The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of November 9, 2020:
In this Edition
- Quarterly PI Call Friday, November 20, 2020
- Community Health Action Plans
- Youth Voice and Leadership
- PD and Coaching
- News, Research, and Resources from the Field
Quarterly PI Call Friday, November 20, 2020
- Quarterly PI Calls are an opportunity to disseminate information and updates related to the WCC grant. The next Quarterly PI Call will be Friday, November 20, 2020 from 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET. We will be meeting via Zoom. PIs should refer to the Outlook Calendar invite from Shay McNeil for the link and password to connect to the meeting. An agenda for the meeting will be provided closer to the next call.
Quarterly PI Call Schedule:
- November 20, 2020
- February 19, 2021
- May 21, 2021
- August 20, 2021
Community Health Action Plans
- We encourage you to review your community’s Action Plan Feedback Summary with your partners and update your action plan as needed. As your efforts continue, the PD team is happy to connect to provide guidance and learn from you about the ways in which your goal connects to policies and systems in community. Please plan to upload your updated action plan to your community portal by November 30, 2020.
We will be coordinating some peer-to-peer cohort learning sessions. Hayat Essa has been reaching out to determine availability and coordinate the sessions.
If you are interested in discussing the feedback or receiving additional support as you update your action plan, please contact Shay McNeil at smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.
Youth Voice and Leadership
- National 4-H Summit for Health Living, February 12 – 15, 2021
- The National 4-H Summit on Healthy Living will be virtual and held on its usual Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 12 -15, 2021. The number of hours per day is still TBD but will last no more than approximately 4-5 hours on any one day.
- Cost is $75 per youth or adult.
- Registration will be open only during the month of January, 2021.
- There will be seven tracks which participants will stay in for the three workshop sessions; once a track is chosen, that’s where you stay:
- Food Insecurity
- Health Equity
- Physical Fitness
- Substance Abuse
- Nutrition
- Mental Health
- Adult Track for professional development.
- Because of the tracks, there will be no limit on the number of registrations.
- Highlights of the Summit will include keynote and capnote speakers and a speaker of the day, virtual State Showcase, 3 workshops, career exploration, a virtual “Coffee House” for discussion of national health issues, action plan development, and lots of opportunities for networking.
- New for this year will be TBD follow-ups for pitching action plans in the “Dolphin Tank”, and following those action plans throughout the year to see the impact on communities.
- A detailed agenda will be available in mid-November.
- Opportunities for Collegiate Facilitators are available for those 4-H alums who are in college and attended at least one 4-H Healthy Living Summit. Applications are due November 20, 2020.
- National 4-H Summit for Healthy Living Collegiate Facilitators Needed
The Virtual National 4-H Summit for Healthy Living brings together teens from across the nation to focus on healthy living related challenges and opportunities for youth today. Designed for high school students (grades 9 – 12), the Summit provides opportunities to learn life skills, participate in hands-on activities and workshops and learn from leaders in the field as well as networking with each other. Participants traditionally attend in teams comprised of two to eight youth and are accompanied by adult mentor/chaperone(s). The National 4-H Summit for Healthy Living provides learning opportunities benefitting attendees personally as well as in their communities.
Twelve collegiate 4-H members/alums are needed to facilitate activities, serve as group leaders, help plan/implement the summit, and serve as role models to the youth attendees. Applicants need not be members of a formally organized collegiate 4-H club, but must be currently enrolled in an institute of higher education and have at least one year of previous enrollment in 4-H. Preference is given to individuals who have attended a previous National 4-H Summit for Healthy Living.
Facilitators should be prepared to put in several hours of prep work prior to the virtual summit, and should also expect to work long hours over the course of the summit weekend. While this will be hard work, this is a great opportunity to meet 4-H members from across the nation as well as other collegiate 4-H members. Your registration fees will be waived and this is a wonderful resume builder for college or employment opportunities.
Applicants must be available virtually for 5-6 hours per day from Thursday, February 11th through Monday, February 15th, 2021. If you have questions or need further information, please contact Justin Crowe at jcrowe3@utk.edu or 865-974-2128. All applicants will be notified if they are accepted no later than November 30, 2020.
If you would like to be a Collegiate Facilitator, please complete the attached form and email to Justin Crowe by November 20, 2020:
Justin Crowe
Director and State 4-H Program Leader
University of Tennessee Extension
jcrowe3@utk.edu
PD and Coaching
- Thriving Together: Recovery & Resilience during and post-COVID 19 Webinar
November 12, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
This session will focus on the healing, recovery and resilience in two areas of WCC initiative—youth and communities—especially during COVID but looking ahead post-COVID.
- Youth: The 4-H Thriving Model by Dr. Mary Arnold will focus on capacity building around programs and activities that promote thriving youth especially during COVID and a post-COVID world. Mary Arnold is Director, Youth Development Research and Practice at National 4-H Council. She currently teaches at Oregon State University on 4-H Youth Development. Dr. Arnold developed the 4-H Thriving Model which describes the processes to support positive youth development in 4-H.
- Community: Well Being Trust will present practical actions for communities across America who want to heal through the trauma of COVID-19 and secure vital conditions for people and places to thrive. Our guest speaker will highlight actions to accelerate an equitable recovery and build resilience over time.
Learning objectives include:
- Application of understanding of how 4-H helps young people thrive to shape recruitment and engagement of youth in WCC coalitions.
- Identify opportunities that will foster inclusivity and diversity among 4-H youth.
- Support communities in reaching beyond learning outcomes to probing into “what happens” especially in a COVID and post-COVID world.
- Learn practical actions that are consistent with determinants of health for an equitable recovery and resilience during COVID and post-COVID.
- WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community
WCC is partnering with 100 Million Lives to lead the work on racial justice. WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community provides space for communities, organizations, and coalitions to learn with one another. Together, communities reflect and take action to address racism in relationships and in structures and systems. Register at https://winnetwork.org/communities-1 to participate.
Top 3 reasons to join:
- Develop identity, voice and skills to advance racial justice.
- Share ideas and solve problems together as part of a community dedicated to this.
- Learn to tackle racism at multiple levels to create structural and systemic change.
News, Research and Resources from the Field:
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will recognize the annual event with online activities on Thursday, November 19. HRSA Administrator Tom Engels will kick off the day, along with a welcome from Jeff Colyer, Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. HRSA will host a variety of events throughout the week which are open to the public, including a virtual rural job fair and webinars focused on the rural response to COVID-19, social determinants of health, and telehealth.
Tuesday, November 10 at 3:00 pm ET. The collaborative that includes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Aspen Institute will hold an hour-long virtual exchange to discuss health and equity in rural places.
- NEW Using Accountable Care Programs to Improve the Delivery of Behavioral Health Care
| This report from the National Academy for State Health Policy examines how Colorado, Minnesota, and Rhode Island are using accountable care programs to improve the delivery of behavioral health services. It was developed through HRSA’s cooperative agreement with the National Organizations of State and Local Officials. Read the report. |
- NIFA’s Food Safety Programs Help Consumers Stay Safe
Do you remember the last time you got sick from eating something that “didn’t agree with you?” It’s likely you or someone you know has experienced food poisoning. It’s not fun! Unfortunately, the health impact of foodborne illnesses in the United States is considerable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year, roughly 1 in 6 Americans (48 million people) gets sick; 128,000 are hospitalized; and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses. NIFA seeks to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness and provide a safer food supply by supporting research, education, and extension activities addressing current priority issues and multiple disciplines in food safety. For more information, read the NIFA blog.
- New Research Effort Aims to Improve Health Outcomes for Rural Patients
How much will it cost? For many, this question is the most critical determining factor in receiving quality medical care but can be difficult to broach with a health care provider. A new research effort led by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture aims to better facilitate these conversations, leading to improved health outcomes. “Access to care and following treatment recommendations from a health care provider is often impacted by other expenses, like childcare, transportation, housing or regular bills,” states Christopher T. Sneed, assistant professor and lead investigator for the project. Over the next two years, the research team will develop and test materials for older adults and health care providers that help cost of care conversations take place. “For patients living in poverty, especially in rural areas, out-of-pocket costs can mean the difference between following treatment recommendations and ignoring them completely,” continues Sneed. This effort is supported by a new grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, read the University of Tennessee article.
- USDA Farm to School Grant Program – January 8
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects to make 150 awards of up to $100,000 each to improve access to local foods in schools. Grants will be made under three tracks: 1) implementation grants to help schools develop existing efforts; 2) turnkey grants for schools or districts just getting started; and 3) state agency grants to develop farm-to-school efforts in their states.
This is a recording of an 80-minute presentation (via Adobe Connect) by the Health Resources and Services Administration on rural-focused federal programs and resources. Presenters represent USDA’s Rural Development and Rural Utilities Service, telecommunications programming at the Universal Service Administrative Company, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and two FORHP-funded rural hospital programs.
Childhood anxiety and mood disorders are on the rise, as reported by the CDC. COVID-19 is hitting children and adolescents hard, highlighting the critical importance of a secure family, modeling of positive coping, and cultivating constructive ways to bolster resilience in youth.
- Youth Garden Grant
Youth Garden Grants are awarded to schools and community organizations with youth-centered garden programs. Closing date: Dec. 18, 2020.
HRSA-21-021 – The purpose of this grant program is to promote the development of integrated health care networks and bring together key parts of a rural health care delivery system, particularly those entities that may not have collaborated in the past, to work together to establish or improve local capacity and coordination of care. Closing date: Nov. 16, 2020.