20 Oct 2020

WCC Weekly Bulletin Week of 10/19

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of October 19, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Quarterly PI Call Friday, November 20, 2020
  • Community Health Action Plans
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD and Coaching
  • FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards
  • 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, August 21, 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 will be reaching out to determine availability and coordinate the session.

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

  • Youth Mental Health Peer Circle

Youth Presenter: Sophia Rodriquez – Sophia is a junior at the University of Georgia and the 2018 Healthy Living Youth in Action Award winner.  Her platform was mental health and helping others learn to cope with mental health issues in their families.

Mental health is important at every stage of life. This peer session on mental health will explore the impact of mental health from youth and adult perspectives. Beyond the examining the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of youth and adults alike, we will be learning from our peers their experience and opportunities available to lead people to mental well-being. Sophia Rodriquez, 2018 4-H Youth in Action: Healthy Living will co-present and co-facilitate this session. The following topics will be discussed:

  • What do youth have to say about mental health; learn about the results of a recent Youth Mental Health Survey that included the effects of COVID-19 on how youth see their own mental health during this time
  • Opportunities to engage community members to destigmatize public health crisis on the mental health of teens- from the perspective of teens themselves.  
  • What do WCC youth and adult community leaders have to say about this public health issue and what they can do within their own communities to open up dialogue about mental health.

If you have the opportunity, we invite you to view Part 1 and Part 2.

The slide deck for both session is attached.  

PD and Coaching

  • THIS WEEK Youth-Adult Volunteer Leadership Office Hours

Office hours will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST to entertain questions about Youth-Adult Partnerships or Master Volunteers.  The specific sub-topic for Master Volunteers will be how to communicate impact when working with these highly trained volunteers.  When you register, if you have specific questions, please enter them so they are sure to be addressed.

Register Here

  • 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.

Register Here

  • 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: 

  1. Develop identity, voice and skills to advance racial justice.
  2. Share ideas and solve problems together as part of a community dedicated to this.
  3. Learn to tackle racism at multiple levels to create structural and systemic change.

FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards

  • We are pleased to share some exciting updates regarding the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards. National 4-H Council has successfully raised additional funding ($160,000) to underwrite a second round of FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards. As a reminder,100% of this amount will go to state and local 4-H programs rather than the 70/30 split that was initially announced in April.  

Applications for the second round of funding will be available on 4-H.org/ApplyFourward on September 30 at 9:00 am ET. The application period will remain open until October 19 at 11:59 pm ET.  

For more information about how to submit a successful application for the PYD Awards, please reference the following:   

The application process is consistent with the approach followed in June, with the addition of a diversity, equity and inclusion question.  Programs that applied during the first round but were not awarded funding are permitted to revise and resubmit their applications in October. 

Thank you to ADM, Crop Risk Services, Corteva, Microsoft and Tractor Supply Company for providing their generous support – making this next round of PYD awards possible. 

Please direct any questions about the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards to Jeanine Goldsmith or Nina Lovelace.

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW 2020 APLU Annual Meeting Registration Now Open

For the first time in its 133-year history, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Annual Meeting will be held virtually Nov. 9-11, 2020. This year’s theme is Resilience & Equity. According to APLU President Peter McPherson, the APLU Annual Meeting is still here to provide higher education leaders with an opportunity to strengthen our community with opportunities to share best practices and strategies while making lasting connections with colleagues from across North America. Click Here for the Cooperative Extension Section’s Guide to APLU/FANR Events which includes links to register for the APLU Annual meeting.  

More than three in five (61 percent) U.S. households with children report experiencing serious financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a report from National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health finds.

  • NEW Closing the Opportunity Gap: 4-H and the PYD Solution Forum

To celebrate the release of Council’s PYD White Paper, “Beyond the Gap: How America Can Address the Widening Opportunity Gap Facing Young People,” a virtual discussion of the findings was held over Zoom. This virtual discussion was led by the following Extension and National 4-H Council leaders: 

  • Dr. Edwin Jones, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and immediate past ECOP chair, National 4-H Council Trustee
  • Dr. Kathleen Lodl, Associate Dean and State 4-H Program Leader, University of Nebraska, chair, Program Leaders Working Group
  • Dr. Mary Arnold, Director of Youth Development Research and Practice, National 4-H Council
  • Tay Moore, Louisiana 4-H alumnus and National 4-H Council Young Alumni Advisory Committee member

Recording can found HERE and the Presentation slides found HERE.

  • NEW from eXtension
  • eXtension Hosting FDA’s Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition for Webinar: The New Nutrition Facts Label – What’s Changed and What’s Been Updated. October 22nd, 2020, 2 PM – 3 PM ET. FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), the Federal agency responsible for the Nutrition Facts label, as well as the nutrition education and outreach related to the label, will take you “behind the label” to share background on the changes and provide an in-depth tour of the updated Nutrition Facts label. CFSAN staff will also share educational materials and resources on the updated Nutrition Facts label for both health professionals and consumers. Learn More & Register Here. 
  • Investing in Community Resilience Webinar: Advocating for Trauma-Informed Policy & Systems Change. October 20th, 3 PM – 4 PM ET. This is available to eXtension Members Only. Building on the Scattergood Foundation’s Trauma-Informed Philanthropy series, we are pleased to present a 10-month learning series, Investing in Community Resilience. This series, presented in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, will provide vital information to funders and cooperative extension professionals for developing trauma-informed, healing-centered approaches in their work. Learn More and Register Here
  • NEW HRSA Releases 2019-2020 Report on Health Equity: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities

The Health Resources and Services Administration, through the agency’s Office of Health Equity, today released the HRSA 2019-2020 Health Equity Report: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities. The report indicates substantial progress has been made nationally for all Americans in vital indicators including life expectancy, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and influenza and pneumonia; while health inequities between population groups and geographic areas persist. The report will help HRSA and others build upon the agency’s mission to improve health outcomes and address health disparities through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative, high-value programs.

Read the release.

  • NEW 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health Data

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau released the latest data from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5. The NSCH provides annual, national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children, as well as information about their families and communities. The NSCH covers a broad array of health-related topics impacting children and families such as mental and behavioral health. The survey data reveals that 13.2 percent of children aged 3-17 years in the U.S. (about 8 million children) had a current diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition. The most common condition was anxiety, which affected 8.5 percent of children, followed by behavior disorder at 6.8 percent and depression at 3.8 percent. The data also shows that 66.5 percent of children aged 6-17 years met all criteria for flourishing, a term describing children who have positive health and are thriving.

Learn more about the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health data and how it can provide information for program and policy decision-making, implementation, and evaluation.

  • Schools as Nutrition Hubs Grant Opportunity

Deadline to apply is Oct 28, 2020

No Kid Hungry is partnering with the School Nutrition Foundation to support the efforts of school nutrition departments that are working with community organizations, i.e. non-profits and out-of-school time providers, or building new partnerships to ensure kids get the food they need. Grants of up to $50,000 will be given to facilitate partnerships with community organizations to support joint efforts to ensure kids in their community have access to the federal meals programs, backpack programs and food pantries. This grant will also support the needs of school nutrition departments to run these programs. 

Details:

  • Eligibility Criteria: School districts that are currently working with community organizations, or intend to work with community organizations, to provide children in their communities with access to the federal meals programs, backpack programs or food pantries during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Length of Grant: November 15, 2020 – November 15, 2021
  • Grant Amount: up to $50,000 awarded to school nutrition departments
  • Proposals Due: October 28, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. ET

Download the RFP to find out more about the grant and how to apply!

The rate of U.S. adults who have obesity stands at more than 42%. This marks the first time the national rate has passed the 40% mark and is a 26% increase since 2008. Check out Trust for America’s Health’s State of Obesity report for additional information.

“Americans have been fed a false history.” That’s the message behind Illuminative’s Indigenous People’s Day Toolkit, which celebrates and honors Native people. Dive into the importance of celebrating and promoting this holiday here.

13 Oct 2020

WCC Weekly Bulletin Week of 10/12

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of October 12, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Community Health Action Plans
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD and Coaching
  • FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

Community Health Action Plans

  • All communities that submitted an action plan should have received their feedback summaries by September 30, 2020. If your community submitted an action plan and did not receive a feedback summary by September 30, 2020, please let Shay know as soon as possible. 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. We encourage you to review this feedback with your partners and update your action plan as needed. Please plan to upload your updated action plan to your community portal by November 30, 2020.  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

  • Youth Mental Health Peer Circle

Youth Presenter: Sophia Rodriquez – Sophia is a junior at the University of Georgia and the 2018 Healthy Living Youth in Action Award winner.  Her platform was mental health and helping others learn to cope with mental health issues in their families.

Mental health is important at every stage of life. This peer session on mental health will explore the impact of mental health from youth and adult perspectives. Beyond the examining the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of youth and adults alike, we will be learning from our peers their experience and opportunities available to lead people to mental well-being. Sophia Rodriquez, 2018 4-H Youth in Action: Healthy Living will co-present and co-facilitate this session. The following topics will be discussed:

  • What do youth have to say about mental health; learn about the results of a recent Youth Mental Health Survey that included the effects of COVID-19 on how youth see their own mental health during this time
  • Opportunities to engage community members to destigmatize public health crisis on the mental health of teens- from the perspective of teens themselves.  
  • What do WCC youth and adult community leaders have to say about this public health issue and what they can do within their own communities to open up dialogue about mental health.

