New CMC Representative

The Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC), a standing committee of the Board on Agriculture Assembly's Policy Board of Directors, oversees and guides the effort to increase awareness of the land-grant universities’ agricultural and related programs, Agricultural Experiment Stations, and Cooperative Extension Services. Shelly Nickols-Richardson (pictured left), Associate Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences & Director, Extension and Outreach, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was chosen by ECOP as the CMC Incoming Chair. Shelly will liaise between ECOP and CMC several times each year for her 3-year term. The appointment targets one of ECOP's four Strategic Directions, to "increase the visibility and recognition of the Cooperative Extension System as a provider of evidence-based education and services and as a valuable partner to federal and national non-federal entities through improved communications of program impacts and successes." Shelly has also served on the Executive Committee of the APLU's Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE; Class of 2021). Please join ECOP to thank Shelly for representing the entire Cooperative Extension Section with the CMC.

Identifying Professional Development Needs for Extension - Cooperative Extension professionals from 1862, 1890, and 1994 Land-grant universities are invited to participate in a survey to identify professional development needs. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Findings from this survey will be used to determine future direction for the Extension Foundation and be shared across Cooperative Extension organizations. Please widely share this link to the survey https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AVkR8ZyDIj and encourage Extension personnel to participate by May 22, 2023. Karen Vines, Virginia Tech, is serving as the Foundation’s National Needs Assessment Fellow for this work.

National Impact Database Team Becoming a Subcommittee of the CMC

On July 22, 2021, ECOP voted to move the National Impact Database Team, whose duty it is to implement and maintain the website landgrantimpacts.org, to become a joint sub-committee of the Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC). The transition will occur over a 1-year period. Also, Karla Trautman, Chair of the CMC, Director of Extension at South Dakota State University, said, "One of hallmarks of CMC's strategic communications roadmap is a monthly calendar of events.” Monthly suggestions for engagement like this are sent to university communicators. To either verify or add contacts for Extension to that list, please contact Rick Rhodes at rcrhodes@uri.edu. 

On the same day, ECOP members met Andrea Putman (pictured here),  APLU's new Assistant Vice President, Communications and External Partnerships, Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources. The Cooperative Extension Section is equally invested with Experiment Station and the Academic Heads Sections of the Board on Agriculture Assembly in Andrea's work through 2022. Extension Directors and Administrators should be aware of their multi-dimensional role with the Strategic Communications Roadmap Plan that Andrea is now hired to lead and implement. Please join the Cooperative Extension National Office staff, Caroline Henney and Sandy Ruble, and ECOP to welcome Andrea!



NIFA Offers Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Program Webinar - Learn about NIFA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) in an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, July 28 from 2 - 3:00 p.m. ET. The virtual session will be led by program experts and grant awardees as they share their knowledge and personal experiences with the BFRDP program. Attendees are highly encouraged to ask questions during the live question and answer segment. Register online for this webinar. This event is the second installment of NIFA’s new monthly Nutrition Security Webinar Series. The series is set to feature a broad range of topics and speakers focused on prioritizing nutrition security during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic Development and Community Engagement Leadership Opportunity - Applications for seats on the Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) Executive Committee are being accepted through Friday, August 6. CECE (No cost to join here with APLU membership) is seeking 8 new members to serve a 3-year term as the Class of 2024. As a standing commission of APLU, CECE strives to provide a national dialogue on universities and their impacts in community and economic engagement. Through conferences, initiatives, and by supporting grantsmanship of APLU’s Office of Economic Development & Community Engagement (OEDCE). Three cheers for colleagues, Marshall Stewart, University of Missouri, Shelly Nickols-Richardson, University of Illinois, and Ashley Stokes, University of Tennessee, for serving in the Class of 2021! Who will be next to join Mike Gaffney, Washington State University, Class of 2023, and Jorge Atiles, West Virginia University, Class of 2022, from the Cooperative Extension Section? Apply here.




International Rural Exchange Experience Announcement for Young Adults - Applications for the 2022 IFYE Experience will be accepting applications beginning August 1, 2021. Founded in 1948, IFYE has continued its founding promise by providing international cultural exchange programming that places young adults, age 19 and above with multiple, rural based host families for two- three- or six-month programs in countries around the world to become immersed in the country’s culture by living it on a daily basis. Interested parties should visit the IFYE website at https://ifyeusa.org/foreign-exchange-program. The IFYE motto of “Peace Through Understanding” continues to touch the lives of people around the world. To learn more visit www.ifyeusa.org. 

ECOP Resources for Directors and Administrators

The ECOP Monday Minute will be on hiatus until July 12^th. Have a safe holiday weekend.

The ECOP National Office staff tracks all Cooperative Extension Section and ECOP activities and resulting outcomes, notes, organizational documents, operating guidelines, strategic efforts, calendars, professional development resources, and archives for Directors and Administrators. Visit www.extension.org/ecop often and engage in all that ECOP offers in support of the Cooperative Extension System.



Supporting the Ag Research Infrastructure, Research, and Extension in Comprehensive Infrastructure Package - This is a request for assistance in garnering signatures by members of the House of Representative for a letter by close of business June 29, 2021. In addition to supporting the APLU's Agricultural Research Infrastructure Advocacy (ARIA) request of at least $11.5 billion over 5 years for agricultural research infrastructure at USDA-NIFA which the Cooperative Extension Section endorses, this letter in particular states support for Cooperative Extension System funding. 

Communication & Marketing Executive Starts 7/15/2021 - Karla Trautman, Extension Director, South Dakota State University, Chair of the Communications and Marketing Committee, is pleased to announce that Andrea Putman has accepted the position as the APLU Assistant Vice President for Communications and External Partnerships. Currently, Andrea is Senior Vice President at Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation and has an extensive professional career in communications, outreach, and building partnerships to advance agricultural, climate, renewable and energy efficiency issues. Andrea is known at APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) through her work on FedByScience, a collaboration of universities focused on “storytelling” to highlight the value of scientists’ research. To assist in identifying research programs to highlight, Andrea recruited 20 universities and an Advisory Committee of 9 chancellors, vice presidents, and deans. She also writes and oversees Retaking the Field. The Cooperative Extension Section with Experiment Station and Administrative Heads Sections equally funds the position and respective operations through calendar year 2022.



Capitol Hill Event Recording Available - Strengthening Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation, and Resilience through Cooperative Extension: ECOP sponsored a virtual event on Capitol Hill with NCFAR on Thursday, June 3rd on Strengthening Climate Change Adaption, Mitigation, and Resilience through Cooperative Extension. Moderated by Jason Henderson, Purdue University Extension and presented by Roslynn Brain McCann, Utah State University, Moab, Utah, the event had 124 participants, including members of the House and Senate. Extension Directors and Administrators my view the recording and share as appropriate.



National Program Registry Invitation - As was previously reported in the ECOP Monday Minute, to respond to specific requests in regional meetings and through various projects including the CDC funded Immunization Ed project EXCITE, the Extension Foundation has developed a National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs and Assets. All Cooperative Extension professionals are invited to voluntarily enrich the resource by adding their programs. Please share widely. 

Climate Change Forum for Extension

Climate Change in Extension: Elevating and Amplifying Action, a virtual 3-day forum will take place April 19-21, 2021, starting at noon ET each day. The event will bring together Extension faculty, staff, federal representatives, administrators, interested partners, and constituents to address the question: What can/should the Cooperative Extension System do to advance climate change programming? USDA-NIFA’s Director Carrie Castille and Cooperative Extension System/ECOP Executive Director Caroline Henney will be panelists on April 19. On April 20 Obahdiah Njue, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff; Rich Bonanno (ECOP), NC State University, Karl Martin (North Central), University of Wisconsin, Brian Schilling, Rutgers University, and Ken White, Utah State University, empanel a leadership deep dive.  Please share detailed registration link widely to encourage participation. For more information on the Initiative go online to the National Extension Climate Initiative.

NASS Launches Data Matters Blog - A new blog, Data Matters: Inside the Census of Agriculture, by the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) started recently. Please share the insightful series which begins with Preparing for the 2022 Census of Agriculture, with a behind-the-scenes look at the Content Test, an integral part of the scientific collection of agricultural data. The next in the series will examine the Sign Up to Be Counted initiative for the 2022 Census of Agriculture with an explanation as to why the Census is important to producers of $1,000 or more of agricultural products in a given year. The monthly posts appear at the bottom of on the Ag Census website and will be included in the ECOP Monday Minute. Please be reminded that the Cooperative Extension Section’s MOU (2018-2023) with NASS is found here. 



New Tool Establishes Baseline on Immunization Education Initiative - The Extension Foundation, the Cooperative Extension System's innovation collaboration partner, is debuting a new tool called the National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets (NRCEPA) and its portal Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE). The platform tool evolved out of the need to collect resources for the Immunization Education initiative with CDC that was announced last month. EXCITE is free on the connect.extension.org Health and Well-Being Subgroup. Extension faculty and staff will contribute existing Immunization Education activity and search existing resources. The goal of the tool is to establish a baseline of all existing work in immunization education on capacity funds across the Cooperative Extension System. Metrics will be collected around Activity 1 funded projects and Activity 2 funded pilots. A step-by-step 23-minute video walkthrough is found here. 



Assistant VP, FANR Communications and External Partnerships Position Announcement - APLU’s Board on Agriculture Assembly (BAA) - the Cooperative Extension, Experiment Station, and Administrative Heads Sections -  seeks a Assistant Vice President, Food Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) Communications and External Partnerships. Interested individuals may send a cover letter and resume to APLU’s Human Resources Department at resume@aplu.org with the subject line: Assistant Vice President, FANR CEP. Applications will be reviewed as received and continue to be reviewed until the position is filled with preference given to those received prior to April 1, 2021. For a full position description, please visit the APLU Jobs Page. 

