The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) site has a news release with links to FEMA, FBI and U.S. State Department. The release is also posted on eXtension.
See Haiti Earthquake at http://eden.lsu.edu/News/Pages/HaitiEarthquake.aspx
eXtension has submitted a proposal regarding a Cooperative Agreement made available through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) with funding ($2.5M) from the Department of Defense Office of Military Community & Family Policy.
Program goals include:
Increase availability of educational resources targeting military youth, families, and communities;
Provide resources to current Communities of Practice (CoPs) to create new content addressing priority issues of military and non-military communities;
Create new Communities of Practice that meet the immediate and emerging needs of military and non-military communities;
Create and expand professional development opportunities focused on using Web 2.0 tools and strategies in the teaching and learning environment; and
Increase opportunities for communities, organizations, etc., to engage with eXtension to strengthen community capacity in support of military families.
The proposal submitted calls for establishing, 1) a Military Families Community of Practice (CoP); 2) a new Network Literacy Community of Practice to address professional development requirements; 3) establishing new CoPs in content areas for which there are current no CoPs working, and 4) developing and implementing strategies to engage military families and youth using social media environments. An RFA will soon be distributed to existing CoPs to invite their participation in the start-up of the Military Families CoP. The RFA calls for 1) re-purposing existing content; 2) engaging military families and youth using appropriate social media networks where targeted audiences are active; 3) developing new content, programs and/or services; and 4) designing or redesigning content and programs to increase their educational value.
Also, eXtension will be seeking additional support in project leadership, social media strategies and the engineering of highly interactive content and programs that engage Communities of Interest.
The next Institutional Team webinar will be Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.
Best Practice: Todd Hurt from Georgia has created a 20+ minute video presentation highlighting the benefits of eXtension for all Georgia staff. The video features Todd as a host but also introduces two Georgia faculty members who are involved in Communities of Practice. The video will premiere at Georgia Extension’s Winter School, beginning January 19, 2010. Todd shared a short clip of the video during the January 5 Institutional Team Webinar.
The January webinar recording is found here: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/p21984003/
For more information on the monthly Institutional Team Webinar contact Terry Meisenbach at tmeisenbach@extension.org.
Happy New Year!
Dan Cotton
2010 certainly promises to be an exciting year as eXtension expects to continue growing throughout the year. We have an exciting opportunity to develop a new Military Families Community of Practice through a partnership with the Department of Defense and USDA – NIFA; new Communities of Practice are expected to begin work or existing Communities of Practice will enhance their efforts with assistance from various federal grant opportunities and private partnerships; planning the next National eXtension Conference will start with the next conference scheduled for early 2011; Communities of Practice will increase their engagement with Communities of Interest through Ask an Expert and appropriate social media environments; and we expect to see greater involvement on the part of Cooperative Extension professionals through the help from institutional teams. Yes, a fun, fast and exciting year awaits, and we look forward to working with you to make it happen!
Annually, eXtension is reviewed by the Cooperative Extension System to ensure that programs goals and milestones are being achieved and that stakeholders have the opportunity to comment and provide feedback regarding the development of the initiative. This year’s eXtension Progress Review Panel includes:
• Larry Katz, Director, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
• Jon C. Boren, Associate Dean and Director, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service
• Michael Schmitt, Sr. Associate Dean – University of Minnesota Extension, Associate Director – Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station
• Henry Brooks, Director Ag Operations, Univeristy of Maryland Eastern Shore
• James Trapp, Associate Director, Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
• Pamala Morris, Assistant Dean/Director of Multicultural Programs, Purdue University, Leader – Diversity Across Higher Education
• Alex Stone, Associate Professor, Oregon State University, Leader – eOrganic Community of Practice
• Robert MacDonald, Director, Office of Planning and Accountability, NIFA
The review process includes the panel visiting with eXtension leaders to learn and to discuss progress made in 2009. Panel members may seek additional feedback from other stakeholders as they develop a final report and executive summary to be shared with directors/administrators at their 2010 NEDA Meeting, March 16-18, in Tampa, FL.
A new partnership between the Cooperative Extension System and the Department of Defense has provided the funding for a national, military childcare/youth development internship program. Through this initiative, students and recent graduates will have the opportunity to develop professional skills in childcare and youth development through practical work experience with military children, youth, and families. Interns’ compensation will include travel to and from the internship site and housing for the duration of the placement. Interns will be placed on military installations across the United States with some opportunities for international placement.
The Military Extension Internship Program is accepting applications through January 29, 2010 for internships beginning June 6, 2010 and lasting through the summer. More information and application materials can be found at www.extension.purdue.edu/military.
Application materials for Fall 2010 internships will be available later this spring.
eXtension is pleased to announce the release of the Overall eXtension Metrics Report providing a summary of appropriate data highlighting the continuing evolution and growth of eXtension. The data in this report represent a snapshot of the breadth and depth of eXtension at one point in time, with growth data as appropriate. As eXtension continues to grow and expand, we will add new further characterize its growth and expansion.
In this report, a summary of the following is provided: eXtension ID holders, Communities of Practice, eXtension content metrics, Frequently Asked Questions, Ask an Expert, eXtension sponsored professional development sessions, the use of Moodle in both professional development and course learning, and the overall eXtension website metrics. You can access the report at:
http://about.extension.org/wiki/Overall_eXtension_Metrics_Report.
For additional information, or questions, please contact Mike Lambur, eXtension Evaluation and Research Leader, at mike.lambur@extension.org
Ever wonder how to Control Hypertension by Maintaining a Healthy Weight… http://fb.me/43UXgCR or plan your daily lunch just like you plan your nightly meals to ensure you eat healthy throughout the day http://fb.me/4xYyQzD?
If so, you can get this information pushed directly to you by following FFFCoP on Twitter. Many eXtenson Communities of Practice are using social networks to engage with users interested in their content. Families, Food and Fitness develops content for individuals to improve their diets; increase physical activity; and maintain body weight in a healthy range and avoid excess weight gain. They effectively use the micro-blogging application Twitter to push this information to interested users. For more information on FFFCoP on Twitter contact Ashley Fondren at anp44@fsnhp.msstate.edu.
The eXtension Foundation Board of Directors approved partnerships and level of giving guidelines at their December 3, 2009 meeting. The policy clarifies the different types of partners/sponsors within eXtension and provides approved recognition within eXtension.
Not for profit organizations, for profit organizations; i.e. corporations, associations, or organizations; foundations; government entities – federal, state, or local; and individuals are all potential partners/sponsors of eXtension. Grant partners may also be recognized through these guidelines.
Recognition categories include:
Titanium – $500,000 and beyond;
Platinum – $250,000 – $499,999;
Gold – $100,000-$249,999;
Silver – $50,000-$99,999 and
Bronze – $5,000-$49,999.
Various levels of recognition are available throughout the eXtension site depending on the sponsoring amount. Gifts under $5,000 will be listed on the Foundation page only. For the complete policy, go to about.extension.org/mediawiki/files/7/78/EXtension_Foundation_Partnership_Policy_12-4-09.pdf
Also added to the http://about.extension.wiki under corporate development is a development tool kit. This kit includes ideas, tips, observations, and other helpful information to work with potential partners and sponsors. Included are the different types of partners, how to move them into becoming a sponsor, procedures, policies and suggestions to secure outside funding.
For more information, contact Betty Johnson, extension development officer, betty.johnson@extension.org or 812-330-1339.
