EXCITE at National Health Outreach Conference

The 2025 National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference (NHOC) was hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and featured workshops, panels, and poster sessions exploring innovative approaches to health promotion through collaboration and partnerships. This year’s theme, “Rooted in Partnerships: Growing Collaborations for Health Promotion,” highlighted the importance of multi-sector partnerships and collaborative efforts in implementing programs and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies that promote health for all.

EXCITE Pre-conference: 

The Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement (EXCITE) hosted a pre-conference session on the morning of April 28, 2025, just before the official start of the NHOC. Funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the CDC, EXCITE supports projects that address health disparities in rural communities and areas with less access to resources.

Attendees included members of the EXCITE national program team, representatives from funded projects at Land-grant Universities, and pharmaceutical company representatives interested in this work. The session provided an opportunity to share successes from two recently funded initiatives focused on enhancing immunization education and awareness within Extension programming.

These initiatives aim to integrate immunization education into diverse Extension programs and develop innovative strategies for raising awareness. The EXCITE: Adult Immunization Education Integration Project supports incorporating immunization topics into existing program series. At the same time, the EXCITE: Adult Immunization Awareness Messaging Integration Project focuses on developing tools and approaches to strengthen education and engagement efforts. Both projects lay the groundwork for a more holistic health promotion of immunization education by embedding it in Extension programming.

Teams showcased the curriculum, materials, toolkits, and training they are developing—resources that will be made publicly available this fall after the projects conclude in August. Integration teams gave 10-minute Ignite-style presentations to provide an overview of their projects, while awareness teams shared materials in a tabling format, encouraging informal discussion and networking.

EXCITE Teams Recognized at NHOC:

At the National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference, the Idaho EXCITE team was honored with a 2025 Jeanne M. Priester Extension Health Award. Joey Peutz and Lindsey McDonnell-Soong from University of Idaho Extension received the award for their “Competency in Community Health Systems” initiative. Recognizing that poverty creates significant barriers to preventive health behaviors, the team began integrating poverty competency into Idaho’s public health system through their third EXCITE-funded project in 2022. This approach helped staff evaluate and adapt existing systems and policies to better serve populations with reduced access to resources, resulting in more sustainable and effective change. This award highlights how EXCITE projects address the root causes of vaccine hesitancy by fostering deeper community understanding and responsive engagement with all members of the community.

Several EXCITE teams participated in the poster session at NHOC, showcasing the impact of their past immunization education efforts. Teams from the University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, and the Virginia Cooperative Extension System shared highlights of their work, including strategies, lessons learned, and measurable outcomes in their communities. Their displays demonstrated the continued value of Extension-led public health initiatives and the role of trusted messengers in improving vaccine confidence and access.

Reflection:

The 2025 NHOC was a meaningful opportunity to support, celebrate, and learn from the EXCITE teams working at the intersection of public health and Cooperative Extension. From in-depth pre-conference discussions to national recognition and peer-to-peer exchange, the conference highlighted the continued value of collaboration, innovation, and local engagement. We’re grateful to the CDC, USDA NIFA, and all the EXCITE teams who made this gathering a success.

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Learn More About the Integration Projects Presented at NHOC

During the preconference, Integration Project teams shared highlights from their work through lightning presentations and an interactive fair session. Explore the following summaries to learn more about each team’s approach and achievements.

EDUCATION INTEGRATION PROJECTS—Ignite Presentations

 

From Hesitation to Confidence: Innovative Strategies for Adult Immunization Education in Rural Communities Arkansas University

Heather Wingo, Jessica Vincent, and Amber Hairston

Leveraging the expertise of County Extension Agents and the structured “How to Talk to Your Doctor HANDbook,” the program develops a nuanced approach to vaccine education. The project seeks to bridge the gap between community concerns and public health goals by creating a supportive, non-judgmental communication framework, ultimately improving vaccination rates and health outcomes in rural Arkansas.

Continuing Education for Oregon’s Community Health Workers: Empowering Adult Vaccination Messenger Efficacy

Roberta Riportella and Robin Maille

An online, continuing education (CEU) resource for Traditional Health Workers (THWs) to be messengers of adult immunization information with their clients. The 2 CEU course develops THW knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA) to communicate information with adult clients and peers about vaccines and vaccinations. Immunization-literate THW clients and peer communities will likely contribute to improved vaccination intention/uptake rates and infectious disease control outcomes.

 

Integrating Adult Immunization Education into Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Balanced Living with Diabetes Program

Kristina Jiles and Kathy Hosig

Balanced Living with Diabetes (BLD) is a community-based type 2 diabetes lifestyle management program for people with type 2 diabetes to help them better manage their diabetes and prevent diabetes complications. Adult immunization education was integrated into the program, where participants receive information on the importance of vaccination for people with diabetes and speak with their healthcare provider about being up-to-date on vaccines. The team also developed an online module that was made available to BLD participants during the interim period to learn more about vaccines to protect their health.

