The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of December 7, 2020:
In this Edition
- Q4 Reporting
- Youth Voice and Leadership
- WCC Grant Financial Office Hours
- News, Research, and Resources from the Field
Q4 Reporting
- The Q4 report will be due December 15, 2020. The reporting period is September 1 – November 30, 2020.
- The reporting will consist of each community submitting a community report – submitted via the WCC community portal
- one LGU Financial Status Report – an excel spreadsheet submitted to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu
- one Tobacco Separation Protocol validation letter – emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.
Youth Voice and Leadership
- Second Youth Introductory Session, January 19, 2021, 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET
On January 19, 2021, from 7:00 – 8:30 PM ET, there will be another virtual Youth Introductory Session where the youth teams from our WCC communities can introduce themselves and their health issues to their peers. We had a very successful first session on August 26, 2020 with 49 participants. Youth from that session are invited to return to cheer on and learn about their peers. This repeat session is for those communities that did not have youth on the August call and to introduce WCC youth to each other prior to the National 4-H Summit on Healthy Living. Each youth team is asked to prepare 1-2 slides to tell about their communities and their activities. PI’s are asked to register their youth and adult participants using this link. Slides should be sent to Hayat Essa (hessa@fourhcouncil.edu) by January 11, 2021.
- 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 open Christmas Week and close January 22, 2021. Once your team is registered, you will have the opportunity to select a track for your team from these 6: Food Insecurity, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Health Equity. The selection will need to be made by January 29, 2021.
- 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 to see the impact on communities.
- Deadline Extended National 4-H Summit on Healthy Living Request for Workshop Proposal
National 4-H Council invites you to submit a proposal to conduct a workshop for the virtual National 4-H Summit (N4-HS) on Healthy Living. The N4-HS on Healthy Living takes place February 13 – 16, 2021. Workshops provide youth with a place to gain information in specific subject areas to increase knowledge, inspire career paths and help them develop action plans to implement and create change/impact in their communities. These action plans enable youth and adults, working together powerfully, to share information and bring about positive health outcomes in their home states. Interested youth and adult teams have an opportunity to submit a proposal for the N4-HS on Healthy Living by:
Proposal submission deadline has been extended: December 11, 2020
Target audience: Youth in grades 9–12
Workshop timeframe: 45-minute
Workshop participant size: Average of 20 – 30 participants
Workshop criteria: High level of hands-on, given the virtual format and include a career component, if feasible.
Submitting a Proposal
Workshops will be conducted via tracks in 2021. The planned tracks are below. Please be sure to indicate which subject matter area you are covering in your proposal.
- Food Insecurity
- Health Equity
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Physical Fitness
- Substance Abuse
Proposal Selection
Proposal application is attached. Proposals will be scored by the Summit Workshop Review Team and you will be contacted by December 18, 2020.
For Questions Please Contact:
Justin Crowe
Summit Coordinator
jcrowe3@utk.edu
865-974-2128
WCC Grant Financial Office Hours
- If you have questions about doing a budget modification, spending, or the Q4 financial reporting, I have set aside 2 blocks of time, one hour each, for Office Hours:
WCC Grant Financial Office Hours
December 8, 2020 and December 10, 2020 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
News, Research and Resources from the Field:
USDA will host a Faith and Opportunity Fellowship convening bringing together faith leaders, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship to engage with peers, discuss common challenges, and hear best practices related to food security and community food system resilience. Register here. Reach out to alex.cordova@usda.gov with any questions.
- NEW From the Journal of Extension Volume 58 Number 5 – October 2020
- We (All) Need to Talk About Race: Building Extension’s Capacity for Dialogue and Action
v58-5comm1
Walcott, Eric; Raison, Brian; Welborn, Rachel; Pirog, Rich; Emery, Mary; Stout, Mike; Hendrix, Laura; Ostrom, Marcia
For Extension to remain relevant to the mission of meeting the most critical community needs, we must examine the racial inequities that hold us back as institutions and lead efforts to engage diverse communities in learning about race through dialogue. Responses from participants in 26 states who joined a train-the-trainer initiative suggested that despite previous efforts, there is great need for increased education and capacity building to address racism and prioritize racial equity both within our institutions and in the communities we serve. For Extension professionals to effectively engage in this work, it is critical for administrators to show visible support.
Participate in the JOE Discussion Forum on “We (All) Need to Talk About Race: Building Extension’s Capacity for Dialogue and Action
- Decision-Making Tree for Prioritizing Racial Equity in Resource Allocation
v58-5tt2
Bain, Jamie; Harden, Noelle; Heim, Stephanie
Within University of Minnesota Extension’s health and nutrition program area, we created and are using a decision-making tree to prioritize our work with communities of color through equitable decision-making practices. The tool is currently used to help grant administrators winnow down a pool of applicants for a participatory grant-making program called the Action Learning Seed Fund. In this article, we draw on our experiences with creating and using the tool to explore its potential application for advancing equitable decision making in other areas of Extension work.
