ntae – Page 2 – Extension Foundation

New Publication Available: Teaching Youth Food Safety – A Game-Based Approach

The Extension Foundation (EXF) has issued Teaching Youth Food Safety: A Game-Based Experience, a publication written by a team from the New Mexico State University Learning Games Lab.

The publication details how the team is addressing food safety through game-based learning. Their ideas ties into research that indicates youth prefer to learn about food safety topics through interactive educational tools. The publication details how the team developed “Theme Park Cafe”, a food safety game for youth. In the game, players engage in different themed kitchens to serve delicious and safe meals to clients. It’s a redesign of “Ninja Kitchen,” launched in 2011 to teach kids food handling skills. In this publication, the game designers talk about increasing the game’s cultural sensitivity, working with kids to create the reboot, and other elements of using gamification to teach educational content.

This new game, one of several food-related projects funded by the New Technologies in Ag Extension (NTAE) 2022-2023 grant program, is part of a growing trend in Extension: using multimedia products to educate and engage diverse audiences.

The authors of the publication are: Barbara Chamberlin, PhD; Matheus Cezarotto, PhD; and Pamela Martinez, Ed.D, all from New Mexico State University.

This publication was produced through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program. NTAE is a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

You can learn more about the team’s work in this recent feature article – Leveling Up – published in October 2023. The team also wrote about an alternative to full game design – the game jam process – in an earlier publication. You can access that publication here.

The Extension Foundation has released two dozen publications this fall, including the 2022-2023 NTAE Yearbook, which presents the work of dozens of Extension project teams from across the U.S. in a lively magazine format. You can find the entire library of publications (now numbering nearly five dozen) here.

December 14, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Extension Foundation Issues University of Illinois Compost Summit Report

News, Publications

The Extension Foundation has issued a Compost Summit Report written by University of Illinois Extension educator Kathryn Pereira.

This report documents the May 2023 Compost Summit hosted by the University of Illinois Extension, which gathered several dozen compost professionals. Over the course of the Summit the group explored the challenges, the current status of work, and opportunities to improve the composting ecosystem in greater Chicagoland.

The intent of the report is to inspire and further work in building a culture of composting in greater Chicagoland. Information from this report has the potential to influence policies, educational programming, and infrastructure improvements, leading to a growing culture of composting in the region. This report may be of use to other Extension organizations.

This publication was produced through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program. NTAE is a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

The Extension Foundation has released two dozen publications in recent months, including the 2022-2023 NTAE Yearbook, which presents the work of dozens of Extension project teams from across the U.S. in a lively magazine format. You can find the entire library of publications (now numbering nearly five dozen) here.

December 1, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Three New Publications Added to Extension Foundation Library

News, Publications

The Extension Foundation has added three new titles to its publications library. These brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NATE’s goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health.

Pollution Prevention & Wastewater Phytoremediation. This publication shares the story of a team of Extension educators at Delaware State University (DSU). They are piloting the Algal Turf Raceway System (ATS), a green technology that reduces carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pollution in water that farmers use from bays, lakes, reservoirs, and streams. You’ll learn how the DSU Extension team used NTAE grant support to run the pilot and what it hopes to prove with this technology.

Creating a Composting Culture. Through its “Creating a Culture of Composting in Greater Chicagoland” initiative, University of Illinois Extension is committed to making composting as second-nature as recycling has become in the communities it serves. This publication describes the multifaceted programming (such as Pumpkin Smashes, composting summit, and food waste audits) that the team has created to spread the word about composting among residents, businesses, and community leaders in the Chicago area.

Well Water 101. Educators at University of Minnesota Extension have developed an online version of their “Minnesota Well and Septic Owners Class” to teach well owners how to detect and prevent water contamination on their properties. The class has not launched yet, but in this publication, the content developers talk about how they created the course and the best practices they learned along the way.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

November 20, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

New Publications Available in Extension Foundation Publications Library

Announcements, News, Publications

The Extension Foundation has added four new titles to its publications library. These brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NATE’s goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health.

Una Educación Sobre la Educación shares the story about a team of Extension educators at Iowa State University who have developed ¡Salir Adelante! Caminos a Nuestro Futuro” (Pathways for our Future) to give Latino Iowans tools and support to reach their hopes and dreams for education to help their families thrive. In this publication, the educators talk about the kind of support Latino families need when it comes to navigating the U.S.education system and the results this program is having in Iowa.

