New Funding for EXCITE - As Michelle Rogers shared with us at the National Extension Directors and Administrators annual meeting in October, CDC has funded Cooperative Extension with $6 million for one year to focus on the Bridge Access program. This is an awareness campaign, much like Activity 1(A1), to reach uninsured and underinsured individuals with information on how to obtain free COVID19 immunizations. Michelle is grateful to report that we have received support from NIFA EFNEP leadership to provide $4 million of this funding to EFNEP to integrate this information in a whole health effort along with the EFNEP curriculum. This is non-competitive funding with up to $70,000 available to each EFNEP program. Please consider registering for the webinar on December 7, 2023, 3:00 PM ET regarding this program.
ECOP DEI-PAT Announces a New Connect Extension Group - ECOP’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Program Action Team (DEI-PAT) is pleased to invite anyone with connect.extension.org credentials to join the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) subgroup. With a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Cooperative Extension System and the communities served, the new group is championing diversity, fostering collaboration, and driving equitable opportunities for all. The effort is a complement the DEI-PAT’s information/resource repository site and a place to post blogs, links to relevant articles, generate dynamic discussion, and share programming questions and opportunities.
USDA Soil Testing Survey - The National Urban Agricultural Extension Leaders and the ECOP Urban Agriculture and Food Systems Program Action Team have requested that we send the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture’s USDA Soil Testing Survey to State Extension Directors and Administrators. The survey is short and could easily be completed by your soil testing laboratory or others on your campus.
Important Information on Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Coverage - In an effort to prevent Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participants from losing health coverage as a result of the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona recently released a letter to higher education institution leaders with important information to help connect eligible students and their families with available, affordable health coverage options via Medicaid, CHIP or the Affordable Care Act. To learn more, visit the following websites:
