1890 Extension Leadership Academy Prepares Future Leaders To Act As Change Agents, Creates Culture of Innovation

By Rose Hayden-Smith, Digital Engagement Specialist, Extension Foundation

The 1890s Extension Leadership Academy (ELA) is designed to prepare future and upcoming leaders in Cooperative Extension to act as change agents, with the goal of creating a culture that encourages and sustains innovation. The academy seeks to equip leaders to respond to critical challenges proactively. The ELA is offered in collaboration with Fort Valley State University & Extension Foundation, alongside key partners from Kentucky State University and Lincoln University. The most recent 6-month cohort experience was facilitated virtually and featured guest speakers, assessments, Extension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative curriculum, and leadership development activities.

The ELA utilizes tools from Extension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative, with a focus on program and leadership development. The ELA also incorporates a framework from Google’s Project Aristotle. Project Aristotle assesses five characteristics of highly effective teams, including psychological safety; dependability; structure & clarity; meaning; and impact. Over the course of the ELA, teams saw improvement in each characteristic. 

Recently, Extension Foundation’s Aaron Weibe sat down with ELA participant Nahshon (Shon) Bishop of Lincoln University in Missouri for a podcast interview. Mr. Bishop serves as a regional small farm specialist with Lincoln University’s Innovative Small Farmer’s Outreach Program. Other members of the Lincoln University team are Clement Akosten-Mensah; Adrian Hendricks II; Marion Halim; Brenda Robinson-Echols; and Marla Moore Collins.

The Lincoln University team, which has named itself Lincoln University Cooperative Extension – Technical Connection Team (LUCE – TET), was given the question about how to address equity issues created by the digital divide. Mr. Bishop said that the team used the Impact Collaborative tools and the ELA framework as a step-by-step process to work through the process of developing their ideas. “The digital guide encouraged us to ask good questions about who we are serving; how we solve problems; what is the “ask”; and what do we need for our project.”

As part of their work for the ELA, the team created this “pitch” of their project:

“Today, there is an expectation that every citizen is afforded equal access to technical resources and services via the internet.  Our initiative aims to strengthen Missouri communities by improving digital accessibility serving hard-to-reach stakeholders and therefore improving social equity.

Many of our financially limited stakeholders do not have access to modern technology, software or services in their homes.  This critical need is compounded by the global pandemic forcing communities to rely on internet services as a tool for daily life.  Our initiative would install a fleet of retrofitted mobile units equipped with satellite technology in order to help thousands of disadvantaged Missourians. Improving digital accessibility will enable Missourians to engage with businesses, health care services online education and connect with their community while following CDC social distancing practices.”

When asked how the Lincoln University team changed over the course of the ELA, Mr. Bishop said “Everyone has specific gifts and strengths. For the team to be successful and get traction, you have to keep these things in mind…to see and understand what role each individual would most comfortably play because of their personality.”

Mr. Bishop also added that “The strength of the ELA is the introduction to 21st century tools, and how useful these tools could be for developing ideas, and focusing the creative energies we have in every department in the 1890s Extension.”

Mr. Bishop noted that participating in the ELA “…was a wonderful experience for myself specifically. The eye-opening self assessments helped me understand myself better and provided a framework to view others. An “aha” moment for me was Karl Bradley’s discussion about trust. Trust takes time; it is a precious commodity and resource. It takes time to build that capacity and you have to do the work.”

Listen to the podcast episode here. 

The ELA is part of the Impact Collaborative’s larger offering on leadership development, including Rev Up Your Virtual Leadership. The Extension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative is a results-driven program that catalyzes innovative ideas through a unique, structured, and supported process. The process enables Extension to work with community partners to find and implement the kinds of solutions that will result in the greatest local impact. The Impact Collaborative program is available to Extension Foundation members. Learn more about upcoming opportunities with the Impact Collaborative program at extension.org or by joining Connect Extension at connect.extension.org. 

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Northeast Ecosystem Services Assessment Fellow

With the right support, regional adoption of production practices that provide ecosystem services at scale can increase farm profitability and sustainability, position agriculture as a leader in climate change mitigation/adaptation, build the resiliency of rural and urban communities, and increase the appeal of agricultural professions to a wide range of young people.

The Association of Northeast Extension Directors (NEED) and the Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA) have come together with the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development to move the northeast region’s Land Grant Institutions and partners towards providing this support. The Fellow’s work is the first critical element of this effort, which will culminate in the delivery of a working Northeast Ecosystem Services Symposium in November 2021.

