Cooperative Extension Leaders at 132nd APLU Annual Meeting

L-R: Rick Klemme, Cooperative Extension/ECOP Exec. Dir.; Scott Angle, USDA-NIFA, Dir.;
Dorothy Brandon, Alabama A&M Univ.; Kim Greder, Iowa State Univ.; Matt Devereaux, Univ. of
Tennessee; Donna Shoemaker, Ohio State Univ.; Dave Schramm, Utah State Univ.; Gordon Johnson,
Univ. of Delaware; Mark Latimore, Jr. (ECOP Chair), Fort Valley State Univ., and Mark Peterson, Univ. of Arkansas

Almost half of the Cooperative Extension Section (all Regions) are currently attending the APLU Annual Meeting in San Diego. The meeting runs through Tuesday. Yesterday morning the impact of Extension was showcased during the Annual National Awards Program. The awards were presented by USDA-NIFA Director Scott Angle, USDA Chief of Science Scott Hutchins, and ECOP Chair Mark Latimore, Jr., Fort Valley State University. Follow the news here and here on Twitter. Click Here to view today's happenings.


Innovative System Staffing Model Launched November 1 - ECOP entered into a new era to strengthen organizational functioning of Cooperative Extension last week when Executive Director Rick Klemme and Assistant Director Sandy Ruble completed negotiations with eXtension Foundation, National 4-H Council (Council) and APLU to bring aboard an Extension Health Director (See below). The result is an independent contract agreement through October 31, 2021, funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The administrative package is a combination of technical support (eXtension), implementing partners (Council and APLU), national leadership (ECOP) with regional support (AEA, NCCEA, NEED, WEDA, ASRED). This initiative is an example of what the Extension Resource and Program Development Committee developed as a pathway to leveraging public investment with outside funding.

Roger Rennekamp,
Extension Health Director

Extension Health Director Welcome - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through their support of the Well Connected Communities project recognized a need for an Extension leader as a key strategist and communicator for health extension in the Cooperative Extension System (CES). Roger Rennekamp has joined the national office to fill this important role! While focusing on increasing health equity by responding to the diverse needs of children, youth, and families; particularly among vulnerable populations, Roger will simultaneously develop partnerships focused on systems and policy change to address four core themes.

1. Building partnerships and acquiring resources to achieve the core themes, 
2. Increasing understanding and visibility of the Cooperative Extension System as a national leader in health education, 
3. Enhancing leadership and professional development among Extension System colleagues, and
4. Strengthening organizational functions to sustain health equity as a CES initiative. 

Roger reports to the Chair of ECOP and Executive Director, Cooperative Extension/ECOP, with day-to-day interaction with the Well Connected Communities Program Director and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Development Director. Contact information: rogerrennekamp@extension.org and 541-740-5327.


eXtension Shares Results of New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Survey - eXtension appreciates the participation of Directors and Administrators in a recently conducted system-wide survey to gauge interest and identify existing Extension programs in four topic areas aligned with USDA strategic priorities. 942 Extension professionals responded to the survey. The end goal is to provide professional development opportunities focused in these areas for Cooperative Extension. The following percentage of respondents indicated interest in these topic areas:
    -- Climate Smart Agriculture: 72%
    -- Prevention & Mitigation of Ag Pests & Disease/IPM: 67%
    -- Prevention of Foodborne Illness & Protection of Public Safety: 75%
    -- Safe & Nutritious Food for Low-Income Individuals: 73%
An overview of the national results are available here. The results by region are available here.


NIFA Information Update - Josh Stull, Acting Communications Director / Congressional and Stakeholder Affairs Officer, NIFA, USDA, forwarded the following information to be shared with colleagues regarding the NIFA resources.
    -- Updated NIFA org chart
    -- NIFA grants page
    -- NIFA Director Update Message on ReePort/Plan of Work

Cooperative Extension Track APLU Annual Meeting

The APLU Annual Meeting starts this coming weekend in San Diego. Click Here to view/download the Board on Agriculture Assembly Cooperative Extension Section Track. Please note Michelle Rodgers, University of Delaware, (ECOP Chair 2016) is presenting during the BAA's featured session, Higher Education as Policy, Systems & Environmental Change Catalysts. ECOP is collaborating in an unprecedented 3 other sessions with APLU's Offices Economic Development & Community Engagement, Urban Initiatives, and Access & Success.



Record Participation on Hemp Topic - Last Friday, a record-breaking number of Extension Directors, Administrators and their associates joined ECOP Chair Mark Latimore, Fort Valley State University, to explore the Hemp Industry opportunities for Extension. Featured presenter were Associate Extension Director Emeritus Tom Melton and Specialist Angela Post, NC State University, and Ray McKinnie (ECOP Chair 2010) and Wondi Mersie, Virginia State University. Topics included policy, planting, propagation, pests, process, public perception, and more. Check out the presentation package:
    -- Video recording is found here
    -- Chat is available here
    -- Slides are available here
The next conversation, topic to be determined, is set for Friday, January 3, 2020. Please save the date.



