New Report Provides Regional Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Northeast U.S.

,

A new report – Ecosystem Services in Working Lands Practice and Policy of the U.S. Northeast – has been added to the Extension Foundation’s bookshelf.

Authored by Northeast Ecosystems Services Fellows  Alicia F. Coleman, PhD, and Mario R. Machado, PhD, the report documents results from an assessment of over 1,300 ecosystem service provisioning programs and policies across the U.S. Northeast (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia, as well as in the District of Columbia.) 

The assessment describes the programs’ institutional arrangements, their incentive structures, and the ecosystem services they provide. The analysis is tied to goals for the Northeast region developed by the Association of Northeast Extension Directors (NEED) and Northeastern Regional Association of State Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (NERA). The assessment is intended to build the capacity of Cooperative Extension and the Agricultural Research Station system’s work in supporting producers to deliver ecosystem services on working lands. In addition to providing analysis, a linked database captures a time-bound dataset that can be filtered by state.

Additional titles have recently become available in the Extension Foundation library on topics such as creating mass media campaigns, game-based education, wellness in “tough times,” innovating curriculum, prescribed fire, emergency preparation and response, understanding food labels, and building farm and farm family resilience. You can find the entire library of publications here.

A note about our Publications: 

After listening to the feedback of our Cooperative Extension partners, the new Publication bookshelf serves as a replacement for our old eFieldbook library. We greatly value and appreciate the feedback we received, including eliminating a LinkedIn login to access titles on the bookshelf. All titles are publicly available on our Connect Extension platform. Titles that were on our former eFieldbook bookshelf are in the process of being migrated.

 

/by

We’re Hiring! Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator

The Extension Foundation is seeking an individual to join our team as the Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator. This full-time position includes leading all functions of the Extension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative program. The Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator will work closely with the Extension Foundation Design Strategist and Extension Foundation Leadership Development Specialist to design, implement and assess successful offerings, including fostering the ongoing development of the national Innovation Facilitator Network and related activities of the Impact Collaborative (IC). This position reports to the Extension Foundation Design Strategist. You can learn more about the Impact Collaborative program at extension.org/ic

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Lead and grow the Impact Collaborative Facilitator Network as a peer collaborative including creating leadership opportunities for trained facilitators
  • Create the next iteration of facilitator training and their professional development including certification, self-directed learning, facilitator resources, etc.
  • Collaborate, communicate and coordinate with the Extension Foundation team for alignment of operational, logistical, and communication elements with the overall IC strategy and goals
  • Collaborate, communicate and coordinate with the Leadership Development Specialist for alignment of facilitator training and activities with the overall IC strategy and goals
  • Collaborate with IC Facilitators to plan and lead Impact Collaborative offerings and meetings.
  • Collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with the Extension Foundation Communications and Marketing colleagues for recruitment, registration, publicity, and communication of the value of the Facilitation network.
  • Be a member of the team that designs, develops, delivers, evaluates, reports, and continuously improves all IC-related events, training, coaching, and talent development.
  • Co-design, implement and align the evaluation and reporting of IC-related offerings.
  • Be an ambassador of the IC and the Facilitator Network through publications, webinars, conference presentations, meetings, etc.
  • Establish purpose, outcomes, activities, user experience, and needs for Impact Collaborative offerings such as Summits, Innovation Skill-Building Experiences (ISBE), Deep Dives, Innovation Mindset Learning Circles, and Innovator interviews, and program offerings with the Design Strategist.
  • Update the Impact Collaborative curriculum as needed in coordination with the Design Strategist.
  • Manage the design, development, delivery, evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement of all IC-related events, training, coaching, and talent development.
  • Design, implement and align the evaluation and reporting of IC-related offerings.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Skills Needed

  • Systems thinker with an abundance mindset
  • Developmental mindset through pilots and iterations
  • Ability to be a positive, entrepreneurial, and high-energy team member.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively on a virtual team that values results, flexibility, and humility.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills.
  • Strong interrelationship skills
  • Self-starter, learner, and critical thinker who thrives in a culture that is dynamic, mission-driven, and service-oriented.
  • Experience in diagnosing, recommending, and applying creative learning solutions, including:
  • Instructional Technology
  • Experiential Learning
  • Customized learning experiences
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate in remote teams
  • Strong oral and written communication skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
  • Preferred software skills: Google Suite of tools, Hubspot, Slack, Moodle, video creation and editing, and working with the Zoom platform.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.
  • Experience in a virtual team environment is preferred.
  • Working knowledge of Cooperative Extension preferred.
  • Prior experience with the Impact Collaborative curriculum and events preferred.
  • Solid foundation in learning design, pedagogy, assessment, educational program management, and technology solutions for engagement and for learning.
  • Experience applying various technologies to teaching, learning, engagement, and assessment and evaluating the outcomes.
  • This team member will work remotely with occasional travel anticipated.
  • Knowledge and experience with virtual work and computer skills are needed for this position.
  • Successful candidates have their own reliable computer equipment and internet access.