Over five months, the Northeast Ecosystem Services Assessment Fellow (the Fellow) will work in coordination with the Northeast Ecosystem Services Symposium Planning Committee (Planning Committee) and the Extension Foundation to research and produce an assessment of ecosystem services practices, policies, and relevant organizations in the northeast region. The assessment will build capacity and expand the portfolio of the Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Research Station Systems to support and encourage producers to deliver ecosystem services on working lands.

For the purposes of this project, the northeast region includes Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Fellow will be funded to complete and deliver a longitudinal assessment of the relevant agriculture, animal production, and agro-forestry related (henceforth ag-related) ecosystem services practices, policies, programs, and organizations in the northeast region. This assessment will include information on:

  • The organizations working to support, subsidize, and reward the implementation of ecosystem services practices across ag-related enterprises in the northeast region. This includes the funding they make available and the programs they deliver. Entities will include but are not limited to state Cooperative Extension Services, Agricultural Experiment Stations, the Northeast Climate Hub, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
  • Current state and federal policies and programs that reward ag-related producers for the ecosystem services they provide.
  • The ecosystem services practices that are most relevant to northeast ag-related enterprises at various production scales. For example, soil health, pollinator support, and biodiversity.
  • The ways producers are increasing their revenue by leveraging and/or marketing the ecosystem services they provide.

The completed Assessment will:

  • Inform the design and audience of a series of virtual listening sessions and the Working Symposium.
  • Increase the knowledge of Northeast LGU Extension and Research, partners, and producers on current northeast agricultural ecosystem services activities, opportunities, and gaps.
  • Integrate fragmented knowledge for future program, practice, and policy design.
  • Encourage dialogue between producers, LGU Extension and Research programs, and policymakers.
  • Along with the results from the virtual listening session and following working symposium, inform the potential development of funding streams, and integrated extension and research activities, policy proposals, and more. opportunities, and challenges.

DELIVERABLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
The selected Fellow will be expected to deliver a final written landscape assessment in the form of an ePublication and any background datasets created by 01 August 2021.

The Fellow will also be expected to:

  • Complete regular check-ins with Extension Foundation personnel.
  • Attend monthly Northeast Symposium Planning calls and report on progress upon request.
  • Present the landscape assessment findings and data to NEED, NERA, invited personnel, and partners through at least one online professional development opportunity.

The Fellow will be encouraged to submit/adapt all or part of the Assessment work as a publication to a peer-reviewed journal in addition to the Extension Foundation ePublication.

COMPENSATION
The selected Fellow will receive $10,000 to be utilized before 01 August 2021 to complete the listed deliverables.

REPORTING & OVERSIGHT
The Fellow will be responsible for the assessment as the primary author, with oversight provided by the Extension Foundation and the Planning Committee. The Extension Foundation will provide technical assistance, serve as the publisher of the ePublication, and assist in the development of the web-based data repositories. The Extension Foundation will also provide technical support and marketing for the Fellow’s professional development offering.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should submit a proposal (500 words or less) and CV (or multiple CV’s if proposing a Fellow team) by 5pm ET, April 5, 2021.

Proposals should address how the Fellow will undertake the work detailed above and will utilize $10,000 provided to support that work. Funds may:

  • support the work of a single Fellow.
  • support the work of two individuals from one or two institutions who will work together, sharing the effort, each receiving an appropriate percentage of the funds related to their effort.
  • support the work of a single Fellow providing subsequent guidance and oversight to a doctoral student or post-doctoral fellow.

The Fellow, or all members of the proposed Fellow team, must hold or be pursuing a relevant Ph.D. The Fellow or at least one member of the Fellow team must be employed at a Land Grant University in the northeast region. The Fellow may be on sabbatical.

Proposals & CV(s) should be submitted through the Extension Foundation portal: https://registry.extension.org/210774609478870

For additional questions feel free to contact:

Megan Hirschman
Partnership and Development Specialist
Extension Foundation
Cell: 989-330-1265
meganhirschman@extension.org

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Extension Foundation Pilots a National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs and Assets (NRCEPA)

Responding to specific requests in regional meetings and through various projects including EXCITE, the Extension Foundation has developed a tool using commercial solutions to create a National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs and Assets (NRCEPA). This tool will enable Cooperative Extension professionals to register their projects, programs, or curriculum for nationwide collaboration among Cooperative Extension colleagues. The intent of this tool is to enable Extension professionals to rapidly find other like-programming efforts across the system to reduce duplication of work, and help speed up access to digital assets that would be useful to the development of new programs.

When registering a project, program, or curriculum, users are invited to upload any digital assets they feel may be helpful to their peers nationally. This includes evaluation tools, images, videos, text for campaigns, and more. 

The NRCEPA received input from a number of individuals and organizations across Cooperative Extension including the ECOP Health Innovation Task Force, and NUEL. The NRCEPA is currently being piloted with the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) and is expected to roll out for broader use across Cooperative Extension in summer 2021. For information on the EXCITE program, please visit extension.org/immunization. 

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NEW! Extension Foundation Communications and Educational Technology Assistant

The Extension Foundation is seeking a tech-savvy, high energy, individual with great problem-solving skills to assist our Communications and Engagement Manager and our Design Strategist with technological solutions and support of projects, communications, and marketing, webinars, professional development, and support with managing program teams for the Extension Foundation. This contract will be a 1 FTE and will include support for creating and developing communications and marketing pieces, but also in the management of databases and technology platforms to actively engage with Extension Foundation audiences. This position will report to the Chief Operating Officer of the Extension Foundation working collaboratively with the Communications and Engagement Manager and the Design Strategist.

Statement of Work for the Contract Effort

The work of the Communications and Educational Technology Assistant will focus on the support of the Communications and Engagement Manager and Design Strategist which will focus on the messaging and connections required to lead and manage multiple constituencies and support professional development activities to include communications, planning and database management. Position expectations include:

  • Taking responsibility for assigned communications tasks, such as regular email marketing updates for Extension Foundation and its programs.
  • Assist with recruiting and organizing teams for the Impact Collaborative. This will require some marketing of the Impact Collaborative and some personal contact with land grant universities and Cooperative Extension professionals.
  • Supporting management and logistics for working with up to 100 teams. This will include keeping data on teams, their progress, needs and challenges.
  • Provide technical assistance as needed for setting up virtual learning and communicating with participants.
  • Support and develop learning activities with the guidance of the Design Strategist and Communications and Engagement Manager through engaging webinars, blog posts, Zoom and professional development of the Extension Foundation Team.
  • This position will work remotely. Knowledge and experience with virtual work and computer skills are required for this position.
  • Other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have:

  • Strong interrelationship skills
  • Strong oral and written communication skills
  • Strong organizational and project management skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate in remote teams
  • Ability to work remotely using their own computer equipment and high-speed internet access in a fast-paced environment.
  • Curiosity to find educational technology solutions for providing quality virtual activities.
  • Experience applying various technologies to teaching, learning, and engagement activities.
  • Preferred software skills: Google Suite of tools, Hubspot, Slack, Moodle, Adobe Creative Suite, and working with the Zoom platform.

Contract conditions and terms:
This will be a fixed-term contract or a land grant university contract/buyout.
Contract Timeline – 1 year – April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022 with potential for up to two years with excellent work performance.

March 8, 2021, until filled – Accept letters of interest and resumes
April 1, 2021 – Start date for Extension Foundation Communications and Educational Technology Assistant

Interested persons should apply here: https://extension.jotform.com/210734796769876

Your letter of interest should describe why you are interested to help in this important work as well as your experience or academic background in the communications and marketing arena.

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New! Extension Foundation Project Management Assistant

The Extension Foundation is seeking an individual to assist in the management of projects, project communications, management of the project database, and general support. This contract is 1 FTE and will include supporting the work of the Extension Foundation Project Management Specialist, Partnership Development Specialist, and Leadership Development Specialist. This position will assist the leadership of people, teams, and partners with communications and project management support. This position will report to the Chief Operating Officer of the Extension Foundation while working collaboratively with the Project Manager, the Partnership Development Specialist, and the Leadership Development Specialist.

Statement of Work for the Contract Effort

The work of the Extension Foundation Project Management Assistant will focus on the support of all aspects of Foundation projects. This work will focus on assisting with application development and management of projects, project communications, project relationships, project progress reporting as well as work to assist with the recruitment and management of Key Informants and the Extension Foundation Facilitator national network. Data management and relationship building with excellent written and verbal communications will be critical for success in this position. Position expectations include:

  • Assist with creating and managing project databases, applications, communications, and project team contact information.
  • Assist with the reporting pipeline to describe success of projects and outcomes of project efforts.
  • Assist with written and verbal communications with current and potential projects, partners, and facilitators.
  • Provide support for setting up calendar invitations, Zoom sessions, virtual meetings, recording minutes, and managing critical communications for meeting information to clients.
  • Assist with managing the partner database, assisting to ensure all partner communications are documented appropriately.
  • Assist with organizing and recruiting Impact Collaborative Key Informants and managing the Key Informant database
  • Assist with scheduling and communication with Key Informants, Partners, and Facilitators.
  • Provide support for setting up Zoom sessions, virtual meetings, recording minutes, and managing critical communications for meeting information to clients.
  • This position will work remotely.  Knowledge and experience with virtual work and computer skills are necessary for this position.
  • Other duties as assigned.