Communications and Marketing Committee Proposal Vote is Coming

The voting members of the Cooperative Extension Section can expect to receive a letter this week from the ECOP Executive Committee asking for a vote to support the Communications and Marketing Committee's proposal to hire personnel that will be employed by APLU and headquartered in the Office of Food, Agriculture & Natural Resources within the Board on Agriculture Assembly. The personnel will be responsible for implementing the Strategic Communications Roadmap that is in final stages of development by Forbes Tate Partners. Background and FAQ's will accompany the message.

Celebrating Excellence Events Registration - Register at the links provided.

OCT 28, 2020,  3:00 PM - 5:30 PM Eastern Time
A Community of Scholars Celebrating Excellence: Cooperative Extension and Research Awards Presentation and Seaman A. Knapp Memorial Lecture

NOV 3, 2020, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Eastern Time
2020 BoHS Celebrating Excellence in the Human Sciences

Summit on Mental Health and Well-Being Resources Available - In this unprecedented time, we are witnessing mental health challenges playing out across our nation, impacting all communities and creating stress and hardship across all sectors of society. Making available science-based mental health resources to our communities and institutions has never been more important. On October 1, 2020, the APLU Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources (CFERR) hosted a National Resource Summit on Mental Health and Well-Being for all CFERR Boards/Councils/Sections/Committees and their members. Each of the CFERR Boards-Board on Human Sciences; Board on Agriculture Assembly; Board on Veterinary Medicine; Board on Oceans, Atmosphere and Climate; and Board on Natural Resources were provided time during the Summit to share an overview of the current mental health challenges they are seeing in their particular sector, examples, and relevant resources and programs. Resources from the Summit are available here.

Military Family Readiness Academy Disaster and Hazard Session - Session 2 of the 2020 Military Family Readiness Academy, Impacts and Responses in Disaster and Hazard Readiness, will be held Wednesday, October 28 from 11:00 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. ET. The session looks in-depth at disaster and hazard impacts and responses. Dr. Angie Lindsey, University of Florida/IFAS, discusses social and emotional, family and community, agricultural and environment, and housing and food security impacts. She addresses response phases, factors impacting community recovery, and what professionals and families can do now for better outcomes using a whole community response and recovery approach. The session will also feature a case study by Commander Brendan T. Byrne, Deputy Force Surgeon, USMC Central Command, MacDill AFB. Dr. Byrne is an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine of the University of Michigan Medical School. The 90-minute session is free and several continuing education credits are also available. To register and get more information go to: https://militaryfamilieslearningnetwork.org/event/mfra2020/

NACo Virtual Federal Policy Summit Announced October 21-22, 2020 - NACo’s Virtual Federal Policy Summit will connect county officials, members of Congress, federal agency partners, and other key decision makers and thought leaders. Please join us for this two-day summit featuring informative speakers with practical advice on a range of policy issues and updates on the federal policy landscape – broadband, healthcare, infrastructure, COVID-19 relief, public lands, disaster assistance and more. With ongoing challenges related to in-person meetings, NACo’s Virtual Federal Policy Summit is a prime opportunity to connect, learn and share practical information and resources to help strengthen your county. Register here.

Virtual NEDA Meeting Breaks Record

Registration for this week’s National Extension Directors and Administrators (NEDA) Meeting, Leading in a Time of Social, Economic and Political Disruption, September 23-24, 2020, has broken records of all previous years for face-to-face meetings. The average participation is 104 colleagues from 64 of a possible 76 land-grant institutions. At last count, there will be 154 participants from 71 universities participating this week! Last week everyone was invited to read materials posted in the "Prepare" menu (upper right) at neda.extension.org. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute for the release of meaningful outcomes from this historic meeting!

Communications and Marketing Roadmap Draft Framework Available for Review/Comment - The Board on Agriculture Assembly, Cooperative Extension, Experiment Station and Administrative Heads Sections has engaged Forbes Tate Partners to develop a new strategic communications plan roadmap. The draft of the initial framework of that roadmap includes an overview of the plan objective, strategy, a sample menu of potential tactics, and some information on best practices for the BAA to ultimately, fully realize and execute a plan. This outline is representative of what needs to be considered in developing the final plan and building a communications process – it is not intended to be the plan itself. As such, the message frames and communications tactics are examples, and are not meant to be exhaustive or exclude additional ideas. Rather, it is a guide that will allow the BAA to build a comprehensive, effective messaging effort to support its advocacy goals. Private comments on the draft can be sent to FT-BAA@forbes-tate.com. 

FANR Meetings Schedule During the APLU Annual Meeting - The 2020 APLU Annual Meeting will be held virtually. The office of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources (FANR) continues to work on the agenda’s, minutes, speakers, and special events that are typically a part of the APLU Annual Meeting. Information on various meetings, some of which involves participation of Cooperative Extension Section membership, and events that are associated with the APLU Annual Meeting are located at this link. Invitation(s) to register coming soon from the FANR Office and the APLU Office of the President.

