National eXtension Initiative

Log into http://create.extension.org
Select ‘All groups’
Find ‘Communications and Marketing’

The quick links on the site so far are
• Promotion Checklist for Webinars
• eXtension Social Media Guidelines
• eXtension Graphic Standards Guidelines

Check back often. We’ll add more quick links, news and events. Use the site as a reference. Want to join the community? Sign up for the communications and marketing community on people.eXtension.org.

The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Centers Community of Practice was named Outstanding Community of Practice and Andrew Behnke, North Carolina State University, was honored for his individual achievement as a member of the Just In Time Parenting Community of Practice during the eXtension National CoP Workshop on June 29, 2011.

The 2011 eXtension Outstanding CoP Award is presented to Mark Risse, University of Georgia (left) representing the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center by eXtension Governing Committee Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky.

The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center (LPELC) CoP was approved as an eXtension Community in 2006 and developed its web presence by March 2008. The LPELC is committed to the primary goal of connecting experts on manure with animal producers and their advisers to specifically establish an infrastructure for sustained national outreach and deliver innovative products for on-demand availability to its audience. The CoP has engaged over 100 experts to develop a comprehensive web presence for animal manure issues. The LPELC has attracted a large and diverse audience interested in animal environmental issues. There are currently over 1500 subscribers to its monthly newsletter. Several times each year the CoP identifies days to hold virtual work days using Adobe Connect. The LPELC has cultivated social media connections that have facilitated a more engaged learning environment. The Community has 1182 followers on Twitter, most of whom have agricultural connections and are not subscribers to the newsletter. A recent “Tweetreach” showed that in a given week, messages by the LPELC have the potential to reach 28,000+ people. The CoP has placed a growing emphasis on video delivery through its YouTube Channel where 17 videos can currently be viewed.

Since 2006 the community has produced over 50 webinars featuring more than 140 experts from land-grant universities, private industry, NGOc and agencies. The monthly web casts are view live by more than 100 sites (130 individuals) and 1100 people are viewing the archive library each month. The average viewer reports they influence the environmental management decisions of 136 producers annually. Post-web casts surveys show that viewers used the information in: their own professional development (82%), recommendations to producers (51%), regulatory/policy development (36%), extension programs (28%), and farm management decisions (23%). Assessment and impact content on the community of interest showed that 78% improved their nutrient management plan, 93% said they improved their application of emerging technologies and 93% of the respondents found economic value in information obtained from the LPELC. Their average value placed was $813.00.

The LPELC CoP collaborates with several partners including EPA, NRCS, National Young Farmers Association, the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, Farm Pilot Project Coordination (FPPC) Inc. Most recently, a five-year National Extension grant ($5 million) was awarded that will work on efforts to effectively inform and influence livestock and poultry producers and consumers of animal products in all regions of the U.S. to move animal production toward practices that are environmentally sound, climatically compatible and economically viable.

The 2011 eXtension CoP Achievement Award is presented to Andrew Behnke (left), NC State University by eXtension Governing Committee Chair Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky.

Andrew Behnke, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in NC State University’s Department of 4‐H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences, personifies today’s cutting edge land‐grant faculty. Andrew is co‐chair of the eXtension Just in Time Parenting (JITP) Core Leadership Team and has personally headed the JITP National eXtension Community of Practice since 2009. He has been a valued member of the JITP Evaluation Team since 2005.

Andrew Behnke’s contributions to the JITP Community of Practice are a reflection of his technological innovation and extraordinary inclusiveness and generosity in sharing his skills and resources at the local, state and national levels. There is a seamless synergy between what Andrew learns as a result of his active role in eXtension and the applications and innovations he is implementing within his state and nation. His ability to creatively collaborate in virtual as well as face‐to‐face environments has been crucial in Just in Time Parenting CoP progress. It is the combination of Andrew’s leadership and technological skills that are so powerful. Andrew spearheaded the cultural adaptation of the online and print resources for Spanish speakers from the first trimester of pregnancy up to age 5 (overseeing culturally appropriate translations of 40 eight‐page newsletter issues).