Reminder of Trust In Food Initiative - Farm Journal's Trust in Food is designed to help partners such as Cooperative Extension in key funded and in-kind opportunity areas including:
   • Expand innovative data, research and outreach capacity
   • Heighten grant application competitiveness
   • Locate resources for new and innovative public-private partnerships
   • Maximize every hour and dollar of Extension research and outreach
   • Enhance capability and capacity to understand and serve agriculture
   • Provide data and content to educate stakeholders on Extension impact
To inquire about how Trust In Food can help Extension in your region, contact Director of Development & Programming Nate Birt at nbirt@farmjournal.com. You can also read more about the initiative at www.TrustInFood.com. To subscribe to the Trust In Food Newsletter, click here. To review a recording of the conversation with Nate, click here.



Program Director for Well Connected Communities - This position will oversee the day-to-day operations of Well Connected Communities and be located at the National 4-H Council, Chevy Chase, Maryland. This individual will work on a regular basis with Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, and the Well-Connected Communities leadership team. Please click here to review announcement and apply. Individuals with questions can reach out to Beth Birnstihl, National 4-H Council, at (301) 385-6551 or bbirnstihl1@unl.edu.

2019 National Awards Announcement

On November 10 in San Diego at the APLU Annual Meeting, the Cooperative Extension Section and USDA-NIFA will honor the following for visionary Leadership and Diversity in educational programming:

Kimberly Greder,
Iowa State University

Matt Devereaux,
University of Tennessee

--> National Diversity in Extension Award: Juntos and Abriendo Caminos Work Teams, Iowa State University, for successful models to expand Extension’s programming in sustainable ways to address education and health disparities facing the Latino population. Leader of the Teams, Kimberly Greder will accept the award.

--> National Excellence in Extension (EiE) Award: Matthew John Devereaux, University of Tennessee, for innovative best practice Extension child care and afterschool programs.

Pictured from left to right are the Regional Excellence in Extension Award recipients:
   -- 1890s Region EiE Award: Dorothy Brandon, Alabama A&M University,
in recognition of transformational and developmental impact on the lives of underserved populations     -- North Central Region EiE Award: Dianne Shoemaker, The Ohio State University
in recognition of bridging the gap: building farm management resources and training tools for Ohio farmers and educators

   -- Northeast Region EiE Award: Gordon Johnson, University of Delaware
in recognition of  high impact applied research and Extension education reaching many diverse audiences in Delaware and the mid-Atlantic region

   -- Southern Region EiE Award: Mark Peterson, University of Arkansas
in recognition of facilitating the creation of vibrant, sustainable communities and regions
through breakthrough solutions
   -- Western Region EiE Award: Dave Schramm, Utah State University
in recognition of innovative, scholarly leadership of family life programs

To read more, Click Here or Here for entire article.




2019 National Meeting Recap - Last week’s meeting in Nashville, TN featured several actions coming from the ECOP Executive Committee, ECOP and Cooperative Section Business meetings:

• Approved the Extension Resource and Partnership Development (ERPD) committee’s recommendations (building on on-going development efforts that evolve from regional/national collaborations, encouraging an update to the Section’s strategic plan/priorities with the arrival of the full-time CES/ECOP Executive Director, and engaging the ERPD committee in a national strategic plan). 
• Approved moving forward with a contract position (Extension Health Education Director) to provide leadership, building from the success of the Well-Connected Communities (WCC) project into Wave II and to work across the Cooperative Extension’s capacity to expand access to health education programs. 
• Approved advancing the recommendations of the Innovation Task Force with a pilot project led by Michelle Rodgers as part of the WCC project. 
• Approved the ECOP Professional Development Committee’s efforts to develop criteria for what would be a newly established team excellence in extension award. 
• Approved the ECOP Professional Development Committee’s efforts to develop criteria for what a proposed Team Excellence in Extension Award. 
• Engaged in an open conversation on what being a system means to Extension Administrators and Directors. The summary of a Slido survey that contributed to the conversation of ECOP and Extension is found Here and the raw data is found Here. 
• Jennifer Sirangelo (4-H Council President and CEO) announced Council Board Trustee Dr. Martha Bernadett will serve as Extension liaison. 

Well Connected Communities (Wave 2) Request for Applications Deadline October 18 - America’s Cooperative Extension System, in partnership with National 4-H Council, is equipping volunteer leaders to help their neighbors be healthier at every stage of life. With the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Extension leaders and educators, volunteers and young people are currently cultivating wellness through this public/private partnership via 13 land-grant universities in 39 communities. All Cooperative Extension System entities are invited to apply for this new grant opportunity funded by RWJF. To review the RFA, application requirements and apply for funding, please visit the online portal and click on Funding Opportunities. Joint applications between 1862, 1890 or 1994 LGUs within a state are encouraged, but not required. Applications are due by 11:59 pm EST on October 18. For more information, click here to access the recording of an informational webinar held in September and a document with answers to frequently asked questions.

