP Chair Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, together with USDA-NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy and land-grant administrators, faculty and friends cheered the accomplishments of the Extension excellence and diversity award winners Sunday at the APLU Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. Information about the 2017 award process is available at www.aplu.org/CESawards. The deadline for nominations is 5.1.17. 

ECOP Highlights 2016 Accomplishments – Significant outcomes of ECOP national leadership occurred this year under the direction of Michelle Rodgers, ECOP Chair, University of Delaware. ECOP, in its effort to engage in discussion and decision-making benefiting state and local programming, focused work on private resource mobilization, innovation, national system, and urban and health programming, amongst other priorities. See bit.ly/ECOP2016Report for the 2016 ECOP Annual Report infographic. 

ECOP Announces 2017 Emphasis Areas – As Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska, accepts the gavel at a dinner meeting today in Austin, TX, he will outline ECOP emphasis areas and ongoing priorities for his year as ECOP chair. Work related to national system, private resource mobilization, urban programming and innovation will continue to new levels. Additional emphasis areas focus on more robust advocacy approaches for capacity funding and improved communications by ECOP with all Extension directors and administrators. For details, see www.aplu.org/CESGoals. 

SNAP-Ed Report Summarizes 2015 Outcomes – The national SNAP-Ed Program Development Team provides Cooperative Extension with national coordination, resources, training, and reporting. The most recent report shows Extension received $179.9 million in SNAP-Ed funding in FY 2015, employed 3,620 staff, reached 2.5 million participants and demonstrated positive program outcomes. The full report, executive summary, and infographic are available at: http://articles.extension.org/pages/73228/national-snap-ed-program-impact-reports. 

Riley Memorial Lecture Nominations Due 12.1.16 – The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) invites nominations for the 2017 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture for presentation next spring in Washington, DC. Nominees must show outstanding scientific contributions and/or significant policy accomplishments related to research and innovation in agriculture with demonstrated societal impact. More information is available at www.aaas.org/riley-lecture. To submit nominations, email Anne Moraske at amoraske@aaas.org or call 202.326.6759.

Extension, USDA-NIFA, APLU to Honor Excellence in Extension

L-R, Stephen Green, Texas A&M University; Fe Moncloa, Shannon Horillo,
Russell Hill, University of California (not pictured, Dorina Espinoza and Keith Nathaniel)

Stephen D. Green, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will receive the 2016 Excellence in Extension Award for developing programs proven to increase knowledge of best practices in child care, enhanced opportunities for early childhood professionals, and improved involvement by fathers with their children. A second honor, the National Extension Diversity Award, goes to University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources 4-H Youth Development Program Intercultural Development Inventory Qualified Administrators. The California Extension team is Dorina Espinoza, Russell Hill, Shannon Horrillo, Fe Moncloa, and Keith Nathaniel. Both awards will be presented at the 129th Annual Meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in Austin, TX, Nov. 13-15. The Excellence in Extension Award is a prestigious national recognition given annually to one Cooperative Extension professional for visionary leadership, excellence in programming, and positive impact on their community. The National Diversity Award recognizes an Extension program for achieving and sustaining diversity and pluralism. In addition to the national recognition, one Extension educator from each of the five Cooperative Extension regions will be recognized for excellence at the APLU Annual Meeting. The 2016 regional winners are Karnita Golson-Garner, Alabama A&M University (1890s Institutions); Nozella L. Brown, Kansas State University (north central region); Richard W. Taylor, University of Delaware (northeast region); Stanley Culpepper, University of Georgia (southern region), and Terry Allan Messmer, Utah State University (western region). USDA-NIFA and Extension have sponsored the Excellence in Extension and National Diversity awards since 1991. 

