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.

ECOP Monday Minute 4.8.2013

SNAP-Ed Updates – 1) FY2014 Guidance and FY2014 estimates for the state SNAP-Ed allocations are now available here:  http://snap.nal.usda.gov/national-snap-ed/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates  2) Regulations that amend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to implement Section 28 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, to award grants to States for provision of nutrition education and obesity prevention programs is available here:  http://www.fns.usda.gov/SNAP/rules/Memo/pdfs/SNAP-Ed_Interim_Rule.pdf 3) The SNAP-Ed assessment invoices from APLU have been calculated and sent to the universities by regular mail.

Strategic Opportunities and Measuring Excellence Website and Database Now Open -- As demonstrated in San Antonio at the NEDA meeting, this website and database have been redesigned and rebranded as a joint ECOP effort between the Strategic Opportunities and Measuring Excellence efforts. Updates at http://www.excellenceinextension.org include expanded salary data, the ability to input and retrieve impact statements, and new options for charting data.

ECOP National Task Force on Health Navigator Fact Sheet Now Available -- The ECOP National Task Force on Health would like to share a Navigator Fact Sheet from University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Health Insurance Literacy Initiative. The fact sheet outlines several potential roles of Cooperative Extension related to recent health reform legislation. The document was highlighted at the recent National Extension Directors and Administrators meeting held in San Antonio (see full presentation here).

NAREEE Board Releases Extension Report -- The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board, which makes recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress has released its August 27, 2012 report and recommendations about Cooperative Extension. This is based on presentations and discussions at the Spring 2012 meeting of the NAREEE Advisory Board in College Station, TX. The NAREEE Board is authorized through the farm bill. The report is posted at http://nareeeab.ree.usda.gov/reports-and-recommendations-0.

Local Food Systems Dialogue -- Go to http://glennschool.osu.edu/web-dialogue/ to sign up as a participant in the National Extension Web Dialogue on Local Food Systems. All opportunities are in May 2013. The Ohio State University is guiding this work in partnership with the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development.

FEMA Youth Preparedness Council -- Please alert 4-H Program Leaders about this nomination process. Participants, age 12-17, are expected to represent the youth perspective on emergency preparedness and relay information within their communities. Nominations and applications are due April 19, 2013. For details, see www.ready.gov/youth-preparedness.

Webinar on 'Energy 101' course developed by APLU & U.S. Department of Energy 4.10.13 -- The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities joined the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Maryland and the Environment and Energy Study Institute to unveil an interdisciplinary model curricular framework called 'Energy 101' designed to challenge college students at two and four-year schools to systematically explore the science and social science behind sound energy decision-making. It will also introduce students at an early point in their college experience to a variety of energy careers. The full press release can be found here. A webinar will be held April 10 from 2-4 p.m. (ET) to describe the model framework and its use in the development of a pilot course now being taught at the University of Maryland. Sign up for the webinar here.