NIFA Tenth Anniversary - On October 1, NIFA celebrated its tenth anniversary. NIFA’s history is largely tied to the establishment of land-grant institutions and delivery of Cooperative Extension Services. See more by reading NIFA Director J. Scott Angle’s blog.

Building Relationships News

Cooperative Extension is a relational system that leverages public investment with a wide range of partnerships. Likewise, on behalf of the entire Cooperative Extension Section (CES), ECOP maintains a number of mutually beneficial relationships with partner organizations including its collective dealings with the APLU. Recent relational assignments include:

• Brian Kowalkowski, College of the Menominee Nation, 1994 Tribal Colleges
• Allen Wysocki, University of Florida, Academic Programs Committee on Organization and Policy (ACOP)
• Karla Trautman, South Dakota State University, CES/ECOP representative to the Communications and Marketing Committee
• Rich Bonanno, North Carolina State University, CES/ECOP representative to the BAA Committee on Legislation and Policy
• Beverly Durgan, University of Minnesota, ECOP Liaison to the Joint Committee of Extension Professionals (JCEP) and Chair of the International Extension Committee
• Ami Smith, West Virginia State University, ECOP Liaison to the Journal of Extension, Extension Journal Inc. Board of Directors
• Mike O’Neill, University of Connecticut, ECOP co-liaison to the LEAD 21 Board of Directors
• Mike Gaffney, Washington State University, ECOP Budget & Legislative Committee

Please join ECOP Chair Ed Jones in thanking these people and their respective administrations for stepping up to their voluntary national duties. ECOP in relationship with the five Regional Associations, devotes a total of 3.25 FTE from EDA Team to staff the complexities of these national relationships.

Well Connected Communities Wave 2 Pre-award Request for Applications: Informational Call - As reported earlier here and here, Wave 2 funding of Well Connected Communities, is coming soon! Today ECOP and National 4-H Council (Council), through a competitive grant opportunity from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), announces a special informational call on September 5, 2019 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET to learn more about the Well Connected Communities initiative pre-award Request for Applications (RFA) submission process. All Land-Grant Universities (LGUs) and the Cooperative Extension System within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories are invited to Click Here to register and become part of the groundbreaking health initiatives of Cooperative Extension and anticipated funding from RWJF; helping to drive transformational change to create the conditions that will foster a Culture of Health in communities across America. Note: The RFA will be posted before the call on September 5. Stay tuned to the ECOP Monday Minute for information on where to access the RFA. Questions can be directed to Shay McNeil at Council; smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu, 301-961-2858.

National eXtension Impact Collaborative Summit - The Cooperative Extension Section is reminded that a national Impact Collaborative Summit, with the benefit of five free registrations for each eXtension membership, is coming on October 15 - 17, 2019 to Atlanta, GA. The registration deadline is September 20, 2019. Additional project or program teams or team members are welcome to join with payment of a registration fee. Summits are designed to catalyze teams in their various stages of either planning or implementation. This includes individualized support to help propel teams through their journey towards launching their project or program. Click here to learn more, and visit here to learn more about team results and success stories.


New Strategy to Reach Stakeholders - Positive, effective outreach to new and existing stakeholders is at the core of any community-based, educational program such as Extension. Projects in Iowa and Nebraska celebrate current owners of unclaimed, mid-1800s land granted by the federal government to states to establish a university. Both have resulted in extensive, positive visibility for Iowa State University (ISU) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their respective Extension function. Ray Hansen, Program Manager, ISU Extension and Outreach, coordinated the Iowa Land-Grant Legacy Project which launched in September 2016 at the Clay County Fair. Nebraska followed Iowa’s lead in 2019 under the leadership of Chuck Hibberd, Nebraska Extension Dean and Director. Nebraska Land-Grant Connects maps 135,000 land-grant acres, the sale or lease of which contributed to opening university doors in Lincoln 150 years ago. Current efforts in Nebraska focus on county and state fair recognitions of landowners, some of which have retained the land in one family for more than 150 years. A special emphasis is placed on past and current connections to the university as a student, 4-H member or other means.