If you have the opportunity, we invite you to view Part 1 and Part 2.

The slide deck for both session is attached.  

PD and Coaching

  • Youth-Adult Volunteer Leadership Office Hours

Office hours will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST to entertain questions about Youth-Adult Partnerships or Master Volunteers.  The specific sub-topic for Master Volunteers will be how to communicate impact when working with these highly trained volunteers.  When you register, if you have specific questions, please enter them so they are sure to be addressed.

Register Here

  • 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.

Register Here

FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards

  • We are pleased to share some exciting updates regarding the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards. National 4-H Council has successfully raised additional funding ($160,000) to underwrite a second round of FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards. As a reminder,100% of this amount will go to state and local 4-H programs rather than the 70/30 split that was initially announced in April.  

Applications for the second round of funding will be available on 4-H.org/ApplyFourward on September 30 at 9:00 am ET. The application period will remain open until October 19 at 11:59 pm ET.  

For more information about how to submit a successful application for the PYD Awards, please reference the following:   

The application process is consistent with the approach followed in June, with the addition of a diversity, equity and inclusion question.  Programs that applied during the first round but were not awarded funding are permitted to revise and resubmit their applications in October. 

Thank you to ADM, Crop Risk Services, Corteva, Microsoft and Tractor Supply Company for providing their generous support – making this next round of PYD awards possible. 

Please direct any questions about the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards to Jeanine Goldsmith or Nina Lovelace.

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW Schools as Nutrition Hubs Grant Opportunity

Deadline to apply is Oct 28, 2020

No Kid Hungry is partnering with the School Nutrition Foundation to support the efforts of school nutrition departments that are working with community organizations, i.e. non-profits and out-of-school time providers, or building new partnerships to ensure kids get the food they need. Grants of up to $50,000 will be given to facilitate partnerships with community organizations to support joint efforts to ensure kids in their community have access to the federal meals programs, backpack programs and food pantries. This grant will also support the needs of school nutrition departments to run these programs. 

Details:

  • Eligibility Criteria: School districts that are currently working with community organizations, or intend to work with community organizations, to provide children in their communities with access to the federal meals programs, backpack programs or food pantries during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Length of Grant: November 15, 2020 – November 15, 2021
  • Grant Amount: up to $50,000 awarded to school nutrition departments
  • Proposals Due: October 28, 2020 by 11:59 p.m. ET

Download the RFP to find out more about the grant and how to apply!

The rate of U.S. adults who have obesity stands at more than 42%. This marks the first time the national rate has passed the 40% mark and is a 26% increase since 2008. Check out Trust for America’s Health’s State of Obesity report for additional information.

“Americans have been fed a false history.” That’s the message behind Illuminative’s Indigenous People’s Day Toolkit, which celebrates and honors Native people. Dive into the importance of celebrating and promoting this holiday here.

2nd Episode in 6-part series: Tues., Oct. 13, 2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT, Register here. 

Research demonstrates that spirituality and religious belief can be a protective factor in the prevention of, and recovery from, mental illness.  Learn more about programs that have translated this research into action and the importance of providing spiritual support for the clinicians themselves. Learn more about this series here and listen to prior episodes here.

NOT-MH-20-073 — The National Institute of Mental Health seeks time-sensitive input from all interested parties on the most innovative research and research priorities to improve mental health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority and health disparities populations. Learn more here.  Response date: Oct. 30, 2020.

A new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics compares 41 indicators of well-being in children by the type of community they live in. (These are metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, micropolitan, or rural, according to the Office of Management and Budget.) The brief finds that infant mortality rates were highest in rural counties (6.8 per 1,000). During the same time, the mortality rate for Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic infants was also higher for those living in rural counties than those living in micropolitan and metropolitan counties. Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5-17 years, 2019, finding that as the level of urbanization decreased, the percentage of children who had taken medication for their mental health increased.

HRSA will release 2019 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5, which is also National Child Health Day. The NSCH provides the latest national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children as well as information about their families and communities.

Survey topics include:

  • Children’s physical and mental health;
  • Health insurance status;
  • Access to and use of health care services, including:
    • Receipt of preventive and specialty care;
    • Patient-centered medical home; and
    • Services to support transition to adult health care for adolescents;
  • Lifetime exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and more. 

The NSCH is funded and directed by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which oversees sampling, survey administration and the production of a final data set for public use. Look for the release on our social media channels (@HRSAgov), and like and share to show your support of Child Health Day.

  • Deadline Approaching 2021 Culture of Health Prize

Call for Applications | Application Deadline: Thu, 15 Oct 2020

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs, and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live. 

Learn more about how you can be one of our next Culture of Health Prize-winning communities by reviewing an informational webinar recording and slides.

Listen to a Prize Alumni webinar recording to hear representatives from Prize communities share their insights on the value of winning the Prize.

6 Oct 2020

WCC Weekly Bulletin Week of 10/5

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of October 5, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Community Health Action Plans
  • Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD and Coaching
  • FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

Community Health Action Plans

  • All communities that submitted an action plan should have received their feedback summaries by September 30, 2020. If your community submitted an action plan and did not receive a feedback summary by September 30, 2020, please let Shay know as soon as possible. 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. We encourage you to review this feedback with your partners and update your action plan as needed. Please plan to upload your updated action plan to your community portal by November 30, 2020.  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.  

Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities

  • The  Center for Community Health and Evaluation, the evaluation partner for WCC, will be conducting their first major evaluation data collection effort at the community level. This first year of the evaluation, CCHE will be focusing on communities that participated in Wave 1 of WCC. In the coming weeks, CCHE will be reaching out to PIs who started in Wave 1 for support on the following evaluation activities:
  • Community coalition surveys – CCHE will launch a survey at the end of August/beginning of September to collect information on how community collaboration is going, what is working well, and where there might be opportunities to strengthen partnerships. You will receive a report that includes the survey results for all of your communities that complete the survey for your use and so that you can share back with your communities.
  • Youth interviews – CCHE would like to ask PIs of Wave 1 communities to help identify 1 youth who would be willing to talk about their experience with WCC. The youth could be from any of your communities that engaged in Wave 1; ideally they have been participating in WCC for at least one year, but that’s not required. CCHE aims to conduct the youth interviews in early September.

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • THIS WEEKYouth Mental Health Peer Circle

Part 2: October 7, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Part 2 of the Youth Mental Health Peer Circle will be Wednesday, October 7 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET when we will unpack Youth Mental Health Programs planned by WCC Communities.  You are welcome to join even if you missed session 1.  If you have the opportunity, we invite you to view Part 1.  

Register for Part 2

The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.) The session will be based on the discussion from the September 2, 2020 Session.

  • Youth Food Security Webinar Postponed

The Youth Food Security Webinar originally scheduled for September 23 was postponed.  At the September 2 Youth Introductory Session, there was wonderful WCC work already in progress engaging youth leadership in organizing the distribution of blessing boxes (similar to Little Free Libraries), and other food distribution techniques.  If anyone has youth who would like to help plan and carry out a youth-driven food security webinar, please let JoAnne Leatherman (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu) know by the end of September.  We would like to highlight your work through this webinar, which will likely be in late October.

PD and Coaching

  • Youth-Adult Volunteer Leadership Office Hours

Office hours will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST to entertain questions about Youth-Adult Partnerships or Master Volunteers.  The specific sub-topic for Master Volunteers will be how to communicate impact when working with these highly trained volunteers.  When you register, if you have specific questions, please enter them so they are sure to be addressed.

Register Here

  • 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.

Register Here

  • Leading Together for Equity and Inclusion Webinar

September 17, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Presenter: Dorothy Freeman, PhD

Recording (slide deck attached)

Dr. Freeman is the Director of Equity at National 4-H Council whose role is to lead Council to strategically align its programmatic priorities and vision with the Equity, Access and Belonging Committee. Dr. Freeman has a distinctive career in 4-H Extension where she was Associate Dean and State 4-H Director with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development and 25years Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech University. 

Dr. Freeman will delve into the topics listed below and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with some Wave 2 grantees:

  • How are we defining equity and inclusion? Holding it as a value? [CES & 4-H]
  • What is Extension/4-H learning about equity during this time of multiple pandemics (COVID-19 and widespread calls for racial justice)
  • How are we adapting/moving to action?
  • What are the unique challenges and opportunities related to WCC? What is our unique role?
  • The Extension Model as a community engagement model.

FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards

  • We are pleased to share some exciting updates regarding the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards. National 4-H Council has successfully raised additional funding ($160,000) to underwrite a second round of FOURWARD Fund PYD Awards. As a reminder,100% of this amount will go to state and local 4-H programs rather than the 70/30 split that was initially announced in April.  

Applications for the second round of funding will be available on 4-H.org/ApplyFourward on September 30 at 9:00 am ET. The application period will remain open until October 19 at 11:59 pm ET.  