  

May 2021 National Urban Extension Virtual Summit - After discussion and thoughtful consideration, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) has decided to postpone the May 2021 National Urban Extension Conference (NUEC), until May of 2022. Details on the 2022 NUEC will be forthcoming. In lieu of holding the conference face-to-face, NUEL will host a National Urban Extension Virtual Summit on May 18-20, 2021. Please save the dates! A detailed agenda and registration information will be released in early 2021.

Economic Development & Community Engagement RFP for 2021 Summer Meeting - Please Save the Date, June 14-16, 2021, and Submit Session Proposals for APLU’s 2021 CECE Summer Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA. Meeting registration will open in  January 2021. The theme is Maximizing Public Value through Partnerships and will allow Extension Directors and Administrators and their colleagues opportunities to reflect and strategize around how the “engagement” mission of public research universities can advance the economic and societal good in meaningful, intentional and substantive ways. The deadline for proposals is Friday, October, 2, 2020, 5:00 PM PST. Questions regarding the RFP process or the meeting may be directed to APLU’s Milan Ephraim.

NIFA Releases Projected FY21 RFA Publication Timeline - NIFA has released the Projected RFA Publication Timeline for fiscal year (FY) 2021 for non-AFRI competitive programs. These are target timelines only and are subject to change until the RFAs are published in Grants.gov. The current list applies to new RFAs, continuations, directed and multi-year solicitations. Bookmark this list and check back often for updates as target dates draw near. A new notification will signal when AFRI RFAs are added to the schedule. Questions regarding this timeline, should be directed to the NPL with the associated program or email policy@usda.gov.

NEDA Is Just Around the Corner!

Extension administrators, associate administrators, directors and associate directors will gather in Portland, Oregon on October 1-3 for learning, networking and capacity building! Don’t miss this once a year opportunity to be a participating member of the Cooperative Extension Section; hearing updates from ECOP and participating in the future of the System! To learn more about NEDA and to register go to www.cvent.com/d/0gqxkw. Early registration and hotel room block expires after September 10. 


"Deep Concern" Raised Over Moving NIFA Outside of DC - Last Friday the BAA, including the leaders of Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP, responded to the announcement made on August 9th that the land-grant's key partnering agency NIFA will be located outside of DC by the end of 2019. To read the entire letter with 3 important question raised by Policy Board of Directors' Chair Orlando McMeans to USDA Secretary Perdue go to http://www.aplu.org/members/commissions/food-environment-and-renewable-resources/board-on-agriculture-assembly/nifa_ers_letter_august_2018.pdf.


Assessing Communications and Marketing Outcomes - Last week the ECOP Executive Committee voted to place the BAA Policy Board of Directors (PBD) on notice that the Cooperative Extension Section is undertaking an outcome-based assessment to identify the following 4 components of an effective communications and marketing initiative; investments, structure, timing and results. Directors and Administrators will receive a brief survey this week to kick off the effort. The letter to the PBD Chair Orlando McMeans was delivered by Michelle Rodgers, Cooperative Extension Section's representative to that body. The Section commits $133,331 each year (22% of its annual budget) to this type of effort. All Directors and Administrators are asked to participate in 2 events, September 7, 3-4:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting (details to be released by invitation), and the morning of October 2, 2018 in person in Portland, Oregon, (NEDA details are highlighted above) as part of the assessment process.

Cooperative Extension Section's
ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd (Left) and 1890s Extension
Executive Administrator Albert Essel (Right) engage CES/ESS/NRCS
meeting participants.

Land-grant Extension and Research Leaders and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Working Together - Last week a group of 25 leaders from NRCS and the Cooperative Extension and Experiment Station Sections (CES/ESS) gathered in Fort Collins, Colorado to discuss and plan for stronger collaboration. On behalf of the Cooperative Extension Section, EDA Team member Robin Shepard (North Central Region) helped to organize the event. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute for the release of the summary of how the three organizations will move forward towards improved collaboration and synergy.

Jason Henderson, Purdue
University

Extension Mobilizes to Address Urban Programming- Since 2015 the Cooperative Extension Section/ECOP http://bit.ly/UrbanExtension has aligned with the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) and affirmed the organization's good work. NUEL has fostered regional and national collaborations to share resources and grow Extension’s reach into urban communities. As the need for Extension Programming increases, the Section encourages membership in NUEL. NUEL continues to recruit new members into its Regional Caucuses across the five ECOP regions and has made strides in their Action Team work including professional development as they seek to build partnerships with the Joint Council of Extension Professional (JCEP) and eXtension Foundation. NUEL is developing an Urban Extension Implementation Plan to be presented to Extension Directors and Administrators during the October NEDA meeting in Portland, Oregon on October 3, Why Urban Matters to our Future Success. Directors and Administrators are invited to NUEL’s Biannual Network meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, December 3-5, 2018 with an agenda to assess intersections of collaboration with other colleagues from your region and across the country as NUEL advances urban Extension efforts. For more information contact NUEL Chair Patrick Proden patrick.proden@ces.uwex.edu. Also, keep in mind the 2019 Semi-Annual National Urban Extension Conference (NUEC), May 20-23, 2019 in Seattle. The relationship of NUEL to ECOP is enhanced by having an ECOP liaison. Chris Boerboom (former North Dakota State University Extension Director) served in this role for several years prior to his retirement. Jason Henderson (Purdue University Extension Director) has recently been named to replace Chris and continue the important liaison relationship.