Public Policy Outreach and Extension Programming Challenges

Last Friday, June 14, 2019, Extension Directors and Administrators from the 5 regions of the Cooperative Extension Section gathered in a Zoom Room to explore how Cooperative Extension, part of the Land-grant University System, is responding to a passionately controversial agriculture/environment topic - dicamba that is mostly impacting Agricultural communities in the south and central part of the nation. Mike Fitzner, NIFA's Director of Division of Plant Systems-Protection, and the ECOP EDA Team's north central executive director assigned to the National Integrated Pest Management Coordinating Committee, assisted ECOP Chair, Ed Jones, Virginia Tech to lead the discussion. The 54-minute recording is available for review at https://youtu.be/0O3FEzpcTWk and the PowerPoint is available to view and download by Clicking Here. Submit questions or concerns to ecopblog@gmail.com.

Don't Miss Wave 2 Pre-award Request for Application Informational Calls - National 4-H Council (Council), through a competitive grant opportunity from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), will be extending an invitation for all Land-Grant Universities (LGUs) and the Cooperative Extension System within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories to apply for this Wave 2 pre-award RFA of the Well Connected Communities initiative. Council, in partnership with the groundbreaking health initiatives of Cooperative Extension and anticipated funding from RWJF, is helping to drive transformational change to create the conditions that will foster a Culture of Health in communities across America. Council invites Directors and Administrators and their Associates and Program Leaders to register for the following.

• Pre-award RFA Call #1 to be held on June 25, 2019, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. Participants will receive an overview of the initiative and a preview of what to expect in the Wave 2 pre-award RFA. Register Here

• Pre-award RFA Call #2 on July 31, 2019, 2:00-3:00 PM ET. This will be a more in-depth webinar on the pre-award RFA for Wave 2. Participants will have an opportunity to ask any questions about the RFA and the submission process. Register Here 

Extension’s Response to Everchanging Broadband Landscape - This year has seen significant broadband federal and state legislation as well as Extension education program activity. Numerous groups work to increase broadband awareness, access, and use. The National Digital Education Extension Team (NDEET) includes land-grant university leaders following these efforts and working on research, training, projects, and partnerships to assist with broadband challenges and opportunities. Members are involved in many broadband organizations such as School Healthcare Library Broadband Coalition (SHLB), National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), NTIA USABroadband State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN), and the National Collaborative for Digital Equity’s (NCDE). Topics addressed by NDEET and these other groups include the Homework Gap, the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) program (broadband spectrum for education use), and federal broadband funding resources. For more information about NDEET, contact Rachel Welborn.


Extension Farm Management’s Future - There is growing concern about the future of farm management extension education and if there a workforce to draw from for agents and specialists. A recent article on this topic was recently published in Choices, a publication produced by the American Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, written by Extension Directors John Lawrence (Iowa State University), Gregg Hadley (Kansas State University) and Jason Henderson (Purdue University). In this article these Directors, with extensive farm management experience, address the common issues of concern in the farm management extension community. See http://www.choicesmagazine.org/choices-magazine/theme-articles/the-future-of-farm-management-extension/the-future-for-extension-farm-management-economists-the-directors-cut for the article.

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program Stakeholder Webinar is Tomorrow - Directors and Administrators, dairy producers and Extension colleagues who work with these producers should know that FSA is conducting a webinar tomorrow June 17, 2019,1:30 P.M. ET to share the basic tools and resources for producers of the new FSA Dairy Margin Coverage DMC Program. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions throughout the webinar in the Chat box. Cooperative Extension has been instrumental in developing and supporting the decision tool features used prominently in FSA's outreach. Join the meeting by registering here: Registration Link. Direct question to fsaoutreach@wdc.usda.gov.

Award Opportunities – Time is Limited

Excellence and Diversity in Cooperative Extension
awaits recognition by the Nation in San Diego in November 2019.

Luckily, Directors and Administrators and their associates can use a new leaders’ resource to organize and prepare nominations for the National Cooperative Extension Awards. Award-winning nominators strongly recommend starting the process well before the May 1 deadline. Go to www.aplu.org/CESawards to begin.  Please share this message widely and contact ECOP Assistant Director Sandy Ruble at 202-478-6088 for more information.

And speaking of awards...

New! 2019 Culture of Health Awards - The Well Connected Communities initiative is pleased to offer three Culture of Health awards to one youth volunteer, an adult volunteer, and a Land-grant University, that have been leaders in healthy living programming in their communities. All land-grant universities are invited to nominate, including those involved with the Well Connected Communities initiative. T. his work should have a focus on health equity and inclusion, address one or more of the social determinants of health, and successfully engage in youth-adult partnerships. Visit the Culture of Health Awards website to download and submit your applications by March 15, 2019. For more information, contact Shay McNeil at smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.

