Presidential SI Challenge

The Presidential Super Intelligence (SI) Challenge invites K-12 students, educators, mentors, and community teams nationwide to use SI technologies to tackle real-world community problems and showcase their solutions on a national stage. The initiative aims to build early SI skills, strengthen school and educator readiness for responsible SI use, and inspire broad participation in innovation as the nation celebrates 250 years of independence.

This year builds on last year's inaugural Presidential AI Challenge, and in addition to the existing participation categories, new this year, all participating schools will also have the opportunity to earn the First Lady Seal of SI Readiness. By encouraging hands-on problem solving and exposure to emerging technologies, the challenge helps prepare students for an SI-enabled future workforce and promotes a culture of creativity and scientific advancement.

Read more about the challenge and how to participate: https://orise.orau.gov/si-challenge/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

Leaders from an approved community group or club, such as official 4-H clubs, Future Farmers of America (sic) chapters, scout groups, Key Clubs, or Boys and Girls Clubs of America clubs, or other traditionally non-scientific extracurricular organization with a formal relationship with the school are eligible to lead teams.

 

NIFA Announces Nearly $122 Million in Grant Awards

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced today $121.6 million in grant funding across 13 programs. More than $66.8 million will support 35 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) program projects. These OREI projects will address high‑priority challenges in U.S. organic agriculture, enhance producers’ and processors’ ability to grow and market high‑quality organic products and increase resilience in American farming systems.

NIFA’s awards this week include several programs that strengthen U.S. agriculture by improving pest management, supporting organic producers and helping small and mid-size farms succeed. The agency awarded $13.1 million through the Crop Protection and Pest Management program to address urgent challenges from insects, diseases, weeds and other pests using integrated strategies. Another $7 million will support seven projects that advance research, Extension and education to improve the competitiveness of organic farmers and those moving to organic systems. In addition, $4.5 million was awarded to eight projects to enhance the profitability of small and mid‑size farms and ranches. Together, these investments strengthen food security and support producers across diverse agricultural systems. Find all this week’s awards below.

• NIFA Awards $66.8M in Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative Program Grants 
• NIFA Awards $13.1M to Crop Protection and Pest Management Program
• NIFA Awards $7.3M to Support Food and Agricultural Nonformal Education
• NIFA Awards $7M to Support Organic Farming Industry 
• NIFA Invests $4.8M in New Beginning for Tribal Students Program
• NIFA Awards $4.5M to Support Small and Medium-sized Farms
• NIFA Invests Over $3.8 M in FRTEP Projects
• NIFA Invests $3.7M in Alfalfa Seed and Alfalfa Forage Systems Projects
• NIFA Awards $3M to Support Rural Economic Development
• NIFA Awards $2.8M to Methyl Bromide Transition Program
• NIFA Invests Over $2.1M in Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Disease Events
• NIFA Awards $1.8M to Supplemental and Alternative Crops Program
• NIFA Invests More Than $900,000 in University of Maryland Open Data Project

 

JCEP ELC 2027 - WE NEED YOUR HELP!

The 2027 Extension Leadership Conference received more than 180 proposals - over DOUBLE the number submitted last year! 🎉

JCEP is excited about the tremendous interest in ELC 2027, but that also means they need additional volunteers to help review proposals!

JCEP is looking for 50+ Extension professionals from across program areas and disciplines to serve as proposal reviewers. Each proposal requires three reviews, and our goal is to assign no more than 10 proposals per volunteer.

📅 Commit by: Tuesday, November 10 at 1:00 p.m. EST. Sign up to review HERE:  https://wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_54GDiMmwujyg0su

📅 Complete reviews by: Tuesday, November 24 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Our goal is to notify presenters of acceptance decisions by December 1.

Thank you for helping us build an outstanding ELC 2027 program!