ECOP Chair Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State University, pictured left, is grateful to all members of ECOP for their national leadership during the Joint COPs Meetings in July. Because of the commitment of time to that event and the necessity for ECOP Member's participation in Cooperative Extension Section meetings 5 weeks from now, the decision has been made to cancel the August 27th ECOP Meeting. Note that Mark Latimore’s last meeting as ECOP Chair will take place on September 22nd and his term culminating with the passing of the gavel to Chris Watkins, Cornell University, on September 24th. Registration for the virtual National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption, will be released this week!
Leadership in the City Course for Urban Extension Professionals - The Leadership in the City online comprehensive professional development program prepares Extension professionals working in urban areas to be relevant locally, responsive statewide, and recognized nationally. The program is based on a foundation of entrepreneurial theory and urban Extension practice and will build upon existing leadership experiences, management training, and Extension professional development. The five content modules span five months so participants can balance work and life. Each competency-based module incorporates interactive digital delivery and the flipped classroom for active learning and engagement. The course is led by Dr. Julie Fox from the Ohio State University Extension. Complete details and registration can be found at https://cityextension.osu.edu/leadership. The deadline for registration is November 30, 2020. For more information contact Michelle Gaston at gaston.6@osu.edu.
COVID-19 Resource for Restaurant Owners and Operators - Although COVID-19 continues to spread, businesses are beginning to re-open to the public. As they do, it is essential that they do so in a safe, thoughtful, and science-supported manner. In North Carolina, the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association, NC DHHS, Visit NC, and NC State Extension have collaborated to create Count on Me NC. This public health initiative provides retail food establishments, businesses, and their visitors/guests with training and guidance needed to keep individuals safe during this pandemic. The free comprehensive training includes courses for restaurant owners and operators; front house staff; and back house staff. Additionally, there are two generic courses for all businesses that address cleaning and disinfecting, and general best practices for COVID-19 management. All five courses are available in English and Spanish and may be used throughout the Cooperative Extension System. For more information, contact Ben Chapman.
Urban Agriculture Stakeholder Input Gathered for NIFA - In response to a recent call from NIFA for stakeholder input to help inform and set priorities for $40 million of grant funding for research, education and extension around urban, indoor and emerging agriculture the Western Center for Metropolitan Extension and Research, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) and a number of local Farm Bureau chapters located in urban counties from across the country partnered to host four online, interactive listening sessions and an online survey. The listening sessions had 153 participants and the survey had 68 respondents. Input was gathered from stakeholders from 38 U.S. states, territories and districts. The summary report provided to NIFA on June 22 is available here.