4-H Council Strategic Plan Approved - National 4-H Council’s Board of Trustees approved a new three-year strategic plan for Council operations at its quarterly meeting in December. The plan, which covers fiscal years 2019-2021, was developed in collaboration with the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee and looks to accelerate private sector support for Extension’s high-quality 4-H positive youth development programming. The plan maintains Council’s focus on creating public-private partnerships to generate funds and on telling the story of today’s 4-H. In this next phase of its 10-year vision, Council intends to highlight the positive impact that Extension and 4-H have on economic prosperity, equity and upward mobility for all young people. To read the plan and review Council’s accomplishments over the last three years, go to www.4-h.org/outcomes.

eXtension Member Events - Spring 2019. Registration for our April Impact Collaborative Summit is open. Each member institution receives five free registrations to send a project or program team to the Summit. More info can be found here. Also, State and Institutional Events are being scheduled, designed alongside leadership teams, to help with building skills in innovation. Contact Chris Geith at christinegeith@eXtension.org for more information.

Cooperative Extension Partnering with APLU Commission on Economic and Community Engagement (CECE) on Learning More About e-Connectivity in Rural America - Marshall Stewart, University of Missouri, and Ashley Stokes, Colorado State University, colleagues who are currently serving on the CECE’s Executive Committee encourage Directors and Administrators to participate in an online survey.

"There is no question that rural residents and businesses need access to high-speed internet service," says Sheila Martin, contact for the effort. "APLU knows its member institutions are already working in this area; however, we are certain we do not have the complete story of what our member institutions are doing to promote rural digital inclusion. APLU is requesting information from its members regarding their institution’s contributions to rural community’s access to the benefits of high-speed internet. We invite you to view read the white paper e-Connectivity in Rural America: Public Research Universities Advancing Digital Inclusion and share your institution’s contributions to expanding high-speed internet access in rural communities by taking this online survey by Sunday, March 10^th. Our staff will review responses and make the relevant contacts at your institution to understand the full picture of your work in this area. The final product will articulate practices making a difference for rural communities based on your responses."

Reminder: Extension Administrators and Directors and/or their economic development/community engagement associates may join CECE at no cost at this link.

Well Connected Communities Launches Web Site to Help Cultivate Wellness Across the U.S.

The Cooperative Extension System, in partnership with National 4-H Council and support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is working to equip volunteer leaders to help their neighbors be healthier at every stage of life through the Well Connected Communities (WCC) initiative. Recently, a new website for the WCC effort was developed and is now up and running. Visitors to the site can learn more about the public health priorities being addressed by each community and how local health councils, comprised of both youth and adults, are working to develop and implement action plans. The site also features a variety of resource documents that include webinars, curriculum, a communications toolkit and other interactive tools to help build a culture of health. Information on the website, including the resources and community progress, will be updated on a regular basis to track the momentum of this growing effort. Please direct any questions about the WCC to Michelle Rodgers, Well Connected Communities national project director.

2019 Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) - Registration is open for institutional teams for the Public Issues Leadership Development (PILD) Conference, sponsored by the Joint Council of Extension Professionals (JCEP). The PILD conference will take place in Arlington Virginia on April 14-17, 2019. A pre-Conference webinar for all registered participants will be held on March 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will help team members prepare for a successful conference and visit to Washington DC. PILD is a professional development opportunity open to all Extension professionals and volunteers interested in learning leadership and advocacy skills that effect public policy issues important to Extension. In addition to nationally recognized keynote speakers, the conference features breakout sessions focusing on successful Public Issues Education programs. PILD attendees will prepare for visits to their federal congressional representatives and senators. For more information and registration details go to https://www.jcep.org/pild.

Report to ECOP from the Extension Opioid Crisis Response Workgroup - In previous posts in February and April 2018, the Extension Opioid Crisis Response Workgroup (EOCRW) provided updates regarding its efforts to help develop a strategic plan for Extension’s involvement to help address the opioid crisis. The EOCRW has completed its work, which culminated in a final report for ECOP. In addition, EOCRW compiled resources for those within the land grant system interested in assisting with the crisis. These resources include information about eight opioid programs currently being used within Extension, potential partners and funding sources, extensive literature review, EOCRW planning session report, and summary results of a nationwide survey of Extension leadership to collect information about existing behavioral health programs. These resources are available at the Opioid Response website. Contact Mark Skidmore (mskidmor@msu.edu) for more information.

eXtension Trains 41 New Innovation Facilitators - eXtension's Impact Collaborative held its Innovation Facilitator Training last week in Atlanta, GA. Forty-one Cooperative Extension professionals representing 28 institutions completed initial learning and application of the Impact Collaborative methodology. Their skills will help them lead innovation skill-building experiences at state or institutional events and at the national Impact Collaborative Summits. Upon completion of the training, eXtension will work directly with its trained Facilitators and institutional leadership teams to design a local event that helps project and program teams find innovative ways to advance local impact. To learn more about scheduling a statewide or institution-wide event, please contact Chris Geith at christinegeith@eXtension.org. For a listing of our newest Facilitators, please click here.