For more information about how to submit a successful application for the PYD Awards, please reference the following:   

The application process is consistent with the approach followed in June, with the addition of a diversity, equity and inclusion question.  Programs that applied during the first round but were not awarded funding are permitted to revise and resubmit their applications in October. 

Thank you to ADM, Crop Risk Services, Corteva, Microsoft and Tractor Supply Company for providing their generous support – making this next round of PYD awards possible. 

Please direct any questions about the FOURWARD Fund Positive Youth Development (PYD) Awards to Jeanine Goldsmith or Nina Lovelace.

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

Thurs., Oct. 8, 2020, 2:00 p.m. EDT

Join this bilingual Twitter chat in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month. The chat will focus on highlighting healthy behaviors for the Hispanic/Latino community in light of the COVID-19 pandemic; getting the recommended vaccinations; and highlight efforts to improve diversity in clinical trials.  Use #HealthyLatinos.

2nd Episode in 6-part series: Tues., Oct. 13, 2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT, Register here. 

Research demonstrates that spirituality and religious belief can be a protective factor in the prevention of, and recovery from, mental illness.  Learn more about programs that have translated this research into action and the importance of providing spiritual support for the clinicians themselves. Learn more about this series here and listen to prior episodes here.

NOT-MH-20-073 — The National Institute of Mental Health seeks time-sensitive input from all interested parties on the most innovative research and research priorities to improve mental health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority and health disparities populations. Learn more here.  Response date: Oct. 30, 2020.

A new report from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics compares 41 indicators of well-being in children by the type of community they live in. (These are metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, micropolitan, or rural, according to the Office of Management and Budget.) The brief finds that infant mortality rates were highest in rural counties (6.8 per 1,000). During the same time, the mortality rate for Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic infants was also higher for those living in rural counties than those living in micropolitan and metropolitan counties. Separately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Mental Health Treatment Among Children Aged 5-17 years, 2019, finding that as the level of urbanization decreased, the percentage of children who had taken medication for their mental health increased.

HRSA will release 2019 data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) on October 5, which is also National Child Health Day. The NSCH provides the latest national and state-level data on the health and health care needs of children as well as information about their families and communities.

Survey topics include:

  • Children’s physical and mental health;
  • Health insurance status;
  • Access to and use of health care services, including:
    • Receipt of preventive and specialty care;
    • Patient-centered medical home; and
    • Services to support transition to adult health care for adolescents;
  • Lifetime exposure to adverse childhood experiences, and more. 

The NSCH is funded and directed by HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, which oversees sampling, survey administration and the production of a final data set for public use. Look for the release on our social media channels (@HRSAgov), and like and share to show your support of Child Health Day.

  • 2021 Culture of Health Prize

Call for Applications | Application Deadline: Thu, 15 Oct 2020

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize (the Prize) elevates the compelling stories of places where residents are working together to transform education, jobs, transportation, housing, and more so better health flourishes for all. A Culture of Health recognizes that where we live—such as our access to affordable homes, quality schools, good jobs, and reliable transportation—affects how long and how well we live. 

Learn more about how you can be one of our next Culture of Health Prize-winning communities by reviewing an informational webinar recording and slides.

Listen to a Prize Alumni webinar recording to hear representatives from Prize communities share their insights on the value of winning the Prize.

  • Let’s Talk About Recovery — Resources from NIDA

In acknowledgment of National Recovery Month, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released the following resources to help jumpstart a dialogue with your community and family members.

MTV premiered a new four-part docu-series,“16 and Recovering,” spotlighting stories from teens at Northshore Recovery High School in Massachusetts.  The program can be a  conversation starter for parents, caregivers, and educators to help teens realize they’re not alone or different—and that the disease of addiction is treatable.

NIDA’s preferred language guide helps de-stigmatize conversations about drug use and addiction using person-first, non-judgmental language. Additional information may be found on drugabuse.gov and teens.drugabuse.gov.

This series of publications is filled with resources and information to help you or someone you care about who might have a drug use disorder, including a guide specifically written for young people.

During National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, teens often ask about a cure for addiction. In this blog post for teens, experts explain that while there may not be a cure, there is treatment that helps people live full, healthy lives.

These questions, outlined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), will help you learn whether a substance use disorder treatment provider offers higher-quality treatment and is a good fit for your situation. Here is the link to NIAAA’s tool for recognizing quality care. 

29 Sep 2020

WCC Weekly Bulletin Week of 9/28

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of September 28, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Q3 Reporting Deadline Approaching
  • Community Health Action Plans
  • Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD and Coaching
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

Q3 Reporting Deadline Approaching

  • The Q3 report will be due September 30, 2020.
    • The reporting will consist of each community submitting a community report – submitted via the WCC community portal; Reporting period for Q3 is June 1 – August 31, 2020.
    • one LGU Financial Status Report – submitted through WebGrants; Please report your spending in all budget categories against your current approved budget for the entire grant. In other words, all spending from December 1, 2019 – August 31, 2020.
    • one Tobacco Separation Protocol validation letter – can be submitted via WebGrants as an attachment with Financial Status Report or emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.

Community Health Action Plans

  • We are continuing to share feedback and connect with communities around their action plans. All communities that have submitted an action plan should receive their feedback summaries by September 30, 2020. If your community submitted an action plan and does not receive a feedback summary by September 30, 2020, please let Shay know as soon as possible. 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. We encourage you to review this feedback with your partners and update your action plan as needed. Please plan to upload your updated action plan to your community portal by November 30, 2020.  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.  

Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities

  • The  Center for Community Health and Evaluation, the evaluation partner for WCC, will be conducting their first major evaluation data collection effort at the community level. This first year of the evaluation, CCHE will be focusing on communities that participated in Wave 1 of WCC. In the coming weeks, CCHE will be reaching out to PIs who started in Wave 1 for support on the following evaluation activities:
  • Community coalition surveys – CCHE will launch a survey at the end of August/beginning of September to collect information on how community collaboration is going, what is working well, and where there might be opportunities to strengthen partnerships. You will receive a report that includes the survey results for all of your communities that complete the survey for your use and so that you can share back with your communities.
  • Youth interviews – CCHE would like to ask PIs of Wave 1 communities to help identify 1 youth who would be willing to talk about their experience with WCC. The youth could be from any of your communities that engaged in Wave 1; ideally they have been participating in WCC for at least one year, but that’s not required. CCHE aims to conduct the youth interviews in early September.

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • Youth Mental Health Peer Circle

Part 2: October 7, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Part 2 of the Youth Mental Health Peer Circle will be Wednesday, October 7 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET when we will unpack Youth Mental Health Programs planned by WCC Communities.  You are welcome to join even if you missed session 1.  If you have the opportunity, we invite you to view Part 1.  

Register for Part 2

The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.) The session will be based on the discussion from the September 2, 2020 Session.

  • Youth Food Security Webinar Postponed

The Youth Food Security Webinar originally scheduled for September 23 was postponed.  At the September 2 Youth Introductory Session, there was wonderful WCC work already in progress engaging youth leadership in organizing the distribution of blessing boxes (similar to Little Free Libraries), and other food distribution techniques.  If anyone has youth who would like to help plan and carry out a youth-driven food security webinar, please let JoAnne Leatherman (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu) know by the end of September.  We would like to highlight your work through this webinar, which will likely be in late October.

PD and Coaching

  • Youth-Adult Volunteer Leadership Office Hours

Office hours will be held on Tuesday, October 20 from 1:30 – 2:30 PM EST to entertain questions about Youth-Adult Partnerships or Master Volunteers.  The specific sub-topic for Master Volunteers will be how to communicate impact when working with these highly trained volunteers.  When you register, if you have specific questions, please enter them so they are sure to be addressed.

Register Here

  • Leading Together for Equity and Inclusion Webinar

September 17, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Presenter: Dorothy Freeman, PhD

Recording (slide deck attached)

Dr. Freeman is the Director of Equity at National 4-H Council whose role is to lead Council to strategically align its programmatic priorities and vision with the Equity, Access and Belonging Committee. Dr. Freeman has a distinctive career in 4-H Extension where she was Associate Dean and State 4-H Director with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development and 25years Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech University. 

Dr. Freeman will delve into the topics listed below and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with some Wave 2 grantees:

  • How are we defining equity and inclusion? Holding it as a value? [CES & 4-H]
  • What is Extension/4-H learning about equity during this time of multiple pandemics (COVID-19 and widespread calls for racial justice)
  • How are we adapting/moving to action?
  • What are the unique challenges and opportunities related to WCC? What is our unique role?
  • The Extension Model as a community engagement model.

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

Tues.,  Sept. 29, 2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT, Register here. 

Research demonstrates that spirituality and religious belief can be a protective factor in the prevention of, and recovery from, mental illness.  Learn more about programs that have translated this research into action and the importance of providing spiritual support for the clinicians themselves.  Join us tomorrow for the first webinar in the series Spirituality in Treatment: Systemic Treatment Models Bridging Faith and Mental Health Professionals.

  • NEW Let’s Talk About Recovery — Resources from NIDA

In acknowledgment of National Recovery Month, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) released the following resources to help jumpstart a dialogue with your community and family members.