eXtension Announces Release of Horizon Report for Cooperative Extension – In February 2016, the eXtension Foundation created a partnership with the New Media Consortium (NMC) and the ECOP Innovation Task Force. The purpose was to create a custom Horizon Report to identify key emerging technologies and methodologies that are predicted to impact Cooperative Extension in the next five years. Led by eXtension CEO Chris Geith, eXtension Innovation Lab Director Jerry Thomas, and ECOP Innovation Task Force Chair Keith Smith, 56 Extension experts worked through the NMC research process this summer to produce the NMC Technology Outlook for Cooperative Extension 2016-2021. In announcing the release, Smith said, “This first-ever Horizon Report on Cooperative Extension helps unify our understanding of the technologies, topics and trends predicted to affect Extension’s national mission and the local communities our professionals serve in the immediate future. With this knowledge, we can prepare and work together to focus our efforts and resources on creating innovations in programming and ideas that will deliver the greatest impact in meeting future community needs.” Here find the full report and a summary of the trends, challenges and other developments identified in the research. 

Meeting in Wyoming last month were (L to R) Michelle Rodgers, Delbert Foster,
Martha Bernadett, Jennifer Sirangelo, Fred Schlutt, Cathann Kress and Nick Place.

Extension Leadership Supports National 4-H Council Board Restructure – During the Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting in Jackson Hole, WY on September 21, National 4-H Council CEO Jennifer Sirangelo discussed recommended changes to Council’s Board of Trustees with Directors and Administrators. Joining her at the meeting was Trustee Dr. Martha Bernadett, Executive VP at Molina Healthcare and Chair of Council’s Board Governance Committee. With a goal of maximizing Council’s financial support of Cooperative Extension, the Board has recommended reducing its size and establishing a formal relationship with the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee. Council leadership discussed the initiative at summer regional meetings and collected input. Directors and Administrators present at NEDA voted overwhelmingly in favor of the change, which include new accountability mechanisms to ensure continued alignment and oversight into the future. An overview of the changes and FAQ document can be found at http://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Board-Development-Stakeholder-Input-FAQ-9.20.16.pdf. 

4-H Youth in Action Awards Submission Deadline: October 24 – With just one week to go, the deadline to apply for the 2017 Youth in Action Awards is imminent. The Awards highlight the achievements of youth and Extension's 4-H programs across the country in four core areas – Agriculture, Citizenship, Healthy Living and STEM – with one national Youth in Action Award winner being selected from the four pillar winners. Each pillar winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education (with the overall winner receiving an additional $5,000), be featured as the 4-H Youth Spokesperson for their pillar area and receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. to be recognized at National 4-H Council’s Legacy Awards on March 21, 2017. For more information on the Awards, visit: http://4-h.org/4-h-legacy-awards/#!youth-in-action. 

Louie Tupas, Denise Eblen and Mike Fitzner, USDA-NIFA

ECOP Welcomes New USDA-NIFA Liaisons – Louie Tupas, Denise Eblen and Mike Fitzner, USDA-NIFA administrators for bioenergy, climate and energy; food safety and nutrition, and plant protection systems, respectively, have been named as liaisons to ECOP. This critical role involves interaction with ECOP during all its meetings, reporting on USDA-NIFA plans and accomplishments that involve Cooperative Extension, and assuring continual attention to the collaborative partnership focused on priorities of interest to both. ECOP, chaired by Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, is appreciative of these three professionals who will work as a team to link with Cooperative Extension. 

SNAP-Ed Survey Due 10.28.16 – The 2017 Census of State SNAP-Ed Implementing Agencies is in the field. The survey results will how the new Interpretive Guide of the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework is being used, profile which of the 51 outcomes are being addressed, and identify state implementing agency interests in technical assistance and training. The survey is sponsored by the Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators and the University of Colorado, Denver. State implementing agency respondents were designated by their USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Regional Coordinator. Results will be reported as aggregates, not by state, and used for planning, tracking trends and stakeholder communications. Responses are due by October 28, 2016. For questions, please contact Susan Foerster at SFoerster@comcast.net.