August 31 – Executive Director Applications Coming to a Close

Last week ECOP Chair Fred Schlutt announced a closing date for applications for the Executive Director, Cooperative Extension System, to be August 31, 2017. “The Search Committee is ready to move ahead with an application review,” said Fred. ECOP Monday Minute readers are encouraged to share the deadline and the job announcement bit.ly/ED-CES.


Communications and Marketing Committee Request - Bev Durgan, University of Minnesota, as Chair of the Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC), recently shared 2 recent reports from kglobal - a second quarter report and results of a recent "Call to Action" video campaign, describing the efforts of kglobal to support the BAA’s “One Ask” initiative; the initiative to increase funding to AFRI, Smith-Lever, Hatch, McIntire-Stennis, Evans-Allen and 1890’s Extension by $200M. Referring to systemic collaboration, Bev reminds Extension Directors and Administrators that future Calls to Action are meant to be shared with communicators, colleagues and stakeholders. and that more great stories are welcome. Cooperative Extension Section CMC representatives are Fred Schlutt, ECOP Chair, University of Alaska, efschluttjr@alaska.edu; Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State University, latimorm@fvsu.edu; Scott Reed, Oregon State University scott.reed@oregonstate.edu, and Steve Bonanno, West Virginia University scbonanno@mail.wvu.edu.

Cooperative Extension System and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Partnership - Universities Selected to Support Culture of Health Initiative: Cooperative Extension's new partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to impact 1,000 communities over the next 10 years will launch this fall with the help of a $4.6 million grant approved in July by the Foundation's board. On behalf of the partnership, National 4-H Council is pleased to announce the selection of five LGUs that will lead this initiative over the next two years in three communities of readiness within each of their states. The five LGUs (from 26 applications) include: University of Maryland (Eastern Shore), University of Minnesota, South Dakota State University, University of Tennessee and Utah State University. Supporting partner LGUs include the Universities of Arkansas, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin. In addition, Washington State University has been selected to lead the professional development work for the Culture of Health partnership. Supporting partner LGUs include: University of Alaska-Fairbanks, University of California, Colorado State University and the Ohio State University. To ensure the System is positioned for national scale of this initiative and lasting impact, significant investments will be made in readiness for over 50 additional LGUs. Additional information will be shared in mid-September through a public announcement. Questions can be directed to JoAnne Leatherman, Program Director, Foundations and Healthy Living, National 4-H Council, jleatherman@4-H.org.

Michelle Rodgers,
University of Delaware

Extension Leader Michelle Rodgers Named National Project Director for Culture of Health Initiative - Dr. Michelle Rodgers, Associate Dean and Director, University of Delaware Extension, will assume a new half time role on September 1 as National Project Director of Cooperative Extension System's (CES) new partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Rodgers will continue to fulfill her responsibilities as Delaware's Extension Director with the assistance of a new half-time Associate Director position. The partnership to impact 1,000 communities over the next 10 years will launch this fall with the help of a two-year, $4.6 million grant approved in July by the Foundation's board, see above story for more details. Nearly 50 people applied for the project director position. National 4-H Council wishes to thank the nine colleagues representing Extension, ECOP, NIFA and Council who participated in the interviews and selection process. As Associate Dean and Director, Dr. Rodgers provides overall leadership for programs, personnel and the organizational development of the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. She is the immediate past chair of ECOP and served as co-chair of the ECOP Health Task Force. Prior to joining the University of Delaware, Rodgers spent five years as Associate Director at Michigan State University Extension. Rodgers also worked at Penn State University as an agent and regional director in Cooperative Extension.

Leadership in the City Online Professional Development Course for Urban Extension Professionals - Leadership in the City is an eight-week online professional development program for urban Extension professionals interested in entrepreneurial leadership, networks, innovation, and management. The program was developed based on a foundation of entrepreneurial theory and urban Extension practice. The curriculum builds upon existing leadership experiences, management training, and Extension professional development. Each competency-based module incorporates interactive digital delivery and the flipped classroom model for active learning and engagement. Participant from seven states have already registered. The investment in the program is $500 plus a commitment to actively participate. This course is aligned with ECOP’s 2017 Emphasis Areas and is led by Dr. Julie Fox from Ohio State University Extension. Practical application benefits individual participants, as well as their teams and organizations. The eight-week online course begins September 8, 2017 with orientation materials available on September 1. Multiple participants from the same institute are each entitled to a $100 discount (Discount code: EITC17-100). Complete details and registration can be found at https://cityextension.osu.edu/leadership.

Culture of Health Partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: New Opportunity

 ECOP Monday Minute will return on June 5, 2017 following the observance of Memorial Day.

In partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National 4-H Council announces an additional opportunity for Cooperative Extension land-grant universities (LGUs). This Pre-Award Request for Proposals (RFP) will identify one LGU to lead the professional development component for the five pilot program LGUs (to be selected by August 1). The selected LGU will provide integrated leadership for professional development activities, content and resources to be delivered in-person and virtually to build capacity among the "wave one" states, and for other LGUs wishing to prepare for "wave two" participation. The deadline for proposal submissions is June 30, 2017; 11:59 p.m. ET. The Professional Development RFP will be made available the week of May 22nd and can be accessed on National 4-H Council’s WebGrants platform. Click here to register for a live webinar on June 7, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET when participants will have a chance to ask questions about this exciting opportunity. For more information, contact National 4-H Council’s Director of Healthy Living Programs and Foundations, JoAnne Leatherman at jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu.

Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware and
Fred Schlutt, University of Alaska

Urban Extension Programming Showcased at Recent Conference - The University of Minnesota recently hosted the 2017 National Urban Extension Conference in Bloomington, MN. Extension professionals from all program areas shared their research and innovative educational strategies that address the needs of urban, suburban, and peri-urban populations as well as urban-rural inter-dependencies. National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) hosted a breakfast on the final day of the conference to engage participants in discussions about efforts that can be coordinated through NUEL regional caucuses. Regional caucus chairs will be contacting interested participants as a follow up. ECOP Chair Fred Schlutt, Past-chair Michelle Rodgers, and members Chris Boerboom and Bev Durgan were presenters. Congratulations to conference planning team and their Co-chairs Brent Hales, University of Minnesota, and Brad Gaolach, Washington State University, for the exceptional conference. Held biennially, the 2019 National Urban Extension Conference will be in Seattle. Follow on social media using #urbext, #NUEC19.


Communications and Marketing Project - The Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) oversees the Communications and Marketing Project (CMP), a coordinated and targeted educational effort to increase awareness of the value of Land-grant University agriculture related programs, Agricultural Experiment Stations (AES) and Cooperative Extension Services (CES). The audience includes state citizens, community leaders, and institutional allies, with connections to identified congressional decision makers. Two consulting firms, kglobal and Cornerstone Government Affairs, are contracted to identify key targets and develop strategies to focus communication and education efforts. kglobal then implements targeted strategies via traditional media, grassroots engagement, grass-tops advocacy, digital, and social media AgricultureIsAmerica website (http://agisamerica.org/, Twitter, Facebook). In 2017, the CMP will engage in targeted educational endeavors to support the Board of Agriculture Assembly’s priorities, including: the “One Ask” ($200 million increase to NIFA priority areas: Smith-Lever, 1890’s Extension, Hatch, Evans-Allen, McIntire-Stennis and AFRI), Water, Healthy Food Systems and Infrastructure). The newest addition to this effort will be video shorts supporting the One Ask. Stay tuned!

Addressing Domestic and Global Food and Nutrition Security - APLU’s Challenge of Change Commission last week released its report, Harnessing University Discovery, Engagement, and Learning to Achieve Food and Nutrition Security. With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly, APLU convened this commission last year to identify how public research universities can lead the way in addressing domestic and global food and nutrition security. The Challenge of Change Commission began with the understanding that public research universities – with their broad academic, research, and community expertise and experience – are uniquely positioned to address the complex and diverse challenges of food and nutrition insecurity. The strategy designed by the Commission includes all aspects of our food systems: production, nutrition, health, food safety and loss, economic costs, individual behaviors, and incentives – as well as societal factors affecting food availability, access and use. The report lays out an approach for stakeholders in government, business, and non-governmental organizations to work together with public research universities to achieve their shared goal of global food security. Learn more about the initiative and download the report at http://www.aplu.org/challengeofchange. Follow along on social media using #ChallengeOfChange.

eXtension Food Systems Fellowship - Encourage land grant professionals who are leaders in an area of the food systems spectrum to apply for a fellowship to lead the eXtension Food Systems Impact Collaborative. This is expected to be a one-year fellowship occupying .5-.7 FTE. Applications are due June 1, 2017.

11.10.14 - ECOP Engaged in APLU Annual Meeting

ECOP Engaged in APLU Annual Meeting – At the APLU Annual Meeting last week in Orlando, FL, ECOP members fully engaged and represented the Cooperative Extension section, including Rick Klemme, Budget and Advocacy Committee, University of Wisconsin; James Trapp, Committee on Legislation and Policy, Oklahoma State University; Tim Cross, Policy Board of Directors, University of Tennessee, and Jimmy Henning, Board on Agriculture Assembly strategy sessions, immediate past ECOP chair, University of Kentucky. 

Communications and Marketing Project Expands – Last week the APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly Administrative Heads Section (AHS) voted to be an equal funding partner in the current AES-CES Communications and Marketing Project effective in 2015. Current co-chairs of Communications and Marketing Committee are Nancy Cox representing ESCOP, University of Kentucky, and Scott Reed, representing ECOP, Oregon State University. The project seeks to educate the public and decision-makers about the value of land-grant university research, Extension, and with the AHS support, academic programs. 

Extension Project Gets Highest USDA Honor – USDA-NIFA’s Afghanistan Agricultural Extension Project (AAEP) received the Secretary’s Honor Award in the category of Increasing Global Food Security last week at a ceremony in Washington, DC. The award presented to Jim Hill, Associate Dean for International Programs, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Michael McGirr, national program leader, USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture’s Center for International Programs recognizes exceptional leadership contributions or public service in support of USDA’s missions and goals.

eXtension Hosts Critical Conversation on 2nd Machine Age Conference – eXtension hosted a “Critical Conversation” panel on the thoughts of workforce changes as the result of technological changes. This critical conversation entitled “Takeaways from the 2nd Machine Age Conference” centered on ideas that were discussed at the MIT 2nd Machine Age conference and in the book 2nd Machine Age by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee. The panel, moderated by Bob Bertsch-Web Technology Specialist, North Dakota State University, included Anne Adrian, Jerry Buchko and Jerry Thomas. The recording is at https://plus.google.com/events/c61cv6stfqn1dcd66p98lc6ujn4. 

University of Florida Honors Mellinger – Former, two-term CARET liaison to ECOP, Madeline Mellinger, has received the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Friend of IFAS Award for her long-term commitment to the university’s land-grant mission as a Florida CARET delegate. 

Journal Continues Centennial Celebration – The October 2014 issue of the Journal of Extension includes an article on Extension community development in the continuing series honoring the centennial. See http://www.joe.org/joe/2014october/comm1.php. 

Strengthening Rural Economies – See a new state-by-state "Made in Rural America" report illustrating the impact of USDA investments in rural communities. Each state factsheet highlights specific USDA investments in rural businesses, manufacturing, energy, water and other infrastructure development. They also outline how USDA is helping rural communities attract businesses and families by investing in housing and broadband.

ECOP Monday Minute 7.14.14

ECOP Gears Up for July Meeting – Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky, reports significant action items for consideration by ECOP during its July 22, 2014 meeting in San Diego in conjunction with the annual Board of Agriculture Assembly Joint COPs summer meeting. ECOP will make decisions about the AES-CES Communications and Marketing Project, the new impacts database, and an ECOP health implementation team. Updates will be provided on eXtension “e-nnovation” planning, a pending USDA climate hubs memorandum of understanding, and the Ag Act of 2014 distribution of funds for education about farm programs. Watch the ECOP Monday Minute for details. 

Focus on Extension Health Programs – The Creating Healthy Communities eXtension learning community featured Michelle Rodgers, ECOP member and chair of the ECOP National Task Force on Health, University of Delaware, for a webinar. Visit https://learn.extension.org/events/1651#.U61ih7Hr6f8 and click on watch recording or see the YouTube version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NDEFAej8v4. The PowerPoint associated with the webinar is available at http://goo.gl/nwhmnk. 

EFNEP 2013 Impacts – USDA-NIFA has released FY 2013 impacts for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) program which operates in the 50 states, 6 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Annual data confirms that EFNEP graduates consistently report strong results related to improvement of diets and other food-related behaviors. In FY2013, EFNEP reached approximately 120,000 low-income adults and 415,000 low-income children and youth. Of adult graduates, 95 percent reported improvements in their diets, 90 percent improved their nutrition practices, 84 percent improved their food resource management practices, 65 percent improved their food safety practices, and 39 percent increased their physical activity level by 30 minutes or more. A full report is in process. 

USDA-NIFA Releases 2014 Impacts Report – The projects highlighted shows how USDA-NIFA funding contributes to significant achievements in food, agricultural, natural resources, and human sciences by supporting research, education, and Extension programs at the land-grant universities and other partner organizations. See NIFA website for details. 

Oregon Extension Run for Health – To bring awareness to the power of living a healthy lifestyle, two college undergraduates – and brothers, Isaiah and Jeremiah Godby – are running to 30 out of 36 Oregon counties, stopping at OSU Extension Service offices along the way and encouraging community members and alumni across Oregon to join them. The run finishes September 5th after 61 days averaging 32 miles each day by each runner. They are hosting public events along the way to emphasize proper nutrition and fitness. See http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/healthrun/ for details. 

21st Century Energy Challenges – The Power of Extension was the focus of a Cooperative Extension workshop May 8, 2014 in Washington, DC. See https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6HXxUrVKWEYNjB6dGNHTjJRZlU/edit?pli=1 for presentations.

ECOP Monday Minute 8.26.13

In observance of Labor Day, ECOP Monday Minute returns 9.9.13

ECOP Chair Meets with OMB – Daryl Buchholz, ECOP Chair, together with Mike Hoffmann, ESCOP Chair, and Cornerstone Government Affairs representatives, met last week with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in Washington, DC. The purpose was to continue the advocacy messaging related to the “both-and” of competitive and capacity funds. Buchholz used the 2012 ECOP handout on capacity funds, the 2013 ECOP handout, and a new piece developed by the ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee on the Top 10 Reasons Why Capacity Funding Is Essential. Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators are welcome to use any of these handouts in state-level work.

FY 2014 and SNAP-Ed Funding Update – Rick Klemme, ECOP Budget and Legislative Committee Chair, University of Wisconsin Extension, worked with Cornerstone Government Affairs to provide the document Current Status of USDA-NIFA and SNAP-Ed Funding (August 2013). This is adapted from a communications used in Wisconsin to answer questions from Cooperative Extension colleagues and their statewide advocacy group. Directors and Administrators are welcome to use the document.

Cooperative Extension at APLU Annual Meeting – Cooperative Extension Directors and Administrators attending the 2013 APLU Annual Meeting in Washington, DC can use the preliminary Board on Agriculture Assembly schedule. Of particular interest are the awards presentations, the 4-H luncheon, and the Monday evening Cooperative Extension dinner which will include recognition for national leadership. Registration details can be found here.

GCHERA Conference in China – Ian Maw, APLU Vice President for Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, encourages attendance at the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for the Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) October 20-22, 2013 in Nanjing, China. The program includes the inaugural GCHERA World Agriculture Prize Ceremony www.gchera-wap.org to acknowledge excellence in academic leadership in agricultural and life science universities and an international seminar on sustainable rural development. Registration through the Nanjing Agricultural University is available at http://wap.njau.edu.cn/.

Sign up for Ag is America Newsletter – Contact Jenny Nuber, jenny.nuber@kglobal.com, to get this weekly newsletter which highlights impacts of Cooperative Extension and agricultural research. This is part of the work led by the AES-CES Communications and Marketing Committee co-chaired by Scott Reed, Oregon State University. You also may wish to follow Ag is America on Twitter at @AgIsAmerica.

ECOP Monday Minute 5.20.13

In observance of Memorial Day, the next issue will be 6.3.13.

SAVE THE DATE: New Directors and Administrators Orientation – Plans are underway for an orientation for new directors and administrators December 3-5, 2013 in the Washington, DC area. The meeting begins with a reception on Tuesday evening, continues through noon on Thursday, and concludes with optional section meetings Thursday afternoon. ECOP will plan to provide a Thursday afternoon session to update participants on national leadership priorities of the Cooperative Extension Section. More details will be provided as available.

New ECOP Communications Tool – See https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4508 for the new handout ECOP is using at various meetings to explain how Cooperative Extension works, outline strategic opportunities, summarize impacts, and announce the 100th anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act. The handout is available for your use.

Subscribe to AgIsAmerica Newsletter – "Why Ag Matters" is a weekly, internal (ECOP and ESCOP recipients only) e-newsletter highlighting some of the stories featured on the Ag Is America website (www.agisamerica.org), Twitter feed and Facebook page. The Ag Is America campaign is part of the AES-CES Communications and Marketing Project, designed to inform federal decision-makers about the measurable values of Research and Extension. Part of this campaign, the newsletter is designed to demonstrate — to ECOP and ESCOP marketing & communications professionals —the types of stories that resonate with a legislative audience as well as the general public. Please email Jenny Nuber (jenny.nuber@kglobal.com) to subscribe to this email or to submit a story that demonstrates the impact of Cooperative Extension on jobs, the economy, national security, or health and nutrition.

SNAP-ED Uses Socioecological Model – A webinar sponsored by the LGU SNAP-Ed Program Development Team “Using the Socioecological Model to Enhance Nutrition Education” on 5.19.13 drew more than 100 representatives from USDA FNS and NIFA, LGU SNAP-Ed and EFNEP Coordinators and FCS Leaders, and other nutrition education partners. The model provides a framework for program planning, reporting, and accountability and for meeting legislative requirements. David Ginsburg of UC Davis and Jamie Dollahite of Cornell presented the information with an introduction by Helen Chipman of USDA-NIFA. The recording can be found here.

More 'Digital Information Broker' Sessions Ahead – eXtension will offer four more train-the-trainer sessions to help support staff become "Digital Information Brokers" through learning to use eXtension tools. Since the training was first offered in 2012 more than 16 states have participated. For more information and to sign up for future sessions you can go to: http://bit.ly/147KrXW.