MTV premiered a new four-part docu-series,“16 and Recovering,” spotlighting stories from teens at Northshore Recovery High School in Massachusetts.  The program can be a  conversation starter for parents, caregivers, and educators to help teens realize they’re not alone or different—and that the disease of addiction is treatable.

NIDA’s preferred language guide helps de-stigmatize conversations about drug use and addiction using person-first, non-judgmental language. Additional information may be found on drugabuse.gov and teens.drugabuse.gov.

This series of publications is filled with resources and information to help you or someone you care about who might have a drug use disorder, including a guide specifically written for young people.

During National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week®, teens often ask about a cure for addiction. In this blog post for teens, experts explain that while there may not be a cure, there is treatment that helps people live full, healthy lives.

These questions, outlined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), will help you learn whether a substance use disorder treatment provider offers higher-quality treatment and is a good fit for your situation. Here is the link to NIAAA’s tool for recognizing quality care. 

  • Webinar 9/30: Rethinking ID/DD Transportation Services During the COVID-19 Era

Register for the webinar on September 30 at 3 – 4:30 pm ET. 

The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for people with disabilities and older adults, as well as for the aging and disability networks. But leaders rose to the challenge — as innovators and inventors, partners and problem-solvers. States and intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) providers successfully implemented updated waivers, procedural strategies, and other creative approaches to ensure continuity in home and community-based services (HCBS) and overall health and safety. Through the pandemic, we discovered opportunities to rethink and redesign HCBS.

ACL and the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) are partnering to present a series of webinars to explore these opportunities.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. (EDT) for the third webinar of this series, which will focus on transportation services. Specifically, we will:

  • Review the transportation landscape for individuals with ID/DD;
  • Learn from providers about their strategies to operate and maintain transportation services during the pandemic; and
  • Discuss the future of transportation and lessons learned from COVID-19.

ACL Administrator Lance Robertson will provide opening remarks on the webinar.

Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you have questions about the webinar series, please email AoD@acl.hhs.gov.

  • From eXtension
  • Impact Collaborative Summit Registration, Registration Deadline – September 30th. The Impact Collaborative Summit is a team event for eXtension Member Institutions and will be held on October 13th & 14th, 2020. Community partners are encouraged to participate on teams. We highly recommend sending teams that include 3-8 individuals focused on a project or program aligned with state/institutional strategic priorities and/or community issues.

    In 2019, teams that incubated with eXtension’s Impact Collaborative program received $700K in federal grants and an additional $50K in grants directly through the Impact Collaborative. 40 project and program teams participated in two national Summits, and 92% of participants reported that they would recommend the experience to others. So far in 2020, teams that incubated with the Impact Collaborative have received $1.3 million in grants.  Learn more at extension.org/success about teams that have participated in our Impact Collaborative program.

    The Impact Collaborative Summit helps increase Cooperative Extension’s organizational readiness and capacity for innovation and change by connecting teams with skills, tools, resources and partners that can expand and deepen their impact. Participating teams will receive one on one support from coaches to help identify gaps in their project and program planning, and have access to our network of expert Key Informants to help fill those gaps.

    For 2020, our Impact Collaborative program is being delivered virtually. We invite members to take advantage of their membership benefit by sending project and program teams to the Impact Collaborative Summit. Teams that participate will be eligible and invited to apply for small grants made available by the eXtension Foundation to help further their project/program development. Learn more and register.
  • Urban Food Systems Symposium in October Will Focus on Climate, Community, Secutiry, Production, and Distribution
    Heather Woods, Program/Project Coordinator, Kansas State University

All things food in and for urban areas will be in focus during the 3rd Urban Food Systems Symposium scheduled for virtual delivery on Wednesdays in Octobe r and hosted this year by Kansas State University and K-State Research and Extension. 2020 Urban Food Systems Symposium online sessions will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m…Learn More

  • Obesity and its Impact on Health Including COVID-19 Risks
    Sonja Koukel, Professor/Extension Health Specialist, New Mexico State University
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Obesity has serious health consequences including increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and many types of cancers. Concerns about the impact of obesity have taken on new dimensions this year as having obesity is one of the underlying health conditions associated with the most serious consequences of COVID infection…Learn More

  • Racism is a Public Health Crisis – Online Lecture by Camara Phyllis Jones
    Roger Rennekamp, National Extension Health Director, ECOP
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Camara Phyllis Jones will deliver Oregon State University’s Tammy Bray Leadership Lecture on Friday, October 2 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific Time Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, Ph.D., MPH is a family physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on naming, measuring and addressing the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nation…Learn More

  • Racial Healing for Ourselves, Our Communities and Our Future

Webinar  // Date: Sep 29 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST

The fourth webinar in APHA’s Advancing Racial Equity series will discuss racial healing as essential for dismantling racism and advancing racial equity.

REGISTER NOW

Presenters will:

  • Explain a model for truth, racial healing and transformation, or TRHT.
  • Describe efforts of the TRHT Campus Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
  • Explore how Indigenous values can guide racial healing within and across communities.

The first three webinars attracted over 14,000 live participants and more than 2,600 views of the recordings to date. This demonstrates how hungry we all are for information on how we can dismantle racism. To help you use the webinars to initiate or deepen anti-racism efforts in your organizations, schools and communities, we’ve developed a discussion guide to be used along with viewing the webinar recordings. Advancing Racial Equity Webinar Series: Discussion Guide (Part I) includes:

  • a summary of each webinar;
  • pre-webinar reflection questions;
  • post-webinar discussion questions;
  • an activity; and
  • resources for each webinar.

The guide is primarily designed for public health students and professionals. However, many individuals and groups can also use the guide to launch meaningful conversations about racism and racial equity. Please feel free to share the webinar recordings and guide with your networks.

  • From the Journal of Extension
  • A Time Like No Other: 4-H Youth Development and COVID-19
    June 2020 // Volume 58 // Number 3 // Commentary // v58-3comm1
    Arnold, Mary E.; Rennekamp, Roger A.
    In this thought leader commentary, we review the potential devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, including trauma, impacts on mental health, socioemotional distress, and changes in academic learning. Stating that 4-H is uniquely positioned to mitigate these effects through intentional positive youth development efforts, we present a call to action for 4-H educators and Extension administrators as we move from initial reaction to recovery and beyond. We recommend four research-based strategies to ensure that youths not only survive, but thrive, in this time like no other.
  • County Commissioner Perceptions of Cooperative Extension: Implications for Strengthening the Partnership with County Government
    August 2020 // Volume 58 // Number 4 // Feature // v58-4a3
    Blevins, Mark; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bruce, Jackie; Bradley, Lucy; Stumpf-Downing, Mitzi
    We undertook a study to determine county commissioner perceptions of Cooperative Extension. The majority of county commissioners had had prior involvement with Extension. Nearly 59% represented rural counties, and 94% indicated that agriculture is important to their county economies. Overall, the commissioners had a positive perception of Cooperative Extension, and their overall perception positively correlated with the significance of agriculture to the local economy. Our findings have implications for county-based Cooperative Extension professionals seeking to build all-important strong partnerships with county commissioners.

From Yahoo Life

September 13, 2020

Yahoo Life has partnered with Emmy – and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster Soledad O’Brien for the exclusive premiere of the documentary Hungry to Learn. O’Brien and her team followed four college students facing the hard choice of paying for college or paying for food and housing. She discovered that an astounding 45 percent of college students are struggling with hunger. O’Brien reports on how the hunger crisis is escalating this fall as most campuses open remotely because of COVID-19, leaving financially struggling students with no place to live or eat.

22 Sep 2020

Weekly Bulletin 9/21

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of September 21, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Q3 Reporting
  • Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD and Coaching
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

Q3 Reporting

  • The Q3 report will be due September 30, 2020.
    • The reporting will consist of each community submitting a community report – submitted via the WCC community portal
    • one LGU Financial Status Report – submitted through WebGrants
    • one Tobacco Separation Protocol validation letter – can be submitted via WebGrants as an attachment with Financial Status Report or emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.

Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities

  • The  Center for Community Health and Evaluation, the evaluation partner for WCC, will be conducting their first major evaluation data collection effort at the community level. This first year of the evaluation, CCHE will be focusing on communities that participated in Wave 1 of WCC. In the coming weeks, CCHE will be reaching out to PIs who started in Wave 1 for support on the following evaluation activities:
  • Community coalition surveys – CCHE will launch a survey at the end of August/beginning of September to collect information on how community collaboration is going, what is working well, and where there might be opportunities to strengthen partnerships. You will receive a report that includes the survey results for all of your communities that complete the survey for your use and so that you can share back with your communities.
  • Youth interviews – CCHE would like to ask PIs of Wave 1 communities to help identify 1 youth who would be willing to talk about their experience with WCC. The youth could be from any of your communities that engaged in Wave 1; ideally they have been participating in WCC for at least one year, but that’s not required. CCHE aims to conduct the youth interviews in early September.

Youth Voice and Leadership

What is it?

This is a 1-year program that offers students that are interested in hands-on learning to assess and improve population and community health and well-being across sectors with a heavy focus on racism and systemic factors that contribute to inequity. Fellows for this program will be offered training and coaching in applying leading from within skills, leading together skills, and leading for equitable outcomes from the WE in the World team. 