To apply for this position please submit your application (https://registry.extension.org/221164019577860) by June 3, 2022 for consideration.

The Impact Collaborative Program Coordinator Position is housed within the Extension Foundation, reporting to the Extension Foundation Design Strategist.  This is a virtual position with some travel to meetings.  Personal office equipment will be required for daily work.  This position will be an employee position beginning July 1, 2022.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

/by

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: COVID-19 Vaccination Education Survey

,

Cooperative Extension professionals across the system and at all levels are invited to share their opinions and experiences regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccination education.

This project is sponsored by the Extension Foundation and the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE).

Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow Center for Media & Health Promotion Research, WSU Extension, and the WSU College of Education are conducting a needs assessment to gain insight into the current realities of Cooperative Extension professionals regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccination education.

This is a short survey that should take about 15-20 minutes to complete:

https://wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/…m/SV_3jU0g7onaHBbd5k

The results of the needs assessment will be used to develop communication strategies and tools to help Cooperative Extension professionals at all levels and across the entire system feel more comfortable, willing, and confident with COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

These will support Cooperative Extension professionals, who choose to, serving as trusted and compassionate messengers of accurate vaccination information in their communities so individuals can make the decision that is in their best interest.

Your feedback about your experiences and opinions with COVID-19 vaccinations and education will be very useful for helping us understand the barriers and challenges faced by Cooperative Extension Professionals.

Please take the time to complete this survey. Every response is important!

It is only with your assistance that we can understand the full range of opinions and experiences about COVID-19 vaccinations across the Cooperative Extension System and all types of Land Grant Universities.

Your participation is voluntary and your responses will be kept confidential. No personally identifiable information will be associated with your responses in any reports of these data.

If you have questions or comments about the survey, please feel free to email us at eaustin@wsu.edu or ask for Erica at 509-335-8840.

This study has been certified as Exempt by the WSU Human Research Protection Program: irb@wsu.edu.

/by

New! Workforce Development National Assessment and Framework Fellowship

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Workforce Development Program Action Team (PAT), in partnership with the Extension Foundation, seeks a Fellow who will assist in the development of an interactive data set of Workforce Development program offerings offered by Cooperative Extension across all regions.  The Fellow will work as a team member in coordination with the ECOP PAT leadership, Extension Foundation Partnership and Development Coordinator, the Workforce Development PAT Fellow, and the Workforce Catalyst.

The Workforce PAT is seeking a Workforce Development National Assessment and Framework Fellow to: 

  • Develop National Assessment:
    • Use the National Registry to identify types and levels of workforce and related programs and activities across all 112 LGU’s.
    • Ensure completeness and accuracy of the workforce entries via data cleanup and follow-up contacts and emails.
  • Develop the first ECOP National Workforce Framework working with the ECOP Workforce PAT and leadership.
    • Organize working groups using Connect Extension
    • Manage working group outputs
    • Work with Extension Foundation publications to produce a white paper by Sept 15, 2022, to share at NEDA. 
  • Visit NIFA in Kansas City, MO to meet with stakeholders and discuss the future of Cooperative Extension Workforce Development. 

Time Period and Funding

Support for this fellowship is a flat $20,000 for a period of 9 months beginning April 1, 2022. Funds can be used to support the portion of an FTE commensurate with the incumbent’s current rate of salary and benefits.

To apply for this position please complete the online application here:  https://registry.extension.org/220678732690867

The Workforce Development Extension Network Fellowship is housed within the Extension Foundation, reporting to the Partnership and Development Coordinator.  This is a virtual position with some travel to meetings.  Personal office equipment will be required for daily work. 

Please complete the online application by March 23, 2022, for consideration.

/by

New! Workforce Development Extension Network Fellowship

The Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Workforce Development Program Action Team (PAT), in partnership with the Extension Foundation, seeks a Fellow who will assist in the development of an interactive data set of Workforce Development program offerings offered by Cooperative Extension across all regions.  The Fellow will work as a team member in coordination with the ECOP PAT leadership, Extension Foundation Partnership and Development Coordinator, the Workforce Development PAT Fellow, and the Workforce Catalyst.

The Workforce PAT is seeking a Workforce Development Extension Network Fellow to: 

  • Develop an Extension Network for Workforce Development
    • Create a process and identify a point of contact at each LGU
    • Connect and engage LGU liaisons and others in a Connect Extension group
    • Establish a series of digital engagements with and for the Network. 
    • Facilitate the creation of a formal peer association like NECI or NUEL.
    • Connect with the Department of Labor and share across the network programming and insights.  (Co-promotion and engagement)
  • Visit NIFA in Kansas City, MO to meet with stakeholders and discuss the future of Cooperative Extension Workforce Development. 

The successful Fellow will demonstrate existing knowledge of workforce development and knowledge of Cooperative Extension, who is passionate about building the foundations for future programmatic efforts nationwide.  

Time Period and Funding

Support for this fellowship is a flat $20,000 for a period of 9 months beginning April 1, 2022. Funds can be used to support the portion of an FTE commensurate with the incumbent’s current rate of salary and benefits.

To apply for this position please complete the online application here:  

https://registry.extension.org/220678423516861

The Workforce Development Extension Network Fellowship is housed within the Extension Foundation, reporting to the Partnership and Development Coordinator.  This is a virtual position with some travel to meetings.  Personal office equipment will be required for daily work. 

Please complete the online application by March 22, 2022, for consideration.

/by

New! Grants Specialist Position with Extension Foundation

Target start date: May 2, 2022

Hours: 40 hours/week, exempt, benefits-eligible. 100% remote

Extension Foundation is seeking an experienced Grants Specialist to assist in the management of its sponsored programs, performing a wide range of primarily post-award functions. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), this position supports the need of principal investigators (PIs) for timely financial information in coordination with ExF accounting staff.

Principal duties (post-award):

  • Expense monitoring: Reviews all related financial transactions, including salaries & benefits, travel, and purchases, and assigns expenses to sponsored awards as appropriate per approved scopes of work and budgets in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and Uniform Guidance cost principles
  • Budget management: Tracks recorded expenses and award commitments in alignment with approved budget categories, generates monthly management reports for PI use, reviews variances, and alerts PIs and CFO when formal budget revisions are required
  • Subaward Management: Oversees financial management of subawards on behalf of PI, including review of periodic subrecipient financial reports and tracking of spend rates; supports PI in approving subrecipient no-cost extensions, changes in personnel, revisions in scope, and budget changes
  • Financial reporting: Works with accounting staff to provide financial information for various funding agency deliverable reports as required by each award document, and prepares necessary documentation to support agency fund drawdowns or invoices
  • Records management: Maintain all related post-award records, including documents and communications, that support recorded financial activity and adjustments; coordinates master sponsored project filing with contractual staff in observance of record retention policies
  • Project close-out: Prepares all required paperwork, both internal and external, to close out the award upon completion and address items, e.g., unused funds, equipment disposition, intellectual property generation, in accordance with closing requirements per the award document or agency guidelines

Other duties (pre-award):

  • Budgets: Estimates costs for inclusion in sponsored award proposals
  • Applications: Assists in completing required financial materials submitted as part of proposal packages
  • Compliance: Works with ExF contract staff to ensure that all necessary pre-approvals or affidavits, e.g., human subjects, animal subjects, responsible conduct of research, financial conflict of interest, are secured prior to submission (proposal) or approval (subawards)
  • Budget setup: Coordinates establishment of budgets for new sponsored awards, i.e., expense categorization and corresponding amounts, with ExF accounting staff

Qualifications:

  • Required: Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, public administration, or closely relatedly field
  • Required: Three years’ experience in sponsored award administration, focusing on grants and cooperative agreements, in a university, public sector, or other nonprofit organization, including direct experience supporting significant pass-through entity oversight
  • Required: Fundamental understanding of the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) applicable to grantees
  • Required: Experience interpreting and applying federal agency sponsor regulations and grant policies
  • Preferred: Professional designation, e.g., Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or Certified Financial Research Administrator (CFRA)
  • Preferred: Microsoft Excel proficiency
  • Preferred: Experience with online collaborative tools, e.g., Google Docs and Google Sheets

Desired Attributes:

  • Strong analytical, diagnostic, and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication
  • Personable and professional demeanor
  • Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others
  • Ability to work daytime Eastern Zone hours

Remote work requirements (taxable allowance offered toward meeting these needs):

  • PC: Capable of running current Windows or macOS versions (Windows emulation software for Mac also required)
  • Apps: Microsoft Office (2019 or newer) desktop applications (Full access to Google G Suite will be provided)
  • Connectivity: Broadband internet connection able to support 480p live video
  • 480P (or better) webcam

Application deadline: Applications received by Friday, April 1st, will receive full consideration.

To apply for this position, please apply here:  https://registry.extension.org/220677713366865

Contact Brenna Kotar at brennakotar@extension.org with questions pertaining to the application.

 

/by

New Publication Helps Cooperative Extension Professionals Engage Communities

,

A new publication – Engaging Communities Through Issues Forums: A How-To Guide for Onsite and Online Community Engagement – is available from the Extension Foundation.

The publication explores the use of issue forums as a community engagement tool in Extension work. Both a process guide and content publication, it is a comprehensive “how-to” designed to help Cooperative Extension professionals successfully develop and implement issues forums in both onsite and online settings. Each section of the publication includes Our Story, a narrative of the key lessons learned by the authors. This publication will be of value to Cooperative Extension professionals and other organizations and institutions that are considering ways to increase community engagement to collaboratively address issues.

It was written by a team from the University of Maryland Extension, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, and Ohio State University who have been involved in a multi-year project. This project has focused on engaging communities in helping to address issues facing farmers and farm families. The authors are Bonnie Braun and Jesse Ketterman from the University of Maryland, Maria Pippidis from the University of Delaware; and Shoshana Inwood and Nicole Wright from Ohio State University. 

As the authors noted, “The need to move from face-to-face to online forums arose with the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought funding and consulting services to enable us to compare outcomes of face-to-face forums with those of an online forum…This project allowed us to test on-site vs online forums, to create this how-to e-Pub, and to offer professional development to those wanting to learn about conducting their own forums.” 

This publication is the second produced by the team for NTAE. The team’s first publication –  Building Farm and Family Family Resilience in our Communities: A Guide for Extension Professionals to Engage Strategically – strengthens the ability of Cooperative Extension professionals to reduce risk and stressors and increase the resilience of farms and farming families with the context of a sociological framework. 

The project was supported by a grant from the New Technologies in Agricultural Extension (NTAE) program. The team was supported in their work by the Extension Foundation. The Northeast Extension Risk Management Educational Center and the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development provided support for the on-site forums.

Additional titles have recently become available in the Extension Foundation library on topics such as creating mass media campaigns, game-based education, wellness in “tough times,” innovating curriculum, prescribed fire, emergency preparation and response, understanding food labels, and building farm and farm family resilience. You can find the entire library of publications here.

A note about our Publications: 

After listening to the feedback of our Cooperative Extension partners, the new Publication bookshelf serves as a replacement for our old eFieldbook library. We greatly value and appreciate the feedback we received, including eliminating a LinkedIn login to access titles on the bookshelf. All titles are publicly available on our Connect Extension platform. Titles that were on our former eFieldbook bookshelf are in the process of being migrated.

/by

Impact Collaborative Launches Three New Professional Development Series for 2022

,

For 2022, the Extension Foundation’s Impact Collaborative Program has launched three new professional development series for Extension Foundation members:

Extension Skills

Each second Thursday of the month, the Impact Collaborative’s Extension Skills series will provide an opportunity for Cooperative Extension professionals to build capacity with tools, processes and tech skills training.

For March 2022, join Victor Villegas and Molly Immendorf as they share their favorite tools and tips for creating and hosting engaging dynamic meetings and webinars. While Zoom will be the primary platform demonstrated, most of these tools and tips will translate to platforms like Teams, WebEX, and others. Some tools to be shared will include free or low-cost third party tools. Be sure to bring your own tools and tips to share. Collectively, we’ll create some ah-has and examples to try in this fun session.

Dynamic Discussions

Each fourth Thursday of the month, the Impact Collaborative will host professionals from across Cooperative Extension and beyond to address hot topics of interest to Cooperative Extension.