New Report: Social Mobility in Rural America

Social mobility is often determined by where you’re born: 43% of children born into families at the lowest income levels remain at those income levels as adults. A newly released joint study, Social Mobility in Rural America, by The Bridgespan Group and National 4-H Council, in partnership with Cooperative Extension, offers a close-up view of rural communities whose young people are climbing the income ladder. It reveals six common factors that seem to support young people’s economic advancement in these high-opportunity places—factors that other communities might build on.


Deadline Approaching for Comment Period for 2020 Capacity Budget - The USDA-NIFA Office of Budget and Management (OMB) seeks feedback and comments from land-grant institution stakeholders by 5:00 p.m. ET December 15, 2018. This is a follow up to the letter from Rick Klemme sent on November 13. Extension Directors and Administrator are strongly encouraged to respond! CLICK HERE to learn more. OMB contacts for this effort are Erin Daly (edaly@nifa.usda.gov) or Maggie Ewell (Margaret.ewell@nifa.usda.gov).

eXtension Facilitation Training and Development - Registration is now open for the January 2019 Impact Collaborative Innovation Facilitator Training & Development. This eXtension member benefit allows for each Director or Administrator to appoint one individual from your institution to be trained in the Impact Collaborative innovation skill-building process. Registration, travel, lodging, meals/per diem are provided by eXtension. Deadline for registration is December 21, 2018 and institutions must have membership status for 2019. Facilitators help bring new state-wide contextualized innovation to the Cooperative Extension System. The invitation with a promo code for the one free registration was released to members recently. Contact Aaron Weibe at aaronweibe@eXtension.org if your institution did not receive one. Go to the website for more information.

Unlocking Potential Webinar: Engaging young people in community change -
When? December 11 at 3:00 PM ET
How? Register Here
Young people are key players leading community change to achieve greater results. Directors and Administrators are invited to join co-hosts from the Well Connected Communities initiative (including our colleagues from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps) to learn how communities across the country are forming youth-adult partnerships to facilitate innovative ideas to improve health and advance equity. During this webinar youth and field experts will share ways in which young people are informing decisions and taking action. Well Connected Communities is a nationwide effort to cultivate wellness led by the Cooperative Extension System in partnership with National 4-H Council and support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


USDA-NASS Census Special Studies – Please help spread the word to Producers: two Census of Agriculture Special Studies will be conducted this winter. As part of the Census of Agriculture program, both are conducted once every five years. Everyone who receives a report form is required to respond (Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113), even if they did not operate a farm in 2018. The 2018 Census of Aquaculture expands on the data collected during the Census of Agriculture and provides a comprehensive picture of the aquaculture sector. The Census of Aquaculture mails out December 17. Deadline for response is January 14. The Irrigation and Water Management Survey (formerly the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey) will be mailed on January 3 to a sample of farmers who indicated on their Census of Agriculture that they use irrigation on their operation and has a deadline to respond by February 15. For more information and/or promotion tools, visit www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.

TOMORROW Youth-Adult Partnerships Webinar

As part of the Well-Connected Communities initiative, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Youth-Adult Partnerships: Cultivating agency in youth and adults is about youth as key players in leading community change in collaboration. With adults, together they can achieve greater results. Learn how the power of positive youth-adult partnerships facilitate innovative ideas and synergy between teens and adults to create community health improvement.
    Date: Tomorrow, October 23, 2018 
    Time: 2:30 – 3:30 PM EST 
    Register here: https://extension.zoom.us/j/143393296 
Continue the conversation! Join a facilitated discussion from 3:30 – 4:00 PM EST immediately following the webinar (A different Zoom link will be shared at the end of the webinar). This is an opportunity to do a deeper dive on the topic of Youth-Adult Partnerships.


eXtension releases two eFieldbooks for Impact Collaborative Summit - An eFieldbook is a “go-to” interactive, multi-dimension communication resource for Extension professionals and project/program teams to begin discussion, help establish processes, and assist with the delivery of new programs. eFieldbooks open new ways to engage with information on critical topic areas. Extension professionals can take the eFieldbook in the field with them on their iOS compatible devices, upload and share information with others, and help pull the best resources together into one place from across the nation. Summit participants have access to web versions of two of our eFieldbooks (see below) and may volunteer to help test this beta versions on iPads before the full release in a few weeks.

• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, curated by Shatomi Edward-Luster, University of Missouri, Impact Collaborative Fellow
• Opioid Response, curated by the ECOP Opioid Task Force led by Mark Skidmore, Michigan State University 

Coming Together for Racial Understanding Training - On August 27-31, 2018, teams of three from 20 states participated in the first cohort of Coming Together for Racial Understanding. The training is designed to build capacity within Cooperative Extension Service (CES) to help communities engage in civil dialogues around racial issues. Following the train-the-trainer workshop, the process for expanding capacity is two-fold:

• Conduct training within the CES system in the participating states, bringing together participants across the CES system in a state where applicable (1862, 1890, 1994)
• Facilitate one of two dialogue processes in at least one community 

The 20 pilot teams will be working collaboratively to measure impacts from this initiative under the leadership of the Southern Rural Development Center. Read more: http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogue/index.html

Join NUEL for Their Bi-Annual Meeting in Raleigh, NC on

December 3-5 - With changing demographics and a shift towards urbanization, the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) has fostered regional and national collaboration in shared resources to grow Extension’s impact in urban communities. At the recent NEDA meeting in Portland, NUEL presented the ‘Urban Extension Implementation Plan’ to Directors and Administrators. As follow-up, NUEL is hosting their bi-annual meeting at the Sheraton Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina, December 3-5 to advance their collaborative priorities with colleagues from across the country. Directors and Administrators are invited to the December meeting to explore NUEL’s regional caucuses and action team initiatives. Click image to view meeting schedule. Register here.

ECOP Meets South of the Border

There will be no ECOP Monday Minute on July 30. Please tune in again on August 6, 2018!

Candid moment of ECOP Meeting, July 17, 2018

This summer’s ECOP meeting occurred, as usual, as part of the annual APLU Board on Agriculture Assembly's Joint COPs Summer Meeting held this year in Guadalajara, Mexico. This location, like last year’s meeting in Canada, reflects APLUs interests in broadening public university engagement to include our neighbors. Highlights of actions by ECOP:

• Approved Extension Resource and Partnership Development Team continue working towards a System-wide Development/Fund Raising business plan. Draft plan due at October NEDA/ECOP meetings. 
• Approved the Reporting Themes Workgroup to continue its work towards a coordinated, streamlined reporting system aligned with NIFA and CES strategic initiative priorities. 
• Affirmed commitment to CES Strategic Agenda in the transition of the ECOP Chair from Chuck Hibberd to Ed Jones for 2019. 
• Approved appointment of an International Extension Workgroup to establish ways that the Cooperative Extension system can support 1862 and 1890 institutions increasing capacity in this arena. 
• Approved a Section-wide process to review and provide input on the Strategic Alignment (Line Consolidation) efforts being led by the BAA Policy Board. This review will lead to input to the Policy Board’s meeting on this topic in November. 
• Approved the continued process of engaging Section members on their perspectives on the expectations for Communications and Marketing Committee Plan of Work. This review will lead to input to the Policy Board’s meeting on this topic in November. 
• Provided significant input into the Nutrition Education Call to Action Advocacy Strategy being led by the Communications and Marketing Committee and kglobal. Extension Administrators and Directors will soon receive a summary of the current and planned strategies. 
• Affirmed the work of the ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee, encouraging them to explore the possibility of new legislation to establish an additional authority for use of the 4-H name and emblem and to draft a new MOU http://bit.ly/4H_MOU document that would continue the work of the Committee beyond May 8, 2019

Two Timely Reminders -

1. Tune in to Next Generation Extension - Learning for Leaders: Unraveling the Mysteries of ECOP and CES on Friday, August 3, 2018, 3-4:00 p.m. ET. Contact ECOP Assistant Director Sandy Ruble to receive connection details.
2. Register for 2018 NEDA before September 10, 2018 - http://www.cvent.com/d/0gqxkw. Direct questions about this meeting to ECOP Program Assistant Marianne Klein.

eXtension Highlights - The Impact Collaborative, powered by eXtension, hosted its Facilitator Training last week in Detroit, MI. The Impact Collaborative trained 29 new facilitators from 20 institutions in the Innovation Kit process. Upon completion of this training, these members became qualified to host local Innovation Kit Workshop and Designathon One events with eXtension and can assist in facilitating. You can find more information on outcomes and what our Facilitators had to say about the training here. If your institution has had a Facilitator trained this year, the Impact Collaborative is offering Premium Member Institutions the chance to host a 20-60 seat Innovation Kit Workshop or Designathon One at no cost to the institution. The deadline for scheduling one of these events is August 1st, 2018, click here for more details. To learn more about eXtension member benefits like these Impact Collaborative events, become a member! Contact Beverly Coberly at beverlycoberly@extension.org for more information.

Webinar 8/14: Well Connected Communities Wave 2 Funding - The Well Connected Communities initiative is an effort to cultivate wellness across the country. Cooperative Extension, in partnership with National 4-H Council, is equipping volunteer leaders to help their neighbors be healthier at every stage of life. With the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, these communities are cultivating wellness and fostering a Culture of Health in America. Extension Directors and Administrators who are interested in strengthening Well Connected Communities’ applications for Wave 2, are encouraged to join a national webinar. The next Request for Applications for funding is anticipated to be released during the spring of 2019. Webinar details:

• August 14, 2018 Time: 2:30 – 3:30 pm ET 
• Register here: https://extension.zoom.us/j/120831669
• Webinar Goals:
  -- Expand understanding of the Well Connected Communities initiative
  -- Explore strategies for building, connecting and weaving community coalition efforts
  -- Identify roles for supporting and creating change
  -- Learn from current Well Connected Communities

For more information or if you have questions, contact Janet Golden, National 4-H Council, jgolden@fourhcouncil.edu, 301-204-6841.