Why join?

As a part of the program, Fellows will have the opportunity to work with youth and other community members for social transformation in areas they are passionate about. They will join a global network of young minds and hearts working to lead together for equity and well-being while looking at their own local conditions to apply their learning.

How to apply?

Please see here for a brief application form, application closes September 28, 2020. For further information please feel free to contact us at louisa.mancey@weintheworld.org.

  • Youth Food Security Webinar Postponed

The Youth Food Security Webinar originally scheduled for September 23 has been postponed.  At the September 2 Youth Introductory Session, there was wonderful WCC work already in progress engaging youth leadership in organizing the distribution of blessing boxes (similar to Little Free Libraries), and other food distribution techniques.  If anyone has youth who would like to help plan and carry out a youth-driven food security webinar, please let JoAnne Leatherman (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu) know by the end of September.  We would like to highlight your work through this webinar, which will likely be in late October.

  • Youth Mental Health Peer Circle

Part 2: October 7, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Mental health is important at every stage of life. This peer session on mental health will explore the impact of mental health from youth and adult perspectives. Beyond the examining the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of youth and adults alike, we will be learning from our peers their experience and opportunities available to lead people to mental well-being.

Register for Part 2

The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.) The session will be based on the discussion from the September 2, 2020 Session.

PD and Coaching

  • We are continuing to share feedback and connect with communities around their action plans. As you continue with your action planning efforts, the PD team is happy to connect to provide guidance and learn from you about the ways in which your goals connect to policies and systems in your community. 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.  

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW Webinar 9/30: Rethinking ID/DD Transportation Services During the COVID-19 Era

Register for the webinar on September 30 at 3 – 4:30 pm ET. 

The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for people with disabilities and older adults, as well as for the aging and disability networks. But leaders rose to the challenge — as innovators and inventors, partners and problem-solvers. States and intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) providers successfully implemented updated waivers, procedural strategies, and other creative approaches to ensure continuity in home and community-based services (HCBS) and overall health and safety. Through the pandemic, we discovered opportunities to rethink and redesign HCBS.

ACL and the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) are partnering to present a series of webinars to explore these opportunities.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 from 3 – 4:30 p.m. (EDT) for the third webinar of this series, which will focus on transportation services. Specifically, we will:

  • Review the transportation landscape for individuals with ID/DD;
  • Learn from providers about their strategies to operate and maintain transportation services during the pandemic; and
  • Discuss the future of transportation and lessons learned from COVID-19.

ACL Administrator Lance Robertson will provide opening remarks on the webinar.

Register in advance for this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. If you have questions about the webinar series, please email AoD@acl.hhs.gov.

  • NEW From eXtension
  • Connect Extension Virtual Chat, September 24th, 1 PM – 2 PM ET: Health Equity and its Implications for Extension Practice. 

Hosted by Roger Rennekamp, National Extension Health Director, ECOP as part of the Health & Well-Being Subgroup.
Cooperative Extension has a long history of providing educational programs which help build health literacy.  But given what we know about the root causes of health disparities, are these programs alone sufficient to change the health trajectories of individuals experiences suboptimal health outcomes?  Might it be necessary for Cooperative Extension to focus more explicitly on reducing or eliminating disparities in health outcomes between groups?  How does that align with the mission of Cooperative Extension and the land grant university system? Join this chat for an engaging discussion with your colleagues about one of the most important issues of our time. Learn More

  • Impact Collaborative Summit Registration, Registration Deadline – September 30th. The Impact Collaborative Summit is a team event for eXtension Member Institutions and will be held on October 13th & 14th, 2020. Community partners are encouraged to participate on teams. We highly recommend sending teams that include 3-8 individuals focused on a project or program aligned with state/institutional strategic priorities and/or community issues.

    In 2019, teams that incubated with eXtension’s Impact Collaborative program received $700K in federal grants and an additional $50K in grants directly through the Impact Collaborative. 40 project and program teams participated in two national Summits, and 92% of participants reported that they would recommend the experience to others. So far in 2020, teams that incubated with the Impact Collaborative have received $1.3 million in grants.  Learn more at extension.org/success about teams that have participated in our Impact Collaborative program.

    The Impact Collaborative Summit helps increase Cooperative Extension’s organizational readiness and capacity for innovation and change by connecting teams with skills, tools, resources and partners that can expand and deepen their impact. Participating teams will receive one on one support from coaches to help identify gaps in their project and program planning, and have access to our network of expert Key Informants to help fill those gaps.

    For 2020, our Impact Collaborative program is being delivered virtually. We invite members to take advantage of their membership benefit by sending project and program teams to the Impact Collaborative Summit. Teams that participate will be eligible and invited to apply for small grants made available by the eXtension Foundation to help further their project/program development. Learn more and register.
  • Urban Food Systems Symposium in October Will Focus on Climate, Community, Secutiry, Production, and Distribution
    Heather Woods, Program/Project Coordinator, Kansas State University

All things food in and for urban areas will be in focus during the 3 rd Urban Food Systems Symposium scheduled for virtual delivery on Wednesdays in Octobe r and hosted this year by Kansas State University and K-State Research and Extension.   2020 Urban Food Systems Symposium   online sessions will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m…Learn More

  • Obesity and its Impact on Health Including COVID-19 Risks
    Sonja Koukel, Professor/Extension Health Specialist, New Mexico State University
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Obesity has serious health consequences including increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and many types of cancers. Concerns about the impact of obesity have taken on new dimensions this year as having obesity is one of the underlying health conditions associated with the most serious consequences of COVID infection…Learn More

  • Racism is a Public Health Crisis – Online Lecture by Camara Phyllis Jones
    Roger Rennekamp, National Extension Health Director, ECOP
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Camara Phyllis Jones will deliver Oregon State University’s Tammy Bray Leadership Lecture on Friday, October 2 from 1:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific Time Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, Ph.D., MPH is a family physician and epidemiologist whose work focuses on naming, measuring and addressing the impacts of racism on the health and well-being of the nation…Learn More

  • NEW Racial Healing for Ourselves, Our Communities and Our Future

Webinar  // Date: Sep 29 2020, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EST

The fourth webinar in APHA’s Advancing Racial Equity series will discuss racial healing as essential for dismantling racism and advancing racial equity.

REGISTER NOW

Presenters will:

  • Explain a model for truth, racial healing and transformation, or TRHT.
  • Describe efforts of the TRHT Campus Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
  • Explore how Indigenous values can guide racial healing within and across communities.

The first three webinars attracted over 14,000 live participants and more than 2,600 views of the recordings to date. This demonstrates how hungry we all are for information on how we can dismantle racism. To help you use the webinars to initiate or deepen anti-racism efforts in your organizations, schools and communities, we’ve developed a discussion guide to be used along with viewing the webinar recordings. Advancing Racial Equity Webinar Series: Discussion Guide (Part I) includes:

  • a summary of each webinar;
  • pre-webinar reflection questions;
  • post-webinar discussion questions;
  • an activity; and
  • resources for each webinar.

The guide is primarily designed for public health students and professionals. However, many individuals and groups can also use the guide to launch meaningful conversations about racism and racial equity. Please feel free to share the webinar recordings and guide with your networks.

  • NEW From the Journal of Extension
  • A Time Like No Other: 4-H Youth Development and COVID-19
    June 2020 // Volume 58 // Number 3 // Commentary // v58-3comm1
    Arnold, Mary E.; Rennekamp, Roger A.
    In this thought leader commentary, we review the potential devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, including trauma, impacts on mental health, socioemotional distress, and changes in academic learning. Stating that 4-H is uniquely positioned to mitigate these effects through intentional positive youth development efforts, we present a call to action for 4-H educators and Extension administrators as we move from initial reaction to recovery and beyond. We recommend four research-based strategies to ensure that youths not only survive, but thrive, in this time like no other.
  • County Commissioner Perceptions of Cooperative Extension: Implications for Strengthening the Partnership with County Government
    August 2020 // Volume 58 // Number 4 // Feature // v58-4a3
    Blevins, Mark; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Bruce, Jackie; Bradley, Lucy; Stumpf-Downing, Mitzi
    We undertook a study to determine county commissioner perceptions of Cooperative Extension. The majority of county commissioners had had prior involvement with Extension. Nearly 59% represented rural counties, and 94% indicated that agriculture is important to their county economies. Overall, the commissioners had a positive perception of Cooperative Extension, and their overall perception positively correlated with the significance of agriculture to the local economy. Our findings have implications for county-based Cooperative Extension professionals seeking to build all-important strong partnerships with county commissioners.
  • NEW Reimagined In America Webinar

From RWJF

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the outdoors have become an important refuge for people to escape the confines of home and find new means of entertainment. Yet quality parks and green spaces tend to be unevenly distributed across cities—often leaving people with low incomes and communities of color without easy access. Research shows that time spent in parks, green spaces and nature boosts health and well-being. To help communities thrive, we must make sure everyone has this opportunity. We’re learning how cities in Costa Rica, India, Singapore and beyond are using creative approaches to connect residents with nature. What can you learn from them as you seek to achieve health equity in your community?

Join us on September 25, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. ET for our webinar Reimagined in America: Investing in Nature to hear:

  • Why investing in nature is good for health, equity and the economy
  • How connections to nature can be part of your COVID-19 recovery
  • What you can do to integrate nature into your neighborhoods and infrastructure

Register to participate >

From Yahoo Life

September 13, 2020

Yahoo Life has partnered with Emmy – and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster Soledad O’Brien for the exclusive premiere of the documentary Hungry to Learn. O’Brien and her team followed four college students facing the hard choice of paying for college or paying for food and housing. She discovered that an astounding 45 percent of college students are struggling with hunger. O’Brien reports on how the hunger crisis is escalating this fall as most campuses open remotely because of COVID-19, leaving financially struggling students with no place to live or eat.

  • Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)

The National Council for Behavioral Health is pleased to announce that they are currently accepting applications to become implementing sites of teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA).  This new version of Mental Health First Aid (specifically for teens) is an evidence-based training that was brought to the United States in partnership with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. It teaches high school students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades how to identify, understand and help their friends with mental health and substance use challenges and how to get the help of an adult quickly.   While other version Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) have been widely utilized by Cooperative Extension, tMFA has just recently been made available to schools and youth serving organizations partnering with schools that are interested in delivering the program in their community.  To learn more visit https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/become-an-instructor/applying-to-teen-mental-health-first-aid-information-and-resources/

For over a decade, Healthier Generation has empowered kids to develop lifelong healthy habits by ensuring the environments that surround them support their physical, social and emotional health. 

15 Sep 2020

Weekly Bulletin 08/31

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of August 31, 2020:

In this Edition

  • WCC Website and Community Dashboard Launch
  • Action Plan Feedback Summaries
  • Q3 Reporting
  • Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD Calendar
  • Webinar Recordings
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

WCC Website and Community Dashboard Launch

  • The new Well Connected Communities Website and Community Dashboard will launch September 1, 2020. Be looking out for an email tomorrow with more information on the website and how to access it.

Action Plan Feedback Summaries

  • We are still finishing up the Community Action Plan Feedback Summaries that will be provided to PIs and community POCs. We want to make sure we are providing meaningful and helpful information, while taking into consideration the feedback PIs gave us during the PI Call, as well as paying attention to adjustments due to COVID 19.

Communities should review the feedback summaries and use the feedback to make updates to their action plans as needed. Updated action plans should be uploaded to the WCC community portal (to be launched September 1, 2020) by October 30, 2020. If you have questions about the feedback summary, the action plan timeline, or would like some additional coaching please reach out to Shay McNeil (smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu).

Q3 Reporting

  • The Q3 report will be due September 30, 2020.
    • The reporting will consist of each community submitting a community report – submitted via the WCC community portal (to be launched September 1, 2020),
    • one LGU Financial Status Report – submitted through WebGrants
    • one Tobacco Separation Protocol validation letter – can be submitted via WebGrants as an attachment with Financial Status Report or emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.

Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities

  • The  Center for Community Health and Evaluation, the evaluation partner for WCC, will be conducting their first major evaluation data collection effort at the community level. This first year of the evaluation, CCHE will be focusing on communities that participated in Wave 1 of WCC. In the coming weeks, CCHE will be reaching out to PIs who started in Wave 1 for support on the following evaluation activities:
  • Community coalition surveys – CCHE will launch a survey at the end of August/beginning of September to collect information on how community collaboration is going, what is working well, and where there might be opportunities to strengthen partnerships. You will receive a report that includes the survey results for all of your communities that complete the survey for your use and so that you can share back with your communities.
  • Youth interviews – CCHE would like to ask PIs of Wave 1 communities to help identify 1 youth who would be willing to talk about their experience with WCC. The youth could be from any of your communities that engaged in Wave 1; ideally they have been participating in WCC for at least one year, but that’s not required. CCHE aims to conduct the youth interviews in early September.

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • THIS WEEKYouth Mental Health Peer Circle

September 2, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Youth Presenter: Sophia Rodriquez – Sophia is a junior at the University of Georgia and the 2018 Healthy Living Youth in Action Award winner.  Her platform was mental health and helping others learn to cope with mental health issues in their families.

Mental health is important at every stage of life. This peer session on mental health will explore the impact of mental health from youth and adult perspectives. Beyond the examining the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of youth and adults alike, we will be learning from our peers their experience and opportunities available to lead people to mental well-being. Sophia Rodriquez, 2018 4-H Youth in Action: Healthy Living will co-present and co-facilitate this session. The following topics will be discussed:

  • What do youth have to say about mental health; learn about the results of a recent Youth Mental Health Survey that included the effects of COVID-19 on how youth see their own mental health during this time
  • Opportunities to engage community members to destigmatize public health crisis on the mental health of teens- from the perspective of teens themselves.  
  • What do WCC youth and adult community leaders have to say about this public health issue and what they can do within their own communities to open up dialogue about mental health.

Register Here for Part 1: The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.)

A second follow up session is planned for October 7, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET. The session will be based on the September 2, 2020 discussion. Register for Part 2

  • Community Health Needs Assessment Webinar for Youth and Community Leaders

September 9, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the community health needs assessment process, demonstrate the WCC CHNA tool, and learn about best practices, youth engagement, and common pitfalls. This webinar is open to all communities and will be especially targeted at youth  with examples of ways they can lead the CHNA for their communities.

Webinar Outline:

  • Introductions & Housekeeping
  • Overview of the CHNA Process
  • WCC CHNA Tool Demonstration
  • Discussion of Best Practices, Youth Engagement, and Common Pitfalls
  • Q&A/Closing

Register Here: The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.)

PD Calendar

  • Leading Together for Equity and Inclusion Webinar

September 17, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Presenter: Dorothy Freeman, PhD

Dr. Freeman is the Director of Equity at National 4-H Council whose role is to lead Council to strategically align its programmatic priorities and vision with the Equity, Access and Belonging Committee. Dr. Freeman has a distinctive career in 4-H Extension where she was Associate Dean and State 4-H Director with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development and 25years Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech University. 

Dr. Freeman will delve into the topics listed below and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with some Wave 2 grantees:

  • How are we defining equity and inclusion? Holding it as a value? [CES & 4-H]
  • What is Extension/4-H learning about equity during this time of multiple pandemics (COVID-19 and widespread calls for racial justice)
  • How are we adapting/moving to action?
  • What are the unique challenges and opportunities related to WCC? What is our unique role?
  • The Extension Model as a community engagement model.

Register Here

Webinar Recordings

  • Community Health Needs Assessment Webinar

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the community health needs assessment process, demonstrate the WCC CHNA tool, and learn about best practices, youth engagement, and common pitfalls. This webinar is open to all communities. Those communities who do not have a CHNA or are in the early stages of the process are strongly encouraged to attend.

Webinar Outline:

  • Introductions & Housekeeping
  • Overview of the CHNA Process
  • WCC CHNA Tool Demonstration
  • Discussion of Best Practices, Youth Engagement, and Common Pitfalls
  • Q&A/Closing

Watch Recording

Password: ttxFj8%K

Slide Deck is attached

  • Food Security Webinar

Presenters: Rich Pirog and Kolia Souza

Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU).

Communities around the country are working every day to see that no child, elder, or family goes hungry. This webinar on food security will: 

  • Offer an overview of equity and food systems along with data metrics to build and monitor food access and security.
  • Point to programs and policies being adapted to meet the changing needs.
  • Share community and youth led solutions to bring the programs/policies to life.
  • Look forward, identify opportunities to leverage the disruption to the status quo to strengthen food systems and reduce food insecurity.

Watch Recording

Password: +34.dtYn

Slide Deck is attached

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW Voices for Healthy Kids Policy Campaign Grant

Short Form Application Deadline: Sunday, September 20, 2020

The Policy Campaign Grant is designed to support strategic issue advocacy campaigns supporting Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities with a focus on health equity. Applications must be specific to an individual campaign for public policy change in one state, city, town or county, or tribal nation. Applications should focus on public policy changes to reduce health disparities for children in urban, suburban or rural settings who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Alaskan Native or from families who have low income.

This call for applications has a narrowed list of current policy issues to ensure a balanced grant portfolio. We will accept applications on the following policy issues:

  • Sugary Drink Tax and Investment
  • Healthier Options at Restaurants
  • School Food Access and Healthy Quality
  • Early Care and Education Security
  • Head Start/Early Head Start
  • Water Access in Schools
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Expansion and Nutrition Incentives

Voices for Healthy Kids believes campaigns are most successful through collaboration between community organizations, advocacy groups, coalitions and others. Therefore, the Policy Campaign Grant is a collaborative grant. All applications are expected to be submitted as a joint proposal of two or more organizations, either as lead and subgrantee collaboration or as co-leads. Voices for Healthy Kids values authentic community engagement and equity-building strategies in all aspects of supported campaigns and therefore requires at least one of the organizations in the joint proposal to be representative of or serve the interests of the listed priority populations.

Voices for Healthy Kids has a two-step application process in the online grant management system. First, all interested, eligible applicants must submit a short form application. Then, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application for consideration in a competitive review process.

Applications can be submitted for $50,000 – $200,000 for a duration of up to 18 months and can support non-lobbying and lobbying activities.

Web Forum: Fri., Sept. 11, 2020, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. EDT, Register here. 

The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University and CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity will host the 2020 Public Health Ethics Forum with the theme Ethical Dilemmas in Rural Health.  The final agenda is forthcoming.  

  • NEW From eXtension
  • Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
    Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension Foundation

Yesterday, we hosted a webinar led by Jessica Larson – Public Affairs Specialist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She provided a research review that offered insights on how various SNAP-eligible audiences use social media channels, particularly when it comes to health and healthy eating…Learn More

  • Asynchronous Programs
    Callie Ward, Extension Assistant Professor, Utah State University

Nearly five dozen Cooperative Extension professionals from across the nation gathered to discuss asynchronous programs an d how we are making our formerly face-to-face programs available to clientele who want to learn on their own time not necessarily at the same time as everyone else like a webinar…Learn More

  • National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health – Apply Now
    Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Applications are now being accepted from communities interested in participating in the tenth cohort of the The National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH). NLAPH helps teams of leaders from diverse sectors including health, housing, education, transportation, and law enforcement to build…Learn More

  • Investing in Community Resilience: Trauma-Informed Cross-Sector Networks
    September 16th, 2020, 3 PM – 4 PM ET

We invite you to join us for the fourth webinar in our Investing in Community Resilience series. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

  • Foster collaboration across sectors with the goal of preventing and mitigating the impact of ACEs and trauma
  • Initiate and support cross-sector networks grounded in ACEs science 
  • Understand critical elements of strong cross-sector networks. Learn More

From RWJF

No parent should have to decide between earning a living or caring for a new baby, especially during a pandemic. But does everyone have a fair opportunity to access their benefits?

A new study finds that these policies can risk leaving out the people they’re trying to support.

Read the latest research >

Vol. 39, No. 7, July 2020 | Food, Income, Work & More

This month’s issue of Health Affairs contains a number of articles examining programs and initiatives outside the health care system that affect people’s health—factors that promote a culture of health. In preparing the issue, I spoke with Sir Michael Marmot, who has led efforts around the world to get policy makers to understand and act on the role social factors play in health and health equity. An edited transcript of my interview with him appears in the journal, and the full audio can be found online. We also continue to publish articles about the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a fast track, with the final version of four of those articles appearing this month.

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of health-related behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults, including:

  • Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence
  • Sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection
  • Alcohol and other drug use
  • Tobacco use
  • Unhealthy dietary behaviors
  • Inadequate physical activity

The YRBSS includes national, state, territorial, tribal government, and local school-based surveys of representative samples of 9th through 12th grade students. These surveys are conducted every two years, usually during the spring semester. The national survey, conducted by CDC, provides data representative of 9th through 12th grade students in public and private schools in the United States.

Results from the 2019 survey are now available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm

  • 2020 Public Health Ethics Forum: Ethical Dilemmas in Rural Health

September 11, 2020

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

Presented by:

The National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care at Tuskegee University

CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity

Location and Registration:

This year’s forum will be hosted virtually. Registration is required.

Register here. 

For more information:

Call Tuskegee University at 334-724-4554.

Email CDC’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity at omhhe@cdc.gov.

Visit the 2020 Public Health Ethics Forum web page.

  • Grassroots: How Voices for Healthy Kids Can Boost Your Campaigns

September 2, 2020: 3:00 PM ET/ 2 PM CT/ 12:00 PM PT REGISTER HERE 

This training will explore the ways that Voices for Healthy Kids and its grassroots network can support your campaigns. From email action alerts, to texting grassroots leaders to engage in campaigns, Ali Rahimi, Grassroots Advocacy Manager for Voices for Healthy Kids, and Stephanie Pitt from Phone2Action, will walk you through the technology and process for engaging the Voices for Healthy Kids grassroots network to benefit your campaign. 

  • Grassroots: The COVID Effect – Lessons Learned from the Advocacy Boom

September 16, 2020: 3:00 PM ET/ 2 PM CT/ 12 PM PT REGISTER HERE 

Join this webinar to learn more about advocacy in the context of COVID-19 as Phone2Action shares some of the most striking takeaways, best practices and interesting data we have found along the way. We will discuss data-driven insights, recent trends in advocacy and how you can increase your influence through SMS texting, customized messages to lawmakers and social sharing.  

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is offering grants for research to identify policy and strategies to improve healthy eating among low-income children who are at greatest risk for poor nutrition and obesity. 

This report:

  • demonstrates how structural racism – particularly through policies – led to the current state of housing inequality in America.
  • examines how biased policies have impacted housing affordability, quality, safety and stability and resulted in disparate impacts to certain groups.
  • explains the link between poor housing and poor health.
  • outlines numerous ways to advance change in housing equity via policy, cross-sector partnerships and community engagement.
15 Sep 2020

Weekly Bulletin 9/14

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of September 14, 2020:

In this Edition

  • WCC Portal Launch
  • Action Plan Feedback Summaries
  • Q3 Reporting
  • Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • PD Calendar
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

WCC Portal Launch

  • We’re excited to invite you use the newly redesigned WCC portal that was launched September 1, 2020. Here are two videos to help you get started:

Once you’ve taken the tour, you can access the site at: portal.wellconnectedcommunities.org. For more information on how to access the portal, please refer to the email “Welcome to the WCC Portal” sent by Jennifer Grizzard Ekzarkhov on September 1, 2020.

For right now, the community portal is being used to capture quarterly reporting and store community core documents (like action plans, CHNAs, etc.). We are also working to flesh out the resource library. Our focus is on building a portal that is useful and that stimulates engagement between users. For now, those users will be Extension personnel.

We activated accounts for the PIs, Co-PIs, State POCs, and Community Leads who we had listed in our Community Tracker spreadsheet. We know there have been some staff additions and departures since we last updated the sheet, so we are looking to correct those ASAP. If you have staff who fall into any of those categories who did NOT get the Portal welcome email, please let us know so we can activate their accounts.  

Since the portal is brand new, we are adding accounts in phases. In the next phase we expect to add Master Volunteer, Youth Adult Partnerships, and Communications Contacts (if those people do not already have accounts via other roles). Question: Do you have staff who are doing WCC work that don’t fall into any of the categories listed above? If so, please reply to this email and let us know.

Ideas for how this Portal will be used will continue to evolve. We heard some of your thoughts during our walk-through on the PI call last month. Please keep those ideas coming. Feel free to reach out and let us know what you hope to see.

Action Plan Feedback Summaries

  • We will be sending Community Action Plan Feedback Summaries to PIs and community POCs that submitted a Community Action Plan. We have tried to provide meaningful and helpful information, while also taking into consideration the feedback PIs gave us during the PI Call, as well as paying attention to adjustments due to COVID 19.

Communities should review the feedback summaries and use the feedback to make updates to their action plans as needed. Updated action plans should be uploaded to the WCC community portal by November 30, 2020. If you have questions about the feedback summary, the action plan timeline, or would like some additional coaching please reach out to Shay McNeil (smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu).

Q3 Reporting

  • The Q3 report will be due September 30, 2020.
    • The reporting will consist of each community submitting a community report – submitted via the WCC community portal
    • one LGU Financial Status Report – submitted through WebGrants
    • one Tobacco Separation Protocol validation letter – can be submitted via WebGrants as an attachment with Financial Status Report or emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu.

Upcoming Wave 1 Community Evaluation Activities

  • The  Center for Community Health and Evaluation, the evaluation partner for WCC, will be conducting their first major evaluation data collection effort at the community level. This first year of the evaluation, CCHE will be focusing on communities that participated in Wave 1 of WCC. In the coming weeks, CCHE will be reaching out to PIs who started in Wave 1 for support on the following evaluation activities:
  • Community coalition surveys – CCHE will launch a survey at the end of August/beginning of September to collect information on how community collaboration is going, what is working well, and where there might be opportunities to strengthen partnerships. You will receive a report that includes the survey results for all of your communities that complete the survey for your use and so that you can share back with your communities.
  • Youth interviews – CCHE would like to ask PIs of Wave 1 communities to help identify 1 youth who would be willing to talk about their experience with WCC. The youth could be from any of your communities that engaged in Wave 1; ideally they have been participating in WCC for at least one year, but that’s not required. CCHE aims to conduct the youth interviews in early September.

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • Youth Food Security Webinar Postponed

The Youth Food Security Webinar originally scheduled for September 23 has been postponed.  At the September 2 Youth Introductory Session, there was wonderful WCC work already in progress engaging youth leadership in organizing the distribution of blessing boxes (similar to Little Free Libraries), and other food distribution techniques.  If anyone has youth who would like to help plan and carry out a youth-driven food security webinar, please let JoAnne Leatherman (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu) know by the end of September.  We would like to highlight your work through this webinar, which will likely be in late October.

PD Calendar

  • THIS WEEKLeading Together for Equity and Inclusion Webinar

September 17, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Presenter: Dorothy Freeman, PhD

Dr. Freeman is the Director of Equity at National 4-H Council whose role is to lead Council to strategically align its programmatic priorities and vision with the Equity, Access and Belonging Committee. Dr. Freeman has a distinctive career in 4-H Extension where she was Associate Dean and State 4-H Director with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development and 25years Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech University. 