The successful candidate will have:

  • Their own computer equipment and internet access.
  • Ability to work remotely including; knowledge and experience with virtual work, time management skills, and computer skills 
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate in remote teams
  • Strong interrelationship skills
  • Strong organizational skills and project management skills
  • Strong oral and written communication skills 
  • Strong project management skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
  • Experience applying various technologies to teaching, learning and engagement activities.
  • Preferred software skills: Google Suite of tools (Microsoft Office tools equivalent), Hubspot, Slack, Moodle, video creation and editing, Survey Monkey, and working with the Zoom platform.

Contract conditions and terms:

This will be a fixed-term contract or a land grant university contract/buyout.

Contract Timeline – 1 year – April 1, 2021-March 31, 2022 with potential for up to two years with excellent work performance.

March 10, 2021 until filled Accept letters of interest and resumes

April 1, 2021 – Start date for Extension Foundation Management Assistant

Interested persons should apply here: https://form.jotform.com/210684088425156

Your letter of interest should describe why you are interested in supporting this important work as well as your experience or academic background in the diverse project management arena.  

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eXtension is Now the Extension Foundation

eXtension’s mission changed back in 2015 from being an organization focused on creating technology solutions for Cooperative Extension to a focus on helping Cooperative Extension faculty and staff find new, innovative ways to deliver their projects and programs, and helping Cooperative Extension make a greater impact in the communities it serves. Realizing that continuing the eXtension name is a source of confusion for many as it is reminiscent of the organization’s past, we are excited to announce that eXtension is now the Extension Foundation. Here are a few things the Extension Foundation has done over the past few years to get to this point:

  • It has developed the Impact Collaborative program for members to focus on increasing innovation across Cooperative Extension which has reached 6500 Cooperative Extension professionals last year alone, hundreds of project and program teams, and resulted in nearly $6 million dollars in funding for Cooperative Extension projects and programs in 2020.
  • In partnership with the EPA and the National Pesticide Safety Education Center, the Foundation has been serving over 50 state-level Extension Pesticide Safety Education Programs through its Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program now in year four.
  • Its New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, in partnership with Oklahoma State University and funded by USDA-NIFA, serves all Land Grant Universities regardless of membership by working directly with Cooperative Extension programs to accelerate their development and implementation for local impact. Competitively-selected programs working through NTAE have access to Extension Foundation services including publication creation, partnership development, digital engagement, market research and the creation of strategic communication plans, professional development, evaluation, and more.
  • With funding from NTAE, Extension Foundation has upgraded its popular Ask An Expert to Ask Extension and enabled several new features that came through feedback provided by your faculty and staff over the years. Additionally, NTAE supports the funding for Connect Extension – first launched in 2020, partly in response to COVID-19.
  • In partnership with ECOP, and in service to its national priority leaders, the Foundation is providing a variety of development support for Climate, urban Agriculture, Rural Broadband, the Farm Bill, and more.
  • In partnership with Fort Valley State University, the Foundation continues to be a partner in the 1890 Extension Leadership Academy, now in its third year.

Over the coming weeks, we will be making some changes in our digital presence to better reflect the mission and vision of the Extension Foundation and its role in Cooperative Extension. The Extension Foundation would like to thank you for the opportunity to be your partner, and for the contributions Cooperative Extension professionals nationally have made to help get the Foundation to this point. Because of your efforts over the years and the feedback you’ve provided, the Extension Foundation is better equipped to serve Cooperative Extension, adapt to the changing needs, and be a stronger partner for local impact.

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NEW! Assistant Project Director for Immunization Education

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Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE)

Assistant Project Director for Immunization Education

Position Description

This project is a collaborative effort among the Extension Committee on Policy (ECOP), eXtension, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  It grew out of efforts undertaken by the ECOP Health Innovation Task Force. eXtension anticipates receiving funding for Immunization Education efforts.  Key Extension leaders on this project are Dr. Roger Rennekamp, Dr. Michelle Rodgers, Dr. Caroline Henney, Ms. Ali Mitchell Dunigan and Dr. Chris Geith.  This project will allow CDC and the Cooperative Extension System to address health disparities among rural and other underserved communities by facilitating discussions at the community level to address barriers and concerns about COVID-19, flu and other adult vaccinations  It is designed to help increase connections and communication between the community and health care practices, as well as increase accessibility and acceptability of local vaccination clinics and opportunities with the goal to and mobilize communities to implement public health programs to reduce health disparities, especially in rural areas. The four broad areas of emphasis for this project are:

  • A National Assessment
    • Lead continuous data collection through a national assessment of current activities, locations and delivery of extension immunization education, community dialogue, and the cooperative delivery of immunization clinics resulting in regular updates and reports.  Timeline:   Throughout the project
  • Vaccinate with Confidence National Campaign
  • Work with all 112 LGUs who are eligible to apply for funding to support their customization and deployment of the Vaccinate with Confidence Campaign. The package includes materials from the CDC, professional development offerings by the Vaccinate with Confidence technical assistance team available to all LGU’s and funding. LGU’s will complete a standardized and simple online application organized around a rubric to ensure funding priorities, such as serving underserved audiences and collecting standard data.  This information will be built into an application form briefly requiring a description of their planned implementation and their planned budget.  
  • Work with eXtension Foundation to offer an Impact Collaborative Summit to develop opportunities for immunization education and clinics utilizing Extension resources, staff and locations as well as their partnerships with local health education resources, staff and immunization locations.  This Summit will help potential pilot recipients incubate and plan to accelerate opportunities for immunization education in rural and underserved communities.   Timeline:  April 2021.
  • Implement immunization education and clinic pilots, community dialogues, and the cooperative delivery of immunization clinics. Timeline:  May 2021-March 2023.
    • Pilots will test out immunization education programs, community dialogue frameworks, and clinic models in rural and underserved communities that will include data collection and use of common metrics for reporting..
    • A non-research report of what is learned will be created and shared with the Cooperative Extension System and collaborative leaders of this project. This report is to be a brief report and summary of the pilots from the pilot leaders. 

This project is seeking a part time (approximately .4 FTE) assistant project director who will work collaboratively with the Project Director and the Operational Manager at Extension Foundation to implement health promotion strategies for the Vaccinate with Confidence Campaign and the Immunization Education pilots.  This will be a two year buyout from a land grant university.   The Extension Foundation will serve as the principal investigator for the project and will serve as a backbone for the project efforts.  The Assistant Project Director, the Project Director and the Operational Manager will work collaboratively together to lead this project.  This position will deal with the day-to-day efforts for promoting the two main foci of the project.  The Assistant Director will report to the Project  Director.  The Assistant Project Director for this project will:

Provide leadership for media campaigns and immunization education pilots:

  • Provide expertise and coordination working with LGUs to encourage, recruit and assist them in the customization and deployment of the Vaccinate with Confidence campaign and the Immunization education pilots
  • Work with the LGUs as they implement the Vaccinate with Confidence  campaign and the Immunization Education pilots  to ensure local success and impact 
  • Offer different forms of professional development and other resources as needed throughout the project to support the Vaccinate with Confidence campaign funding  available to the 112 LGU’s and the separate funding for  selected pilot projects 
  • Assist LGUs to provide reports using the Immunization education dashboard in development
  • Connect and coordinate successful LGU pilot applicants with the Vaccinate with the  Confidence Technical Assistance (Market Research Firm) service provider as appropriate
  • Work with the team developing the innovation collaboration event and support pilot projects in the design of their projects and in the deployment of their work to insure successful implementation , evaluation and reporting
  • Provide feedback and reports (quarterly and final).  

This position will collaborate with the EXCITE grant team by:

  • Work with EXF Communications to learn and lead engagement within the system in reporting the assessment tool and dashboard.
  • Serve on the Impact Collaborative Design Team.
  • Participate in the selection of pilot projects.
  • Work collaboratively with Extension operations manager who will handle the operations of the effort. 
  • Serve on the project advisory and planning team committees as appropriate.
  • Work collaboratively with the 1890 and 1994 Engagement Coordinator/s.
  • Work collaboratively with the Evaluation Firm and the Market Research Firm. 
  • Participate and engage in the Connect Extension group.
  • Other related duties as assigned by the Project Director and Operations Manager. 
  • This position will work remotely.  Knowledge and experience with virtual work and computer skills are needed for this position.

The projected timeline for this position is  April 1, 2021 through March 30, 2022: (dependent upon project funding)

March 5, 2021 until filled Accept letters of interest and resumes

April 1, 2021 Start date for Assistant Project Director and 

April 1, 2021 Official start for the Project

If there are questions, please contact Project Director, Dr. Michelle Rodgers, PhD, Associate Dean and Director, University of Delaware, mrodgers@udel.edu Mobile 302-635-4306.

Persons interested in this position should apply here:  https://form.jotform.com/210614384545151

Contact Brenna Kotar, Extension Foundation at ceoassistant@extension.org with questions pertaining to the application.  

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This website is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension (funding opportunity no. USDA-NIFA-OP-010186), grant no. 2023-41595-41325 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Extension Foundation.

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