One Week Left to Complete the 2017 Census of Agriculture - The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) officially ends data collection for the 2017 Census of Agriculture on July 31. NASS asks for help in reminding farmers and ranchers that their response, every response, is important – even if it’s just to say that they are no longer a farmer. The stronger the data once every five years, the better-informed future decisions can be. Remember, the same law that requires response – Federal law, Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113 – also requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and to only publish data in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. Producers can still complete the Census questionnaire online at www.agcensus.usda.gov or by calling toll-free (888) 424-7828 through July 31. Data release is planned for February 2019.

Breakthroughs 2030 Release - Additional Information - As reported last week, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released Science Breakthroughs to Advance Food and Agricultural Research by 2030 (Breakthroughs 2030) on July 18. As part of the webinar, the Academies are sharing background materials. The archived webinar recording will soon be made available at: http://nas-sites.org/dels/studies/agricultural-science-breakthroughs/report-release/. This site includes links to download the report or read the report online, the press release and an interactive infographic. Other materials of interest:
   • 3-minute video with the main messages from the report
   • 4-page brief summary of the report
   • Social media toolkit with sample promotional tweets, posts, and newsletter summaries

National Cooperative Extension/ECOP Office Staff Update

L-R: Rick Klemme, Executive Director, Sandy Ruble, Assistant Director
and Marianne Klein, Program Assistant

In February 2017, Rick Klemme was contracted by ECOP at 0.60 FTE as Executive Director (ED) and asked to expand focus on partnership building opportunities, a role that had not been emphasized with former EDs. In December 2017, ECOP extended the contract held by Rick until April 30, 2020. In March 2018, ECOP began to examine a new staffing model in order to meet the robust demands of the Cooperative Extension Section Strategic Agenda. After careful consideration, the ECOP Executive Committee voted on April 12, 2018 to promote Sandy Ruble to Assistant Director (1.00 FTE) effective May 1. "Sandy has capably served the National Office since March 2014 and is well-qualified and prepared for this expanded role," said ECOP Chair Chuck Hibberd. Also, a third person was hired on to the team at 0.20 FTE. Introducing Marianne Klein, Program Assistant! “Marianne was sought out to fill this position because of her proven abilities and readiness to perform national work,” says Rick Klemme. Marianne's contact information is marianneklein@extension.org and 202-478-6093. Please continue to submit items for this blog directly to Rick Klemme at rickklemme@extension.org. Thank you.


Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) Reveals New Knowledge Area For POW Reporting - Nick Place, University of Florida, who is appointed by ECOP to communicate the interests of the Cooperative Extension Section on the EDEN Executive Board, recently shared that a new Knowledge Area for Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery (KA 807) will be included in the revised Plan of Work this fall. According to the memo, Land-grant institutions will have "the opportunity to buy-in and report almost all disaster work under one KA. This will result in improvement in reporting outcomes and demonstrating the utmost public value of this work." Some current projects in the Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grant Program have already been reclassified by NIFA staff under this new KA. CLICK HERE for more details. ECOP Member Carolyn Williams, Prairie View A&M University, serves as representative of the 1890 Institution Programs with EDEN. Questions may be directed to Steve Cain, Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), Homeland Security Project Director, cain@purdue.edu.


Coming Together for Racial Understanding Train-the-Trainer Informational Webinar - Civil dialogue to promote racial healing has been a focal point within ECOP for over a year with the launching of the first Rapid Response Team. As a result of this work, a train-the-trainer workshop is planned for August 27-31, 2018. An informational webinar previewing important details about the workshop and subsequent pilot efforts was hosted by the Southern Rural Development Center on Monday, May 21. The session explored important points regarding selecting a team to send, expectations of participants, and costs. To learn more:

• Project page: http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogue 
• Webinar recording: http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogue/coming-together-webinar_5-21-18.mp4 
• One page summary/flyer: http://srdc.msstate.edu/civildialogue/coming-together-onepager.pdf 

Building a Culture of Health With Well-Connected Communities - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Dr. Richard Besser kicked off the National Health Outreach Conference on May 2 at the University of Minnesota highlighting the Foundation's $4.6 investment in Cooperative Extension and National 4-H Council's Well-Connected Communities initiative. The work supports the Foundation's efforts to build a Culture of Health in America. "You know how to bring communities together...how to empower them to make positive change ... you know how to include young people," said Besser. Use source below to listen to Dr. Besser's remarks.