Andrew co‐chairs the JITP “optimizing the use of social media to engage parents” team. He Tweets, blogs, uses Facebook, YouTube, and other social media strategies to engage parents. Andrew creates webinars for agents and specialists nationwide. Personifying today’s cutting‐edge land‐grant faculty member, Andrew applies eXtension goals and techniques throughout his state, where he directs programs for Extension agents to facilitate their outreach with families in 1) parenting, 2) school involvement, and 3) marriage and relationship enrichment. He works closely with Extension agents and their partners to develop joint educational programs, while simultaneously studying the effectiveness of these programs. Andrew is responsible for a statewide Extension program, Essential Life Skills for Military Families, serving Reservist and National Guard. This program helps military couples and individuals gain relationship, financial, and other life skills to help them thrive under the pressures of military duty and economic strain.

With 30% of his time allocated to teaching and mentoring graduate students, Andrew uses distance education technologies to educate and interact with students across the state, as well as provide guest lectures at NCSU and at other universities nationwide. Andrew’s inclusion of Latino families in nearly all of his research, including the neighborhood and family predictors of academic success, position him as a leader in this field of study.

Joe Hunnings, Virginia Tech; Todd Hurt, University of Georgia; and Lela Vandenberg, Michigan State University were honored as the first recipients of eXtension’s Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team Member award. The award recognizes responsiveness and engagement with their institution on behalf of eXtension, Institutional Team development and sustainability, and eXtension advocacy. The awards were presented June 29 at the eXtension National CoP Workshop in Louisville, KY.

Joe Hunnings

Joe Hunnings, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech (left) receives the Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team Member award from eXtension Governing Committee Chair, Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky.

Joe Hunnings has been a member of the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Institutional Team since its inception three years ago and has served as its chair since 2009. His team set three goals: to increase VCE’s awareness of eXtension as a subject-matter resource for themselves (including the Ask an Expert system, FAQs, and Communities of Practice); 2) to increase the number of VCE personnel with eXtension registered IDs and; 3) to increase the participation of VCE personnel in eXtension professional development offerings.

While he’s done the expected sharing of information via newsletters and meetings with faculty and staff; briefing several different administrators, and many duties that turned a floundering team into a success story, one of his successes has related to Ask an Expert and VCE. Joe developed a survey of VCE faculty to learn about the reasons that individuals were not signing up as an AaE expert.

The overall results of all of his these efforts to date have resulted in a 100% increase in the number of faculty with eXtension IDs, an eXtension presence on all VCE and Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station home pages, greater use of the AaE widget, and an increase in the number of VCE faculty signed up as experts.

To quote his nominator: “Joe’s tremendous effort, energy, leadership, and a true belief in the value of eXtension makes him very worthy of receiving the Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team Member Award.”

Todd Hurt

Todd Hurt, University of Georgia

Todd Hurt has been a tireless champion for eXtension in Georgia. As the leader of the Georgia Institutional Team since its inception, his enthusiasm for eXtension and the value it brings to UGA Extension has been infectious.

The organization gave eXtension a decidedly lukewarm reception. Most were skeptical at best and viewed it as additional work rather than a way to reduce their workload through national collaboration. Today he works diligently with administrators to garner support for eXtension and foster faculty involvement with the program. He routinely updates administration and UGA Extension faculty and staff on Institutional Team progress.

Perhaps the most creative tool in Todd’s toolbox is his column in Tech Tips, a UGA Extension quarterly e-newsletter. Through his newsletter column, Todd delivers useful tips on using technology to make your job easier. He also weaves messages into each column pointing faculty to eXtension for technology training, to see how the tips he gives are being used at other universities and to build awareness for all the benefits eXtension has to offer.

To quote his nominator, “I can continue to give you long lists and examples, but Todd deserves this award because he is a living advocate for eXtension. From his attitude to his dedication to his boundless enthusiasm, Todd is the driving force that has gotten, OK dragged, the University of Georgia this far this fast.”

Lela Vandenberg

Lela Vandenberg, Michigan State University (left) receives the Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team Member award from eXtension Governing Committee Chair, Jimmy Henning, University of Kentucky.

The credit for the success of the Michigan State University eXtension institutional team can be directly correlated to the leadership of the team chair, Lela Vandenberg. As a member of the MSU Extension Organizational Development Team, Lela willingly took on new roles and responsibilities to help MSUE make progress toward one of the organization’s fundamental principles of our redesign…enhance technology. She stepped out of her comfort zone, and into mostly uncharted waters to provide leadership for the MSUE eXtension Institutional Team.

