Save the Date for Joint ESS/CES-NEDA Meeting

The Cooperative Extension Section (CES) Annual meeting, also known as the National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) meeting, will be held jointly this year with the Experiment Station Section (ESS). The meeting theme is Building Trust and in draft will take place September 25-28, 2022, at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront. The Meeting Planning Committee is co-chaired by Chris Watkins, Cornell University, and Matt Wilson, West Virginia University, and consists of equal representation by each Section and Region. Members of both Sections of the Board on Agriculture Assembly, a unit of APLU's Commission on Food, Environment, & Renewable Resources, are encouraged to save the date for this important meeting. Stay tuned to email and during future ECOP and ESCOP organized meetings for more information as it becomes available. Links to registration will eventually be shared here on the APLU website.



Survey Contributes to System-wide Analysis of Vaccine Hesitancy - Thousands of Extension professionals connected with the Extension Foundation wrap-around services to the System and the EXCITE Project were invited last Tuesday to participate in a voluntary, anonymous survey that is officially endorsed and supported by ECOP. For the 20 minutes or so that it takes to complete the survey, responses will inform the aim of EXCITE’s Getting to the Heart of the Matter project to reduce vaccine hesitancy, and increase employees’ willingness to conduct adult learning about vaccinations. This week Extension Leaders from 1862, 1980, and 1994 land-grant institutions are encouraged to share the direct link to the survey https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3jU0g7onaHBbd5k with all of their personnel. More reminders from Extension Foundation are anticipated. Questions/comments about the survey may be directed to Principal Investigator, Dr. Erica Weintraub Austin, eaustin@wsu.edu, or 509-335-8840.

USDA NIFA Live FAQ Session: Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems - The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Rapid Response to Extreme Weather Events Across Food and Agricultural Systems (A1712) program area priority is designed to rapidly identify and implement strategies to protect the nation’s food and agricultural supply chains and the people who support them during and after extreme weather events. NIFA invites interested applicants to join on April 25, 2022, at 3:30 p.m. ET to learn more about this program area priority and to meet the team during a live FAQ event. Contact afri-rapidresponse@usda.gov for details.

NUEL 2021 Accomplishment Report Available - The National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) recently presented a detailed 2021 Accomplishment Report to the ECOP Program Committee, chaired by Brent Hales, Penn State. NUEL focused its work in 2021 around expanding and enhancing communication with Extension professionals working in urban environments, working with Extension professionals nationally to identify a set of priority issues for Extension’s urban work, providing leadership for the development of the new ECOP Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Program Action Team, and continuing to build national partnerships in support of Extension urban focused work. The complete report, along with NUEL accomplishment reports from previous years, can be accessed at NUEL Accomplishments website.



USDA NIFA AFRI Education and Workforce Development Grant Opportunity - Education and Workforce Development focuses on developing the next generation of research, education, and Extension professionals in the food and agricultural sciences. The aim of these grants is to cultivate future industry, government, or academic leaders who can solve emerging agricultural challenges of the 21st Century. In 2022, NIFA requests applications for AFRI’s Education and Workforce Development program areas to support: professional development opportunities for K-14 educational professionals; non-formal education that cultivates food and agricultural interest in youth; workforce training at community, junior, and technical colleges; training of undergraduate students in research and extension; fellowships for predoctoral candidates and postdoctoral scholars; and special workforce development topics. Application deadlines varies by program area. For more information, read the AFRI - EWD funding announcement.