9.22.14 - SNAP-ED Information Needed by 9.26.14

SNAP-ED Information Needed by 9.26.14 – The annual request for information to set the SNAP-Ed assessment for the coming year has been sent. This assessment to support the SNAP-ED National Office at South Dakota State University and the Program Development Team was approved by ECOP for a three-year period through 2016. Institutions are asked to report if they participated in SNAP-Ed for FY 2014 and the amount received. Please respond to sandra.jensen@sdstate.edu at the LGU SNAP-Ed Office by September 26, 2014. 

Stronger Economies Together Gets New Funding – USDA-NIFA National Program Leader Brent Elrod reports USDA Rural Development has provided an additional $1.5 million to continue the program Stronger Economies Together (SET), http://www.srdc.msstate.edu/set/ primarily led by the Regional Rural Development Centers. The SET planning team meets in Washington, DC in early November 2014. 

Emerging Administrator Award – This award, co-sponsored by the APLU Board on Human Sciences (BoHS) and the Council of Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences (CAFCS), recognizes significant potential as a new administrator in academia or Cooperative Extension. A call for nominations, due October 8, 2014, and selection criteria are available at http://thebohs.org/emerging_administrator_award.aspx. For further information, contact the BoHS Executive Director Carol Kellett at carol.kellett@thebohs.org. The award, which includes an honorarium, will be presented biannually at the BoHS/CAFCS joint conference. 

Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Annual Report – This program served 10,700 youth and families at risk in 42 states and U.S. territories during the 2013 program year. The Annual Report highlights stories, outcomes and program impacts across the four CYFAR national outcomes of Early Childhood, School Age, Teens, and Parent and Family. The overall CYFAR Program aligns with the USDA-REE mission areas of Education and Science Literacy, and Rural-Urban Interdependence and Prosperity. CYFAR is supporting the mission of educating the next generation of scientists through STEM projects that include hands-on activities that promote inquiry and thinking. CYFAR is building and enhancing partnerships with underserved and non-traditional populations. See http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/family/cyfar/annual_report.html. 

Food and Poverty – In its Choices magazine, the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) has a series on poverty and the relationship between poverty and food. For an overview of the articles, see Rural Poverty and Food.

ECOP Monday Minute 9.30.13 - Register for Orientation

ACTION: Attention to ECOP Monday Minute – If you would like an administrative assistant or other colleague at your institution to receive theECOP Monday Minute, please provide the name and email address to Chrystal Checketts at chrystal.checketts@extension.org. This is the primary mechanism ECOP uses to communicated to the Cooperative Extension Section. ECOP members have suggested that those who do scheduling, registrations, and travel arrangements on your campuses may wish to scan this communication for action and opportunities of relevance to directors and administrators. Your comments about the ECOP Monday Minute are welcomed and appreciated.

ACTION: Register for Orientation – New directors and administrators are encouraged to attend the December 3-5, 2013 orientation in Alexandria, VA presented by the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly, of which ECOP is a part. This is an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the rapidly changing public and federal landscape, learn how various entities work together at the national level to advance research, education and Extension, learn how to influence federal legislation and decisions made by USDA-NIFA and other agencies, and understand the diverse role of various types of institutions. The workshop will introduce participants to key leaders at the national level and allow for sufficient small-group discussion in order to build strategic alliances with colleagues. A breakout session specifically for Cooperative Extension will be included. For more information, click here.

4-H National Youth Science Day All Mapped Out for 10.9.13 – This year's 4-H National Youth Science Day experiment, 4-H Maps and Apps, will introduce youth to the importance of geographic information systems (GIS) and geographic position systems (GPS) as they design their ideal community park. Designed by Colorado State University Extension, 4-H Maps and Apps features on online game and iPad App that complement the hands-on version of the activity. 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is a great opportunity to promote and connect 4-H and Extension - nationwide, the event produces significant, positive media impressions each year. Download the app at iTunes here. Order the 2013 4-H NYSD Experiment kit on the 4-H Mall website here.

SNAP-Ed Assessment Renewed – At the direction of ECOP, a survey regarding the SNAP-Ed assessment was sent to Cooperative Extension Section Voting Delegates, with a copy to Extension Directors, Administrators and Associate Directors and Administrators on August 31, 2013. The purpose of the survey was to receive a vote of the Cooperative Extension Section on assessments to support and continue the work of the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team (SNAP-Ed PDT) chaired by Dr. Paula Peters, Kansas State University. The assessment covers costs of the SNAP-Ed PDT, its national coordinator, and minimal office operations. Votes were accepted from the authorized voting member of the Cooperative Extension Section or designee. The SNAP-Ed assessment was approved at the amount of $150,000 annually for three years (2014, 2015, and 2016). Only participating universities are assessed based on a prior year receipt of SNAP-Ed funding.

eXtension Survey Results – Following the external review of eXtension as requested by ECOP (see report here), the eXtension Governing Committee conducted a survey of Extension directors and administrators and another survey with some different questions with USDA-NIFA personnel. The USDA-NIFA personnel survey results are here; the Extension directors and administrators survey results are here. ECOP through the eXtension Governing Committee is working with eXtension staff to guide pivotal changes for eXtension. 

ECOP Monday Minute 9.9.13

ACTION TODAY: eXtension External Evaluation Webinar – ECOP will host a webinar on The eXtension External Evaluation: Charting Next Steps 1-2 p.m. ET, Monday, 9.9.13. Connect at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/ecop. This is another opportunity for Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators to engage in a discussion about the future direction of eXtension. The report can be found here.

REMINDER: SNAP-Ed Survey Due – The current SNAP-Ed assessment expires in 2013. While ECOP recognizes only participating institutions are assessed for the SNAP-Ed Program Development Team, the recent changes in SNAP-Ed to a competitive grant program have led to the recommendation that all institutions complete a brief survey indicating your interest in continued or new participation, and whether or not you are in favor of the continued assessment. If you are an authorized voting member of the Cooperative Extension Section or their designee, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SNAPEd and respond by 9.11.13. Additional information from the SNAP-Ed Program Development includes: Proposed 2014 Budget, Accomplishment Report, and Contact List.

Health Team to Meet in DC – The ECOP National Task Force on Health, co-chaired by Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, and Cindy Reeves, USDA-NIFA, continues its work to identify key health priorities for Cooperative Extension educational programming. The team meets in Washington, DC, later this week and will get an ECOP welcome by Jane Schuchardt, Executive Director.

Extension Celebration to Launch at Galaxy – Join the ECOP Extension Centennial Celebration Task Force at the Joint Council on Extension Professionals Galaxy IV Conference www.jcep.org Wednesday evening, 9.18.13, in Pittsburgh for the launch of festivities honoring Cooperative Extension’s 100 years and ushering in a new century of educational excellence. For details, see www.extension100years.net.

LEAD-21 Welcomes Applications – November 15, 2013 is the deadline for applications for the LEAD-21 Class X (2014-2015). See www.lead-21.org/program-application-schedule/.