Nominations for the 2020 Seaman A. Knapp Lecture Due by August 21

Each year NIFA and APLU sponsor a lecture presented at the APLU Annual Meeting. NIFA and APLU are seeking nominations of an insightful topic and a dynamic speaker who can provoke discussion among meeting participants and prepare a formal lecture to be presented prior to the virtual APLU annual meeting in November to honor Seaman A. Knapp, the father of the Cooperative Extension concept. While seeking recommendations from those within the Land-grant University system, nominations are encouraged from all sources. Recommendations should include the name of the nominee, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address and topic that could be discussed. Please submit your potential topic and/or presenter on or before August 21, 2020. Recommendations should be forwarded electronically to Bill Hoffman at whoffman4@usda.gov. A committee will review submissions and narrow the scope of the recommendations in order to make a final decision. 

National Action Dialogue (NAD) Report Available - In partnership with ECOP, two National Action Dialogues focused on Extension Futures were held on July 13 & 14, 2020. The purpose was to imagine near-future possibilities for how Extension can better serve individuals and communities in the face of evolving needs. The outcome will support the transitional aspect of Extension to a more-virtual delivery platform and will inform the need for funding of infrastructure/equipment needed for the future. Two themes emerged in all breakout groups: (1) the need for universal, affordable broadband access (2) the need to strengthen existing and pursue new partnerships within local communities. Additionally, Infrastructure and Training needs were identified along with suggestions for new solutions. Read the full report here. 

  

AFRI Agricultural Workforce Training Priority Area - The Agricultural Workforce Training Priority Area, part the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Education and Workforce Development, addresses the need for training or retraining of agricultural workforce by providing institutional training grants to develop a technology- and data-savvy workforce, ready for the field and industrial jobs. These include opportunities for the development of new workforce training programs, and the expansion, improvement, or renewal of existing workforce training programs and curriculum. Projects must be developed by or for community/junior/technical colleges/institutes and their industry partners. All applications to this program area must demonstrate committed and active partnership with and/or relevance to industry. The application deadline is September 24, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. (ET). For more information about the program area priority, check the AFRI EWD RFA. Interested applicants are invited to register for an informational AFRI EWD webinar on August 19, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. (ET).

Closing the Opportunity Gap- Opportunity4All Forum - The proven impact of Cooperative Extension’s 4-H positive youth development program in addressing the nation’s opportunity gap was the focus of the Opportunity4All Forum on August 5, a one-hour virtual program produced by National 4-H Council. Highlights included youth perspectives on social justice and mental health. Extension, celebrity, corporate and foundation leaders shared their views and expertise on the action needed to create more opportunities for youth and communities. In addition, a powerful new white paper, Beyond the Gap, co-authored by Oregon State University Professor and Youth Development Specialist Mary Arnold, is available here. The Opportunity4All Forum recording can be watched here. Forum interest was high with 1,142 registrants, including 657 Extension professionals. Click here for more information about the Opportunity4All Campaign.

American Journal of Public Health Includes Commentary on Cooperative Extension - Cooperative Extension is the subject of an article in a special issue of the American Journal of Public Health focused on rural health. The commentary, co-authored by David Buys and Roger Rennekamp, "advances the notion that Extension, by working hand-in-hand with public health professionals, has an important role to play in addressing the health needs of rural communities." The article highlights five key steps that Extension can take with its public health partners to improve health and well-being across the nation. These include addressing the determinants of health through local coalitions, connecting communities to land grant resources, restoring public confidence in science, utilizing new technologies to support lifelong learning and collaboration, and capitalizing on youth voice and action. To read the abstract or obtain copies of the full text of the article visit https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305767.