Seven Teams Awarded Grants for Achievements at Impact Collaborative Summit
For Immediate Release
July 23rd, 2019
Contact: Aaron Weibe, aaronweibe@eXtension.org
Seven teams that participated in the April 2019 Impact Collaborative Summit in Atlanta, GA, have been awarded $5000 grants to assist in furthering their project and program development and help push them closer towards implementation. One team from each region was selected for the grant based upon their presentation during the Impact Collaborative LaunchFest at the Summit. Teams participating in the LaunchFest not only gained valuable feedback from the panel and their peers across Extension, but teams that are most-ready to implement their projects and programs were able to secure an opportunity for funding.
All teams that did not receive a LaunchFest grant award were eligible to apply for a separate grant.
Teams that received awards included:
Southern Region
Team Name: CIVIC
Institution(s): University of Florida and Florida A&M University
Project Description: This project fosters civil and inclusive dialogue to cultivate a climate of sustained community conversation around complex and pressing local issues through technical resources and professional development training to enable CES agents to effectively serve as conveners, moderators, and coordinator.
1890 Region
Team Name: Tuskegee Public Dialogue Team
Institution(s): Tuskegee University 
Project Description: In 2016, ECOP recognized a need to explore ways Cooperative Extension Service could respond to the deep need for improving race relations across the nation. Through their thoughtful leadership, the Rapid Response Team on Civil Discourse on Race Relations formed to explore existing efforts within Cooperative Extension Service, catalogue resources available, and recommend next steps for building capacity. Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension Program (TUCEP) responded by sending a specialist to the first cohort group of Coming Together for Racial Understanding Train –the – Trainer Training. Following the training, the Tuskegee Public Dialogue Team (TPDT) formed and travelled to the first national Impact Collaborative Summit to establish a clear project roadmap for creating a program aimed at helping communities engage in civil dialogues around racial issues.
Western Region
Team Name: HEART Team 
Institution(s): Utah State University
Project Description: This project is a new four-year initiative focused on the Health & Wellness needs of Utah, specifically the opioid epidemic.
North Central Region
Team Name: Wellness in Tough Times
Institution(s): University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Project Description: Help rural families create and maintain connections for mental wellness; Help local communities in supporting farming/ranching families to address mental wellness and identifying meaningful and impactful ways to create communities of care to support mental wellness.
Team Name: Learn It, Live It, Work It (Separate Grant Award)
Institution(s): Purdue University
Project Description: There are seven sequenced steps in this project: (1) Members of our DEI Indy Team increase their individual DEI competencies and associated skills; (2) DEI Team members assist other Purdue Extension-Marion County staff members and key volunteers in increasing their own DEI knowledge, awareness, competencies and skills; (3) key program constituent groups such as Master Gardeners, 4-H adult volunteers, urban farmers, money mentors, food corps volunteers and Extension Board members examine and strengthen their DEI recruitment and operating practices; (4) impacts brought about by changed internal practices are identified and summarized; (5) CityLAB partners are identified and DEI participation barriers removed to solidify a successful partnership; (6) lessons learned are shared with other organizations; and (7) the DEI Team identifies external organizations to assist in this collective impact work.
Northeastern Region
Team Name: Vermont DEI
Institution(s): University of Vermont
Project Description: This program promotes a shift in culture within CES and its programs to embrace and operationalize a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive atmosphere, recognizing multiple dimensions of identity and experience.
National Grant Award:
Team Name: National Sustainability Summit
Institution(s): University of Florida, Florida A&M University, Washington State University, North Dakota State University
Project Description: The National Sustainability Summit conference brings leading sustainability and energy educators and practitioners together to showcase land grant university Extension and research program successes, share challenges, and identify opportunities to strengthen our collective impacts. It also provides conference hosts with opportunities to build a strong, supportive local community of Extension supporters and partners.
About the eXtension Foundation
The eXtension Foundation is a membership-based non-profit designed to be the engine fueling U.S. Cooperative Extension’s advancement in making a more visible and measurable impact in support of education outreach from land-grant universities/colleges located in every state and territory. eXtension provides an array of opportunities for Extension professionals that foster innovation creation, the adoption of innovations at member institutions, and increased impact of Extension programs.