The results have been significant changes in the practice of technology incorporation in many facets of MSU Extension…from personal development to a statewide fall Extension conference, to leadership for the eXtension Institutional Team. She leverages any communication vehicle within MSU Extension – annual meeting, workshops, Adobe Connect sessions, email, face-to-face communications, etc. – to talk about eXtension and its importance to our program delivery and to MSU Extension’s future.

To quote her nominators: “Lela’s commitment to engaging MSUE staff in the national eXtension program has resulted in hundreds of staff being involved in the program and serving as information resources not just for Michigan residents but residents across the country. She is a passionate recruiter for eXtension, daily advocating for colleague’s engagement, recruiting question wranglers, experts, and being an effective cheerleader for this program.” Lela has demonstrated what outstanding truly means.

eXtension honored the Institutional Teams at Michigan State University and the University of Missouri for outstanding work in advocating for and integrating eXtension into their respective institutions. The Be Grow Create awards were presented for the first time ever at the 2011 National CoP Workshop in Louisville, KY June 29.

Outstanding teams are recognized for planning, creativity, organized activities, web conference attendance, director interaction, and institutional engagement.

Michigan State University

eXtension Governing Committee Chair Jimmy Henning presents an Outstanding Institutional Team award to Liz Wells (left) and Lela Vandenberg (right) Institutional Team members representing Michigan State University.

Michigan State University Institutional Team:

Michelle Rodgers
Liz Wells
Chris Skelly
Kathe Hale
Ruth Borger
Erica Ciupak
Wayne Beyea
Lela Vandenberg

The commitment of this eXtension Institutional team really began in St. Louis in October 2009. They saw an opportunity, grabbed it and ran with it and with little hesitation. Today, they have increased ID holder numbers…and have a growing cadre of Ask an Expert widgets in place system wide. At the heart of this work is an amazing training effort that teaches educators the basics of Ask an Expert in an engaging and dynamic way. Planning is critical, evaluation of their work is essential, and as a group they have shown MSU Extension to view adoption of eXtension as an opportunity rather than a burden. Today the MSU Institutional Team is recognized for being outstanding in leadership, creativity, and promoting eXtension.

According to one of their supporters: “We created the I-team to help with a narrow charge-–help us figure out the value of eXtension for MSUE–-and ended up with a set of outcomes that were transformational for our entire organization, covering the breadth of technology. For that, I consider them an excellent example of what is expected from a team deserving of the Be Grow Create Outstanding Institutional Team award.”

University of Missouri

eXtension Governing Committee Chair Jimmy Henning presents an Outstanding Institutional Team award to Institutional Team members Meridith Berry (left), Julie Middleton (near right) and Sharon Gulick (far right) representing the University of Missouri.

University of Missouri Institutional Team:

Share Bane
Meridith Berry
Gordon Carriker
Sharon Gulick
Sarah Hultine
George Laur
Julie Middleton
John Myers
Michael Ravenscraft
Ray Walden
Crystal Weber
Sandy Stegall

The University of Missouri Institutional Team has at its heart a solid plan to engage, enrich, and promote eXtension. Every member has an assignment he or she willingly accepts and reports on. They participate locally and nationally in Institutional Team meetings; report regularly to their administration and have established a set of standards documenting the scholarship of eXtension for the University of Missouri. Growth in eXtension IDs is great…but what is even more important is that this team has increased active participation in other aspects of eXtension, including CoP leadership and membership and Ask an Expert. They are all about engagement.

To quote their nominator: “The Missouri Institutional Team has excelled at planning strategies, creative activities and approaches. They have organized activities to successfully promote eXtension resulting in an engaged faculty and staff. We are pleased that the Team is actively engaged in learning and sharing to support eXtension goals and outcomes.”

This team is hard working, dedicated and in a word–outstanding.

eXtension recognized four individuals who have been deemed “instrumental in the creation and development of eXtension.” Recognized as eXtension Champions were: Greg Crosby, National Program Leader, USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture; Karen Hinton, Dean and Director, University of Nevada Extension; Craig Wood, eXtension Associate Director for Content Development and Kevin Gamble, eXtension Associate Director for Technology.