 

Integrating Adult Immunization Education into the Junior Master Wellness Volunteer Program in Mississippi

Holli Seitz and Jasmine Harris-Speight

The Junior Master Wellness Volunteer (JMWV) program is a community health education youth volunteer program that increases youth health literacy, enhances youth health knowledge, and prepares youth to deliver community health interventions and advocate for healthier communities. The development of the curriculum includes the development of teaching materials, participant materials, activities, and an online module to be incorporated into an online version of the JMWV program.

Foundations of Climate Change and Health Adaptation

Kent Boyd and Vanessa da Silva

The University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP) and School of Nursing, in collaboration with Extension and health professionals from the University of Arizona, plan to develop and pilot a new “Foundations of Climate and Health” curriculum with the versatility for incorporation in varied Extension programs across the nation. The curriculum will include a detailed guide and sample agendas for instructors describing ways to incorporate the climate impacts on health, increasing adaptation and resilience, and communicating complex and polarized topics, such as climate change and vaccinations, throughout Extension programs.

Idaho’s EXCITE-Integration Project: Poverty-Informed Strategies for Immunization Education

Lindsey McConnell-Soong and Joey Peutz

Building on its prior success training 132 public health professionals in poverty competency, the University of Idaho is expanding its efforts through two new initiatives. A revised training for general audiences will include a case study illustrating the application of poverty-informed practices to immunization education. In addition, a new workshop curriculum tailored for immunization educators will highlight effective strategies from the earlier project. These workshops will be piloted in all seven Idaho health districts, with surveys administered immediately and six months post-training to assess changes in staff knowledge and system-level practices.

 

EXCITE! Immunization Education Program Partnership with University of Arizona EFNEP and Diabetes Prevention Programs

Vanessa da Silva, Shea Austin Cantu

Immunization education is being integrated into the University of Arizona’s EFNEP and Diabetes Prevention Program, both of which focus on preventive health behaviors. Pharmacy students developed immunization talking points aligned with session topics, now embedded in facilitator guides and new participant materials. The discussion-based format fosters trust and addresses hesitancy in a safe environment. This project seeks to establish a scalable, sustainable model to improve vaccination uptake among adults at risk for chronic disease.

Health Extension Training and Capacity-Building for Expanding Access to Vaccination in Rural Communities Clemson University 

Kathleen Cartmell and Bonnie Treado

This project aims to embed vaccine promotion into the long-term structure of the Health Extension program by: 1) streamlining vaccine education through an updatable online training for new health Extension workers, 2) delivering immunization education and resource navigation via community programs and the university’s student health center, and 3) offering technical assistance to strengthen Extension–public health partnerships and support vaccination in rural and underserved areas.

 

Show-Me Vax Preliminary Work in Missouri

Sarah Davis and Chiquita Chanay

This study explores Missouri Extension professionals’ perceptions and knowledge of preventive healthcare services in the communities they serve. Findings will inform the development of supplemental materials on vaccines and preventive care for older adults, to be integrated into existing programs. The internal survey analysis will guide next steps and offer comparisons to how Extension professionals in other states approach similar topics.

EFNEP 

Diane Oliver and Jackie Wilkins

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a USDA-NIFA–funded initiative for over 50 years, delivers evidence-based nutrition education to limited-resource families. Trusted by underinsured and under-vaccinated communities, EFNEP was selected for this project due to its national presence and credibility. Thirty-one EFNEP programs received over $2 million to promote the BRIDGE Access Program—raising awareness of free COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and providing ongoing adult vaccine education. 

 

AWARENESS PROJECTS—Awareness Fair

 

Enhancing Adult Immunization Confidence in Rural Arkansas: A Community-Centered “Learn. Understand. Decide.” Approach

Heather Wingo and Jennifer Vincent, University of Arkansas Extension

 

USU Extension Vaccine Education Toolkit: Strategies for Engaging Rural Communities in Vaccine Conversations

Aaron Hunt and Sydney O’Shay, University of Utah Extension

Annual Health and Wellness Planner

Irene Padasas and Natalie Price, University of California Extension

 

MI on the Fly: Strategies to Integrate Motivational Interviewing into Extension Programming

Anya Sheftel, Washington State University 

EXCITE! Immunization Awareness Project Arizona

Shea Austin Cantu and Vanessa da Silva, University of Arizona Extension

Rutgers Cooperative Extension – FCHS Vaccination Education Program 

Christine Zellers and Rachel Tansey, University of Rutgers Extension