- Tips for Using Photovoice in Evaluation of Extension Programs
v58-5tt7
Keller, Kimberly J. M.; Mott, Rebecca
Photovoice is a technique in which a facilitator guides a participant to produce a photograph and accompanying caption that reflects the participant’s unique views regarding a topic. The photovoice process is designed to be used with a wide range of audiences. This article describes ways Extension educators can incorporate photovoice into the evaluation of Extension programs and identifies issues they should consider when doing so.
Washington Post
Hardest hit are Black, Hispanic, low-income students and children with disabilities.
By Laura Meckler and Hannah Natanson
- NEW Save the Date: No Kid Hungry’s Virtual Rural Child Hunger Summit
March 23-24, 2021
The Summit will occur as a virtual event, held over Zoom for two days on March 23-24, 2021. The goals of the 2021 Rural Child Hunger Summit are to highlight the disparities driving child hunger in rural communities, identify promising practices and policy levers that amplify the impact of existing nutrition assistance programs and/or reduce the incidence of rural child hunger, and celebrate innovations that are community-based, user-centered and evidence-informed
Stay tuned for future updates on how to register for this free event. In the meantime, you can learn more about past Summits by visiting our website.
- NEW Awards and Grant Opportunities
SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) is accepting applications for fiscal year 2021 Statewide Family Network grant program to more effectively respond to the needs of children, youth, and young adults with serious emotional disturbances (SED) and their families. Closing date: Jan. 4, 2021.
Funding for programs designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems, including those found in rural and underserved areas. Funding priorities include prescription drug and opioid abuse, education, and rural intermediary organizations. Closing date: Jan 6, 2021.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service grants to plan, establish, and/or sustain a Farm to School program that improves access to local foods in schools. Closing date: Jan. 8, 2021.
Grants to small communities to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district, or “Main Street” area, by replacing unused, obsolete, commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. Closing Date: Jan. 19, 2021.
- Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program makes federal funds available by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to states, U.S territories, Indian tribal governments, and local communities for pre-disaster mitigation activities. Closing date: Jan 29, 2020.
Presented by The Social Impact Exchange and Morgan Stanley
Over the past 10 years, SIE has hosted the nation’s only annual conference exclusively focused on scaling social impact. The conference is now hosted in partnership with Morgan Stanley. The Exchange 2020: Unifying Leadership was held virtually on September 23-24.
In this year of existential issues, we need leaders who can bring us together to achieve true systems change. The Exchange 2020 tackled pressing concerns of racial equity, the global pandemic, and the most severe recession in the United States since the Great Depression. We identified systemic solutions that can emerge from these challenges to create transformational change. Below are video highlights from the 2020 Exchange conference.
SELECT VIDEOS FROM THE EXCHANGE 2020
The Brookings Institution
By: Anthony F. Pipa and Natalie Geismar Thursday, November 19, 2020
- NIFA Funds Tribal Programs to Support Learning, Health, and Opportunity
NIFA funds programs that promote learning, opportunities and health in Tribal communities. The total amount NIFA invested in all Tribal programs in FY 2020 was approximately $28 million. Tribal land-grant colleges and universities infuse components of Native American culture in their teaching curriculum. For example, an environmental biology class may be combined with studies of Navajo names of plant species. Through Tribal research grants, tribal colleges partner with other land-grant universities to address issues of interest to local Native American communities, such as preserving tribal forests or protecting water quality on reservations. Tribal college extension services reach out to Native American ranchers and farmers to improve farm profitability. They also provide vital health, safety and economic development information to tribal communities. The Tribal Colleges also receive an endowment that supports facilities and other critical needs at these schools. For more information, read the NIFA blog.
- From eXtension
- Getting Ready To Tell Consumers About MyPlate & the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. December 2nd, 2 PM. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be released soon, and anticipation is building around this important roadmap for healthy eating. As a Cooperative Extension nutrition communicator, you play an important role in helping us disseminate key Dietary Guidelines consumer messages to your unique audiences in your local communities throughout the country. While the content of the latest Dietary Guidelines is being finalized, during the webinar we will share key consumer messaging with you and offer suggestions for getting promotional materials ready. Learn More & Register Here.
Connect Extension Virtual Chat: Video Production in Cooperative Extension – Crowdsourcing Training Resources & Ideas. December 3rd, 1 PM ET. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Cooperative Extension professionals are branching out to add simple video production to their skillset. If you’re already using your laptop, iPhone, or iPad to create and edit videos – or if you’d like to learn more – this virtual chat is for you. We’ll be crowdsourcing information from across Cooperative Extension about training resources and ideas for video production. Learn More & RSVP Here.
Connect Extension Virtual Chat: Using Data to Understand the Community You Serve. December 10th, 1 PM – 2 PM ET. The purpose of this chat is to gather information for creating an eFieldBook targeted at Extension professionals about using data in their work. This virtual chat will provide an opportunity to have a conversation about whether participants are – or would like to be – using data in their work to understand and improve their communities. We’ll also explore what data possibilities participants are aware of, and what data-related topics they would like to learn more about. Learn More & RSVP Here