Greg Crosby

Since the beginning, there have been many people who have played a critical role in the eXtension story, and perhaps no one has had a more important role than that of Greg Crosby. Since being asked by Colien Hefferan, former administrator of USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (now the National Institute of Food and Agriculture) to serve as the agency’s liaison to eXtension, Greg has been instrumental in the development of the Initiative. He helped organize and produce the 2004 eXtension Pre-Select Business Case, the plan CES Directors and Administrators used to base their decision to develop eXtension. Since then, he has contributed to all other eXtension implementation and strategic planning efforts. He actively serves as a member of the eXtension Governing Committee, Directors’ Council, and Finance Task Force and his efforts have led to a significant integration of eXtension into NIFA. Today, many NIFA National Program Leaders serve as liaisons to Communities of Practice, and eXtension is a critical component in many NIFA competitive grant programs. Yes, he is a cheerleader, a partner, an instigator, a schemer, and a leader, but that’s what it takes to be a champion, to be an eXtension Champion. It’s believing in the cause and the willingness to go the extra mile to make it happen. This is the story of Greg Crosby and why he is an eXtension Champion.

Karen Hinton

As Dean and Director of the Nevada Cooperative Extension, Karen Hinton has a vested interest in eXtension. She knows that for eXtension to work it requires wise investments by Cooperative Extension in return for real value for those its been designed to serve. As a past member and Chair of the eXtension Governing Committee and eXtension Foundation Board of Directors, and a current member of the Directors’ Council, Karen has been and continues to be an good steward for Cooperative Extension in the development of its 21st Century network. Every step along the way she has provided leadership and guidance while representing the views and needs of the CES. At home, she has encouraged and incented Nevada CES faculty and staff to participate in eXtension, while at the same time relying on and using the expertise of Communities of Practice to serve Nevada citizens. Nevada Cooperative Extension is also using eXtension to leverage and develop local educational partnerships. Championing a cause is not just about believing, it’s about acting upon what you believe. Karen decided long ago that eXtension could help transform Cooperative Extension, help the organization work more efficiently, provide needed educational resources and services, and save the organization money. Yes, she is a believer, a leader, a wise counselor and spokesperson that understands that eXtension is an integral part of Cooperative Extension. This is the story of Karen Hinton and why she is an eXtension Champion.

Craig Wood

The strength of eXtension is found in its ability to serve the public. Today, with over 60 Communities of Practice at work, eXtension provides access to thousands of pages of content and programs, learning modules and courses, Ask an Expert services and the engagement of audiences through social media. Only a few short years ago, eXtension and Communities of Practice were a concept yet to be proven. Our success to this point owes in great part to the leadership and hard work of Craig Wood, Associate Director of Content. From the beginning, Craig has demonstrated a spirit of partnership, collegiality, and collaboration along with a “can do” attitude. He has been able to cultivate these same qualities within the content development team and together they foster and nurture the development of Communities of Practice. Craig, who always seems to be on the go, engages Cooperative Extension staff and partners nationwide with ever present grace, trust and a sense of humor that makes eXtension fun for all those listening and participating. Being a champion is not just about believing in the cause, it’s about being able to convince others to join that cause and to make it their own. Yes, Craig is a leader, a spokesperson, planner, teacher and doer, and that’s what makes him a true eXtension Champion.

Kevin Gamble

Today’s world relies on technology to function. Imagine shutting down the network at our universities or for that matter in our financial, transportation, medical, or information industries, just to name a few. You can clearly see the enabling affect of technology and how it touches each and every one of us in what seems like every facet of our lives. If you think about it, it’s what led Cooperative Extension to envision and develop eXtension. From the beginning, Kevin Gamble has understood the importance of technology and how it can be used to enhance the mission of Cooperative Extension. Kevin, and the engineering team he has assembled, have developed and continue to support a state-of-the art technical infrastructure anchored in the values of Cooperative Extension: openness, transparency, collaboration, community, scholarship, trust, and engagement. He is responsible for a culture of developing and launching applications quickly, adding value to them on a continual basis, and integrating new technologies when they will add value to our work. He’s always looking for better ways of doing business and is never shy about challenging us to work differently. Being a champion requires that we stay sharp and push the envelope and that’s exactly what Kevin helps us do. Yes, he’s a visionary, leader, teacher, and always on the move, and it’s what makes him an eXtension Champion.

The Champion Award is determined by the eXtension Governing Committee. The awards were presented on June 29, 2011 during the National eXtension CoP Workshop in Louisville, KY.