Seguridad de Pesticidas details exciting work from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The institution has offered the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) to Nebraska farmers since 1993. In 2020, a team created an online, asynchronous version of the course and applied for NTAE funding to translate it into Spanish, to better reach Latinx farmers. This publication discusses the growing need for pesticide safety instruction among Spanish-speaking farmers and what PSEP educators hope to accomplish with this audience.

Building Grantsmanship Capacity.The Southern Rural Development Center created a program to teach teams of 1890 land-grant university professionals and community members how to find, apply for, and manage grants to fund projects that address under-resourced communities’ most pressing needs. This publication briefly describes who participated in the training and what they learned.

Alabama Master Naturalist and Underserved Communities. Educators at Alabama Cooperative Extension System have launched a free online, asynchronous component of their “Alabama Master Naturalist” certification course. This publication talks about initial results, and how this new layer of naturalist training has helped the program reach underserved communities.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

November 13, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Extension Foundation Releases Five New Titles

News, Publications

The Extension Foundation has added five new titles to its publications library. The brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NATE’s goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health.

“Pollen Power” shares the story of “Pollinator Superheroes,” an animated series created by the National Pesticide Safety Education Center and its partners (including Pawnee Nation College, Nebraska Indian Community College, and Prairie View A&M). The series is intended for Native American elementary students in Nebraska and Oklahoma—not only to inspire youth to identify and protect bees, bats, and butterflies but to reinforce to them that their actions, cultures, and native languages matter. This publication describes the series and how multiple partners collaborated to create it.

“They Can Do Hard Things” details a program developed by a team from Utah State University, designed to help youth build confidence in their ability to survive adverse childhood experiences and thrive in any circumstance, through activities that push them out of their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment. This publication describes what the team learned as they created the program and why this kind of youth development is so important.

“Teaching Money Matters” explores the work of the Financial Literacy Team at West Virginia University Extension. Their curriculum teaches children and adults basic financial concepts and risks, so that they are empowered to make the most informed decisions about how to save, invest, and manage debt. This publication documents how the team worked with its NTAE advisors to increase the flexibility of the curriculum and equip Extension educators to teach the material in a way that meets the unique needs of individual communities.

“Breaking the Cycle”. Educators at University of Nevada, Reno Extension created a program called “Heart & Hope” to provide a safe place for domestic violence survivors to learn skills for creating healthy home environments. In this publication, team members talk about the critical need for this service and how they work with this sensitive population.

“Leveling Up” shares the story of the innovative work being done by a team at New Mexico State University’s Learning Games Lab. “Theme Park Cafe” is a food safety game for youth created by the team. It enables players to engage in different themed kitchens to serve delicious and safe meals to clients. It’s a redesign of “Ninja Kitchen,” launched in 2011, with an aim to teach youth food handling skills. In this publication, the game designers talk about increasing the game’s cultural sensitivity, working with youth to create the reboot, and other elements of using gamification to teach educational content.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

November 6, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Extension Foundation Releases Three New Titles

Announcements, News, Publications, Success Stories

Three new titles are available on the Extension Foundation’s website. The brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. NTAE’s goal is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health.

West Virginia University Extension – “My Hometown is Cool.” Educators at West Virginia University Extension have created a toolkit to teach youth how to be community developers and entrepreneurs. This publication provides a brief overview of how the program works and what the creators hope to accomplish with this exciting program.

West Virginia State University – “Out of the Mines.” This publication shares how an NTAE project team is focused on helping rural communities in West Virginia capitalize on historical and natural resources, to compensate for the dwindling coal-based economy. Extension professionals from West Virginia State University planned to pilot the concept in Kimball, West Virginia. In this story, you’ll learn why this effort is critical for southern West Virginia and what the team hopes to accomplish.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst – “Capacity Building – Expanding Urban Extension.” A University of Massachusetts Extension team plans to train up to 10 UMass Extension educators to engage more effectively with underserved and urban audiences in a wider range of communities in Springfield, Massachusetts, and across the state. The team will also partner with a variety of community organizations to develop resources and programs that use and build on the strengths of this broader target audience. This publication provides a brief overview of the program’s goals and strategies.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

October 30, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

University of New Hampshire Partners with Extension Foundation for USDA-NIFA’s $3.4M New Technologies for Ag Extension Award

News, Newsroom

In partnership with the Extension Foundation, the University of New Hampshire was awarded the USDA-NIFA New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) Cooperative Agreement (Grant Number 2023-41595-41325).

