Monday, July 22, 2019

Establishing the Future of Extension at Joint COPs Meeting

Today, ECOP Chair Ed Jones, Virginia Tech, is in Utah presiding at ECOP's 2nd face-to-face meeting of 2019. Board members from every Region will be making decisions that are crucial to the future of Extension. Typically, this is the meeting when the following year Assessments and Calendar are solidified and the agenda is set for the Annual Section Business Meeting (morning of September 25, 2019, in Nashville). The docket includes Communications and Marketing, Resource Development Partnerships, how to best support and lift up our System that will be impacted by the move of NIFA to Kansas City, and stand up a Search Committee to hire a full-time Executive Director for Cooperative Extension System/ECOP (new title) by April 2020. View the ECOP meeting agenda here and the Joint COPs meeting agenda (AHS, ACOP, ESCOP and ECOP) here. The contact for this meeting is Executive Director Rick Klemme.


Inspire Kids to Learn Computer Science with the 2019 4-H NYSD Challenge, Game Changers - Now in its 12th year, 4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) was created by National 4-H Council, USDA-NIFA and Cooperative Extension to ignite an early interest in STEM learning among young people. Game Changers, co-developed by West Virginia University and Google, teaches kids ages 8-14 how to use computer science (CS) to create games, solve problems and engage with topics they’re passionate about. The challenge kit activities do not require Internet. The NYSD celebration kicks off October 1st, and coding events can take place throughout the month of October. Supporters include: Donaldson Filtration Solutions, HughesNet, Lockheed Martin, and the US Air Force. Please share these links:
   • Learn more and purchase NYSD kits
   • Access to a recorded webinar training
   • More professional development opportunities


Higher Ed Economic and Community Development Executive Committee Seeks Cooperative Extension Leader Involvement - APLU’s Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) is engaging Cooperative Extension leadership on issues in common on public engagement, particularly regarding issues facing rural America – most notably rural broadband. Colleagues, Jorge Atiles, Oklahoma State University; Shelly Nickols-Richardson, University of Illinois; Marshall Stewart, University of Missouri, and Ashley Stokes, Colorado State University, currently serve on the Executive Committee. The Commission seeks 7 new members. Interested individuals who meet the following requirements may Click Here to apply by July 31st. Contact Rick Klemme or Shalin Jyotishi for more information.
   • Serve a 3-year term, November 2019 - November 2022.
   • Must have campus-wide responsibility for economic development, community engagement or Cooperative Extension at an APLU member institution.
   • Must be able to join quarterly meetings; 2 in person, 2 via conference call.


View/download at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bIhiWdjxmlPyGAMBbfQHE7w1BRVnBZjX/view
Master Gardener Program Has Major Impacts - The biennial 2018 Extension Master Gardener (EMG) report conservatively estimates there are 86,076 EMG volunteers throughout the United States and Washington, D.C., contributing 5.6 million hours educating the public, providing youth programming, and facilitating produce donated to local food banks. While this is only the beginning of the value EMGs provided in their communities, these efforts are estimated to have contributed 140 million dollars in value to the general public. Our volunteers reported over 8.6 million contacts and continue to be the front line of Extension’s consumer horticulture efforts.