Registry Captures 1862/1994 Relationships

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus next week. 

Have a safe and enjoyable Labor Day holiday.

Registry Captures 1862/1994 Relationships - A group of collaborators – led by Steve Gavazzi, Ohio State University, including Presidents of 1862 and 1994 Land-grant Institutions, Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Section associations, and Rural Development Centers, from western and north central areas of the country are pulling together a NIFA conference proposal entitled Cultivating Reparative Work on Behalf of Native American Peoples Through Partnerships Among 1862 and 1994 Land-grant Universities. One of the objectives of this collaborative group is to develop a national clearinghouse that contains information about 1862-1994 collaborative programs across the country. The Extension Foundation has built a National Registry supported by funding from USDA-NIFA and its New Technologies for Ag Extension partnership with Oklahoma State University that helps collate such information. Visit the registry to enter information about these programs. There are questions embedded in the entry process that will ask about 1862-1994 land-grant partnerships.

Mission Spotlight-National 4-H Council - More than 70 years ago, Cooperative Extension created National 4-H Council (Council) to support its efforts to provide ALL youth with access to 4-H opportunities and experiences that develop the skills they need to succeed. And despite the turbulent times, Council and Extension are working together making significant progress toward a future where millions more young people are engaged in high quality 4-H—and where 4-H youth, volunteers and staff are representative of the diversity of our nation. As the private sector, non-profit partner of Cooperative Extension and USDA/NIFA, Council supports Extension in ways that align with 2020-2023 Strategic Directions for ECOP and the Cooperative Extension System:

• Convene the 4-H movement to stimulate collective action and training on the nation’s most pressing issues.
• Tell the 4-H Story by leveraging the power of trusted brand partners and 4-H youth and alumni to elevate the visibility of 4-H and Extension.
• Create Public-Private Partnerships that generate new financial resources for Extension to create opportunities for all youth.

Formal accountability mechanisms to Extension are built into Council’s governance structure—which guides its engagement with Extension leadership. This infographic showcases some of the big wins that Council, Extension and NIFA have developed together over the past few years. To dig deeper, or to engage with Council resources, contact Andy Ferrin, Senior Vice President at aferrin@4-H.org.

Extension Foundation Mid-Year Update Details Funding and Impacts in Support of CES - Created by Extension Directors and Administrators starting in 2001, the Extension Foundation facilitates and supports the success of Extension professionals and systems. The bylaws state the Foundation’s purpose is: Helping Cooperative Extension professionals make a visible and measurable impact on local issues. The Extension Foundation mid-year update,  details funding, impacts, and progress towards helping Cooperative Extension professionals advance their work. A timeline of the history, including the logo change from eXtension to the Extension Foundation is available here. The Foundation Board of Directors, who are also members of the Cooperative Extension Section, are listed here.

Virtual Facilitation Skills Training Series Offered - The global pandemic has impacted daily routines in innumerable ways, including the transition of in-person meetings to virtual platforms. Through a collaboration with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Sea Grant, New Hampshire Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and University of Vermont Extension, Extension professionals are invited to attend the Building Your Virtual Facilitation Skills training. This 5-part series will be held on Wednesdays beginning October 6, 2021, from 1:00-3:00 PM ET. Register by September 18 to receive a discount. Sessions include: Virtual Facilitation Essentials, Setting the Stage for Success, Facilitation Practice: Putting Skills to Work, Facilitation Challenges and Opportunities, and Celebrating Facilitation Success. Visit here for cost, registration, and other information.

Regional Rural Development Centers Issue Urgent Call for Investment in Rural Broadband

Rural areas still struggling to recover from the 2008 Great Recession may face even greater economic fallout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While broadband access was critical to the pre-COVID-19 economy, the current crisis dramatically highlights the implications of this digital divide in rural areas. The Regional Rural Development Centers have issued a research-based explanation of why investments in broadband access and education are critical to ensuring that rural areas will be able to compete in the post-COVID-19 economy, and that rural-urban differences and inequities do not become even more pronounced. Read more and respond here.




May National Activities - Be sure to know your regional representatives here.

• Chair Jon Boren (New Mexico State University) will preside on Tuesday, May 12, during the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee (BLC). Chuck Ross (University of Vermont), ECOP Chair-elect, serves as Vice-Chair. Be sure to know representation by Region. 

• Thursday, May 14, the ECOP Executive Committee holds an enhanced meeting with all ECOP voting members. On the agenda is the 2021 Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP Budget Process and 2020-2023 Strategic Directions. Chair Mark Latimore (Fort Valley State University) will preside.
• The National Office, EDA Team and APLU are gearing up for the arrival of Caroline Crocoll as Executive Director of Cooperative Extension System/ECOP on June 1. 

For more information contact Rick Klemme rickklemme@extension.org.



Summit on Virtual Programming - On the first 2 days of eXtension's recent Impact Collaborative Summit, dozens of small groups from across the system identified immediate needs for Virtual Programming and priority issues. During the Summit, they and looked deeply at ways to progress on key topic areas including Digital Engagement Strategies; Low/No Tech Engagement Strategies; ADA/Accessibility/DEI: Equitable Access Strategies; Virtual/Online Impact & Evaluation Strategies 98% of participants stated that they recommend the Impact Collaborative Summit to their colleagues. On May 15, 2 PM - 3 PM ET, the Summit continues with strategies for working during and post-crisis, Impact Collaborative Innovation Skill-Building tools, and connecting participants with their locally trained Innovation Facilitators. All member insitutions are invited to participate in the final day regardless of past participation. To register for a free account go to connect.extension.org. 




Thrive Rural Awareness - Last month, with the support of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (also funding source of land-grant Well Connected Communities), the Aspen Institute and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute launched Thrive Rural. The two-year project will address the issue of vast diversity of rural expertise and help to modernize rural legislative policy. Due to the initiative's strong emphasis on Public Health, Directors and Administrator should contact either Health Extension Director Roger Rennekamp rogerrennekamp@extension.org or ECOP Member Jason Henderson (Purdue University) jhenderson@purdue.edu, Thrive Rural Steering Committee, for more information.