The Technology-Enhanced Cooperative Extension Hub (TECHExt), a groundbreaking initiative led by the University of New Hampshire Extension (UNH Extension) in partnership with the Extension Foundation (EXF), aims to revolutionize the Cooperative Extension System (CES) by infusing it with state-of-the-art technologies and practices. The project aligns with the strategic priorities of the USDA-NIFA and the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP), aiming to foster innovation, increase the capacity of Extension professionals, update NewTechnologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) delivery and management policies, enable locally meaningful opportunities through responsive marketing, and conduct comprehensive evaluations for continuous improvement.

This project will meld UNH Extension’s deep-rooted expertise in community-based research and outreach with EXF’s successful initiatives like Connect Extension, Ask Extension, and ExtensionBot. Utilizing EXF’s substantial track record of executing impactful programs — evidenced by its efficient utilization of over $2.1 million in funding across 72 Extension collaborations in the previous NTAE project cycle– TECHExt is designed to enhance digital accessibility, professional capacity, and stakeholder engagement. UNH Extension will focus on two cornerstone projects: implementing New Hampshire’s comprehensive Digital Equity Plan and transforming its existing email marketing into an integrated omnichannel strategy. These initiatives will align with EXF’s Connect Extension for internal and external community engagement and Ask Extension’s public-facing Q&A service, which answered over 39,212 public inquiries in 2022 alone. Through this strategic collaboration, UNH Extension and EXF aim to create a more inclusive, effective, and technologically advanced CES, setting a precedent for similar systems nationwide. The full award briefing can be found on USDA-NIFA’s website linked here.

More information about this award will be available in the Fall of 2023, including funding opportunities for Cooperative Extension professionals. Please visit extension.org to stay up-to-date with developments.

October 26, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Extension Foundation Releases Four New NTAE Titles

Announcements, News, Publications, Success Stories

Four new titles are available on the Extension Foundation’s website. The brief publications – written as magazine-style feature stories – share project work funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of NTAE is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

Each of the publications is excerpted from the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook, an 83-page magazine, which shares how these grant projects improve human, environmental, and community health. The Yearbook shares innovative Cooperative Extension work across the U.S., from technology to composting to youth development to health and equity. In addition, the publication shares information about the vital work undertaken by ECOP’s Program Action Teams.

University of Illinois – Community Seminar Series. The University of Illinois Extension launched the Community Seminar Series in 2020 and has been refining and expanding it ever since. A collaboration between U of I Extension and U of I’s Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI), the CSS is an effective way to educate the public on health topics and give students majoring in health fields a chance to build their expertise, through developing and presenting the seminars. This story provides a brief overview of the goals and strategies of this program.

University of California ANR – Community is Our Jam. Through virtual and in-person workshops, participants in the University of California Master Food Preserver program learn about reducing food waste and about safe food storage, preparation, and preservation methods. This feature describes how the team has focused on equity, broadening their program’s audience and impact and the lessons the team has learned while developing the program.

Penn State University – Buy, Cook, Eat Local. While changing food habits isn’t easy, learning how to cook healthy food using farm fresh ingredients may help people improve their diets. An innovative program that Penn State Extension educators launched in spring 2023 is lowering barriers to healthy eating by introducing people to fresh produce and other local foods. This story describes how the program works and how the team collaborates in the community, specifically with farmer’s markets, to accomplish its goals.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation: Because We Can. Specialists in consumer and retail food safety from nine Southeastern land-grant universities launched the Food Safety Extension Network in 2021 to raise general awareness of the importance of preserving food safely and to be a resource for home cooks, small, independent food retailers, and home-based food preparation businesses. This piece gives an overview of how the Network was built and how it expects to operate. Participating institutions are: University of Arkansas, Clemson University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Tennessee, and Virginia Tech University.

The Extension Foundation carries dozens of titles in its library. Four to five additional publications are slated to hit the shelf each week through the end of November. Sign up to receive publication notifications here. You can find the entire library of publications here.