For March 2022: As Extension professionals, our job is to communicate science to the public. Yet, in the ever growing and ever changing spaces of global media, successfully sharing science has become a monumental task. Agents of misinformation abound and it seems like there are always new—and worse—distortions of the science to be found. For the last 30 years, climate change communicators and communication scientists have been studying the misinformation campaigns, learning how and why they work, and developing means to successfully communicate climate topics in spite of them. What we have learned about climate communication is relevant to all science communication. This Dynamic Discussion will present the basic tenets of “information disorder” and begin the conversation on what Extension professionals can do to further science communication in their fields.

Program Center Stage

The Program Center Stage will highlight programs from across the system including current and past New Technologies from Ag Extension projects, Impact Collaborative projects, National programs like EXCITE, and more on the 4th Mondays of each month at 2 PM ET.

For March 2022: the Southern JAGriculture (Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center, SUAREC) team prioritizes emergency preparedness and answering the calls of our community following an emergency. After the danger is controlled and the threat is managed, they provide programming and support to aid communities and Louisiana citizens in the Recovery phase.

Utilizing the historic 2016 Louisiana Flood as their conceptual lens, this webinar will focus on our individual efforts as second responders, SUAREC’s response to help mitigate future losses, the role and linkage of Extension professional as second responders, and much more. Be prepared to leave with a Social Action charge!

This team was supported by the Extension Foundation’s New Technologies for Ag Extension Program and released a publication about their work in 2021.

The Impact Collaborative is a bundle of services and events that are funded by and for Extension Foundation members only. To learn more about all Impact Collaborative opportunities, please visit the Impact Collaborative Events Calendar on Connect Extension. For inquiries on membership in the Extension Foundation, please contact membership@extension.org.

/by

National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets February 2022 Update

,

The National Registry of Cooperative Extension Programs & Assets (NRCEPA) provides ready-access to a living database of efforts across the system in order to rapidly respond to system-wide funding opportunities. Over 200 Cooperative Extension Programs and Projects have been registered in the NRCEPA since its inception. 

In February 2022, several improvements were made to the NRCEPA based upon feedback received from individuals and organizations across Cooperative Extension:

  • Improved design to show multiple questions per screen rather than a single question per screen. 
  • Reduced redundancy on question condition logic. 
  • Enabled and improved form accessibility for ADA compliance. 

The Extension Foundation would like to thank numerous individuals and organizations across Cooperative Extension that have provided feedback on the NRCEPA for the past year to help us improve this technology. This includes the National Extension Tourism Network, National Extension Climate Initiative, Southern Rural Development Center, National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, National Urban Extension Leaders, Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement, and individual users across the Cooperative Extension system. 

To register your program, project, curriculum, or resource, please visit extension.org/registry. 

This tool is supported in part by New Technologies for Ag Extension grant no. 2020-41595-30123 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this content are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

/by

EXCITE Gets Recognition from the CDC

,

The Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement, (EXCITE) program received a letter of gratitude from CDC director Samuel F. Posner, and a spotlight on the CDC’s Health Equity in Action page for their work.

In the letter, Samuel Posner recognizes the value of a partnership with Cooperative Extension, stating “..we’re looking forward to learning from CES and understanding community concerns to develop and deliver effective tailored messaging to increase vaccination in hard-to-reach communities, in both rural and urban settings. I know how hard field agents work, the long hours and distances traveled especially in rural and frontier areas, and how much you all care about the community members you serve.

He highlights how this strength of CES has led to great success in vaccine uptake, “because Extension field agents are known trusted messengers working in every county across the nation,….Tailored messaging in rural areas works… In rural areas, 71.4% of people ages 18 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you to those who helped realize these achievements by getting vaccinated and helping others do the same.”

A great shout out to our EXCITE team members doing work in their communities! To view the impactful work EXCITE is doing including the full CDC letter, project success stories, and breakdown of projects by state head to the new EXCITE website hosted by Extension.org — https://extension.org/excite/

/by

Quick Links

Find Extension in Your State
Search Extension
Impact Collaborative
Connect Extension

About
Team & Board
Annual Report
Contact Us

Membership
Campus
Ask Extension
Tools

Privacy Policy
Accessibility Statement
Terms of Use
Careers

Extension Foundation Logo

Our mission is to empower a national network of community-based educators, volunteers, and partners to turn knowledge into real-world solutions for stronger communities and people.

Terms of Use

Cooperative Extension Logo

The Extension Foundation is a nonprofit established in 2006 by Extension Directors and Administrators nationwide. Extension Foundation is embedded in the U.S. Cooperative Extension System and serves on Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP).

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

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.

Sign up for our Newsletter

Stay up to date with the Extension Foundation.

Subscribe