The transition to Drupal for eXtension’s content management system is nearly complete. June 16-17 saw the migration of almost all content created by Communities of Practice from the CoP Wiki (cop.extension.org) and from the FAQ system (faq.extension.org) to the new Drupal platform (create.extension.org). A final “cleanup” migration will be conducted July 7 for any residual content, after which cop.extension.org and faq.extension.org will be taken totally offline. The new system provides a more familiar environment for people to learn and use, with provisions for group dashboards, more complete content editing capability, enhanced search features, auto-tagging, workflow state retrievals, and a set of group management tools to facilitate communications among members of eXtension communities.

While participants at the eXtension CoP Workshop in Louisville were provided time on June 30 to gain some hands-on experience with the new system, future opportunities to learn how it works are being provided through web conferences. These conferences are currently scheduled for 10:00 a.m. CT on July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, and September 9. Please see learn.extension.org for details. Questions about using create.extension.org may be addressed to drupal-implementation@lists.extension.org.

From the Organic Agriculture eXtension learning community
Wednesday, July 6 – Fly Management in the Organic Dairy Pasture
http://www.extension.org/pages/59441/fly-management-in-the-organic-dairy-pasture-webinar-by-eorganic

From the Animal Manure Management eXtension learning community
Wednesday, July 20 – Live from the North American Manure Expo in Norfolk, Nebraska
http://www.extension.org/pages/15370/upcoming-webcasts-livestock-and-poultry-environmental-learning-center

From the Horses eXtension learning community
Wednesday, July 20 – Advances in Equine Genetics
http://myhorseuniversity.com/resources/webcasts/july_2011

About webinars
A webinar is an acronym for web-based seminar. Instead of traveling somewhere to attend a seminar, people meet in a virtual conference room on the Internet.

We invite you to see what professional development is offered by eXtension for July and plan to participate. If you or your colleagues offer professional development online that’s open to others in Cooperative Extension, please add the information at Learn.extension.org.

Please share this announcement with others and encourage them to pick a topic and try it out. All sessions are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff, and employees. You may indicate your interest on the page for each PD Event at http://learn.extension.org (log in with your eXtensionID). Give us 30-60 minutes and we’ll teach you something useful!

30-60 MINUTE SESSIONS

JULY
July 5, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. ET, Institutional Team Web Conference
July 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Fly Management in the Organic Dairy (pre-registration required)
July 6, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. ET, Adapting to Change in a Changing Environment
July 12, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Using Drupal to Create Content for eXtension
July 19, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET, For Youth, For Life CoP meeting
July 26, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Using Drupal to Create Content for eXtension
July 26, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Question Wrangler Monthly Meetup – July 2011

AUGUST (see Upcoming topics)
August 2, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. ET, Institutional Team Web Conference
August 16, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. ET, For Youth, For Life CoP
August 23, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. ET, Question Wrangler Monthly Meetup – August 2011
August 24, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. ET, PowerPoint: Friend or Foe?

October 17-18-19, 2011, National eXtension Virtual Conference

More sessions are listed for September and beyond. For complete descriptions and details go to http://learn.extension.org/. See information for each session, an overview of upcoming eXtension Professional Development sessions, links to historical sessions (and recordings once they are available). Log-in with your eXtension ID to indicate your interest in and attendance of the offered sessions. Add your professional development events that are open to extension.

Check out http://learn.extension.org/and let us know what you think. Start including your favorite session links in Twitter, Facebook and more! If your extension service or CoP has held professional development and has an open recording available, add it at learn.extension.org!

Any web-based professional development sessions open to Cooperative Extension may be listed at http://learn.extension.org. Look there under Upcoming Events (http://www.extension.org/learn/events/upcoming), browse by recent tags, or search to find professional development in your areas of interest. If you know of professional development events that are open to Cooperative Extension but not yet listed there, please add them by clicking “Create a new PD Event.” Each event then has a URL that may be used to share with colleagues! Each PD event page includes the title, description, presenters, link for participation and recording, as well as a check box to show your interest and/or participation in the event.

RECENT SESSIONS
Find links to the recordings from ACE/NETC as well as the eXtension CoP Workshop held in June at http://www.extension.org/learn/events/recent.

Questions or comments… contact Beth Raney at beth.raney@extension.org