October 23, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

New Extension Foundation Publication: “Pumpkin Smash Playbook”

Extension, News, Publications

The Extension Foundation has released a new title. “Pumpkin Smash Playbook” shares how the University of Illinois Extension and community partners organize and host Pumpkin Smashes, fun community events that collect pumpkins for composting. The team hosted its first Pumpkin Smash in 2019. Since then, the organization has refined the process of planning, funding, and running Smashes. This playbook details how to organize a similar event in your community.

Smashes teach people about the importance of composting and help keep pumpkins out of landfills. But they also provide Extension organizations with an opportunity to increase Extension’s visibility and reach new communities, particularly in urban areas.

“Pumpkin Smash Playbook” was written by Kathryn M. Pereira, an Extension educator with the University of Illinois Extension. It’s the latest publication released by the Extension Foundation for the Cooperative Extension Service. It was made possible with funding from the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant program.

The Extension Foundation has recently added new titles to its library, including the New Technologies for Ag Extension 2022-2023 Yearbook. The 83-page Yearbook – presented in a lively magazine format – documents dozens of projects funded through the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) program, a cooperative agreement between USDA NIFA, Oklahoma State University, and the Extension Foundation. The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation.

You can find the entire library of publications here.

October 17, 2023/by Aaron Weibe

Building Resilient Families: How New Technologies for Ag Extension is Serving the Heart & Hope Program from the University of Nevada, Reno

News, Newsroom

New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) is a grant from USDA-NIFA in partnership with Oklahoma State University and is currently in its fourth year. Since 2019, the Extension Foundation has served 72 leaders and programs from across Cooperative Extension to help strengthen their programs and make a greater local impact in the communities they serve.

Programs that applied for NTAE each year were competitively selected and aligned with USDA and Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) strategic goals/priority program areas. Programs receive funding and support from the Extension Foundation for one full year. Over the course of one year, the program leader and team are coached to identify new possibilities and strengthen their planned impact. Each team receives additional support to create materials and experiences that engage Extension resources to speed development and generate a change where it is desired. Awardees can expect robust and productive interaction with a group of catalysts and key informants from the Extension Foundation in a mentoring role to help teams grow professionally over the course of a one-year partnership.

One of the forty teams selected for Year 4 of the NTAE award is the Heart & Hope program from the University of Nevada, Reno. Their faculty developed the Heart & Hope program to increase the protective factors that create healthy home environments in order to break the cycle of domestic violence. This research-based program provides survivors with resources and skills to strengthen their relationships and have hope for the future. Since 2015, Heart & Hope has served 46 families in Elko, including 54 adults and 110 children.

The Heart & Hope program received a $10,000 fellowship and is currently receiving a year of services from the Extension Foundation to help accelerate and continue to scale their program while building upon their current success. Dr. Dyremple Marsh and Dr. Chuck Hibberd are serving as Extension Foundation Catalysts for this program. Extension Foundation Catalysts are retired Extension Administrators and Directors that provide practical mentorship and support to programs being served through NTAE, and work to keep the teams focused on their short-term and long-term goals while leveraging other resources from within the Foundation.

Dr. Dyremple Marsh shared, “The Heart and Hope NTAE Team consistently comes prepared with the goal of making significant achievements in the project. Their success to date is a testament of their hard work. The Cooperative Extension Community has a lot to learn from this team when dealing with very challenging community problems.”

The long-term goals for Heart & Hope are to develop a hybrid train-the-trainer model and expand nationwide, breaking the cycle of domestic violence in as many communities as possible. The program will expand to Las Vegas, Nevada’s largest urban center, to discover how the program benefits diverse groups such as low-income, minority, and LGBTQ families. Staff plan to train 10 staff and serve 30 adults and 50 children living in Las Vegas in the first year. By gaining experience serving diverse groups, staff will be prepared to scale the program nationally and obtain listings on evidenced-based program registries.

When asked about her experience working with the Extension Foundation through NTAE, Julie Woodbury, Heart & Hope Program Coordinator, University of Nevada, Reno, said, “as a NTAE grant recipient, each conversation with a catalyst or key informant opens up our eyes to new ways to promote and deliver the program – the case statement; well-designed, eye-catching print/digital promotional material; video clips highlighting program content; a listserv to communicate regularly with partners and families; online registration forms; a dashboard to access program content. It is truly transformational.”

To learn more about the Heart & Hope program from the University of Nevada, Reno, please visit https://extension.unr.edu/program.aspx?ID=17.

March 24, 2023/by Aaron Weibe