Dr. Freeman will delve into the topics listed below and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with some Wave 2 grantees:

  • How are we defining equity and inclusion? Holding it as a value? [CES & 4-H]
  • What is Extension/4-H learning about equity during this time of multiple pandemics (COVID-19 and widespread calls for racial justice)
  • How are we adapting/moving to action?
  • What are the unique challenges and opportunities related to WCC? What is our unique role?
  • The Extension Model as a community engagement model.

Register Here

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA)

The National Council for Behavioral Health is pleased to announce that they are currently accepting applications to become implementing sites of teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA).  This new version of Mental Health First Aid (specifically for teens) is an evidence-based training that was brought to the United States in partnership with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. It teaches high school students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades how to identify, understand and help their friends with mental health and substance use challenges and how to get the help of an adult quickly.   While other version Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) have been widely utilized by Cooperative Extension, tMFA has just recently been made available to schools and youth serving organizations partnering with schools that are interested in delivering the program in their community.  To learn more visit https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/become-an-instructor/applying-to-teen-mental-health-first-aid-information-and-resources/

The mission of CRFS is to engage Michigan, the United States and the world in applied research, education and outreach to develop regionally integrated, sustainable food systems. The Center is committed to understanding the ways in which power and inequity manifest within the food system, such as structural racism. An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System contains selected resources and publications focused on recent research and outreach on structural racism in the U.S. food system. The seventh edition of the resource, published in January 2020, contains over 275 citations including 10 new videos and 46 new journal citations. All entries in the annotated bibliography are also available in Zotero, a free software that lets users easily save, manage, and cite sources. The Zotero library for the annotated bibliography is available at: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1972910/annotated_bibliography_on_structural_racism_present_in_the_u.s._food_system.  

We are seeking citations that refer to research, analysis, outreach, and commentary on BOTH structural racism AND the U.S. food system.  

While there are many important resources on racism and anti-racism in the U.S., and/or on the state of the food system, our key filter for inclusion in the bibliography is a link between structural racism and one or more aspects of the U.S. food system. 

The following citations will be accepted for review: 

  • Peer-reviewed journal articles, and peer-critiqued articles, reports, bulletins or books 
  • Other scholarly or substantive information produced outside traditional commercial publishing and distribution channels (e.g. theses and dissertations, technical reports, working papers, evaluation reports, conference proceedings, publications from NGOs, INGOs, think tanks and policy institutes, patent, and preprints) 
  • Video resources including documentaries, motion pictures, television series, TED Talks and interviews 
  • Recordings of webinars  

We will not be including blogs, newspaper articles, tweets, podcasts, etc. because of the sheer volume of these resources. Once a suggestion is submitted there will be a simple vetting process to determine the fit of submission; please note that not all submissions may be included in the eighth edition. We hope to publish the eighth edition by mid-January 2021. 

Deadline for citation submission is Monday, September 21 , 2020 at 11:59 PM, PST. 

Send all submissions or questions to Dr. Kimberly N. Carr at carrkim1@msu.edu or Rich Pirog at rspirog@msu.edu 

When making a submission please include (if possible): 

  • Author(s) 
  • Title 
  • Web link to easily locate the submission 
  • Full citation in APA format (if available) 

Explore the seventh edition of An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System at foodsystems.msu.edu/annotated-bib. Please visit the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems website for more information about the center. 

For over a decade, Healthier Generation has empowered kids to develop lifelong healthy habits by ensuring the environments that surround them support their physical, social and emotional health. 

  • NEW Teens Fight Urban Food Desert

Two friends are in the 4-H poultry project. They attend the National 4-H Youth Summit on Agriscience and get excited about possibilities. Fast forward and they have expanded their project into a “Fight the Food Desert: Raise Chicken in Urban K.C.” community action plan, making a difference in their community one chicken coop at a time.  This article gives a good summary of their project. They have plans in place to continue educating community members about raising chickens as they continue to upcycle coops to have them ready for installations. They want to teach other youth this model so it can be replicated

  • From eXtension
  • Healthy Eating, Social Media, & Lower Income Communities – A Research Review
    Aaron Weibe, Communication & Engagement Manager, eXtension Foundation

Jessica Larson – Public Affairs Specialist, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture provided a research review that offered insights on how various SNAP-eligible audiences use social media channels, particularly when it comes to health and healthy eating…Learn More

  • Asynchronous Programs
    Callie Ward, Extension Assistant Professor, Utah State University

Nearly five dozen Cooperative Extension professionals from across the nation gathered to discuss asynchronous programs and how we are making our formerly face-to-face programs available to clientele who want to learn on their own time not necessarily at the same time as everyone else like a webinar…Learn More

  • National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health – Apply Now
    Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director, ECOP
    Subgroup: Health & Well-Being

Applications are now being accepted from communities interested in participating in the tenth cohort of the The National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH). NLAPH helps teams of leaders from diverse sectors including health, housing, education, transportation, and law enforcement to build…Learn More

  • Voices for Healthy Kids Policy Campaign Grant

Short Form Application Deadline: Sunday, September 20, 2020

The Policy Campaign Grant is designed to support strategic issue advocacy campaigns supporting Voices for Healthy Kids policy priorities with a focus on health equity. Applications must be specific to an individual campaign for public policy change in one state, city, town or county, or tribal nation. Applications should focus on public policy changes to reduce health disparities for children in urban, suburban or rural settings who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, and Alaskan Native or from families who have low income.

This call for applications has a narrowed list of current policy issues to ensure a balanced grant portfolio. We will accept applications on the following policy issues:

  • Sugary Drink Tax and Investment
  • Healthier Options at Restaurants
  • School Food Access and Healthy Quality
  • Early Care and Education Security
  • Head Start/Early Head Start
  • Water Access in Schools
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Expansion and Nutrition Incentives

Voices for Healthy Kids believes campaigns are most successful through collaboration between community organizations, advocacy groups, coalitions and others. Therefore, the Policy Campaign Grant is a collaborative grant. All applications are expected to be submitted as a joint proposal of two or more organizations, either as lead and subgrantee collaboration or as co-leads. Voices for Healthy Kids values authentic community engagement and equity-building strategies in all aspects of supported campaigns and therefore requires at least one of the organizations in the joint proposal to be representative of or serve the interests of the listed priority populations.

Voices for Healthy Kids has a two-step application process in the online grant management system. First, all interested, eligible applicants must submit a short form application. Then, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application for consideration in a competitive review process.

Applications can be submitted for $50,000 – $200,000 for a duration of up to 18 months and can support non-lobbying and lobbying activities.

From RWJF

No parent should have to decide between earning a living or caring for a new baby, especially during a pandemic. But does everyone have a fair opportunity to access their benefits?

A new study finds that these policies can risk leaving out the people they’re trying to support.

Read the latest research >

Vol. 39, No. 7, July 2020 | Food, Income, Work & More

This month’s issue of Health Affairs contains a number of articles examining programs and initiatives outside the health care system that affect people’s health—factors that promote a culture of health. In preparing the issue, I spoke with Sir Michael Marmot, who has led efforts around the world to get policy makers to understand and act on the role social factors play in health and health equity. An edited transcript of my interview with him appears in the journal, and the full audio can be found online. We also continue to publish articles about the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on a fast track, with the final version of four of those articles appearing this month.

31 Aug 2020

Weekly Bulletin 7/6

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of July 6, 2020:

In this Edition

  • WCC Health Action Plans
  • Q2 Reporting
  • PD Calendar
  • Youth Leadership Resources
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

WCC Health Action Plans

  • The new date for communities to submit their draft action plans to Shay McNeil(smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu) is July 15, 2020. We hope that this added time will allow you and your community coalitions the time and space to develop your action plans. We ask that you continue to keep us posted on your progress as well as any challenges you may be experiencing as that will help us to provide appropriate technical assistance and support. We shall continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed of any changes. Please review the email “Coalition Engagement and Action Planning Resources” sent July 2, 2020 for community engagement and action planning resources.

Q2 Reporting

  • PAST DUE The Q2 report was due June 30, 2020. There are three components to the reporting. Each participating community will submit a community report (submitted here), and each LGU will submit one financial report (submitted through WebGrants) and one Tobacco Separation Protocol staff validation (emailed to smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu).

Please refer to the email “Reminder Q2 Reporting Due 6/30” that was sent June 17, 2020 for more information on how to submit your Q2 report. Included in that email are a sample completed community report, a TSP validation letter template, and a Q2 FAQ document.

If you did not submit one or more of the three reporting components, please submit those as soon as possible.

PD Calendar

  • Dialogue as a Change Tool: Understanding Community Needs Peer Circles – 2 Part Series

Part 1: was June 23, 2020

Attached:

  • Slide deck
  • WIN Dialogue Guide

Part 2: July 15, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET – Please register here for the second part (July 15) of this two-part peer circle.

Recommended for WCC field staff, valuable addition for master volunteers.

Building the civic muscle needed for creating change starts by listening deeply to one another. Learn more about the practice of dialogue for building relationships, learning together, and understanding community needs. Across the two peer circle sessions you’ll build/on your foundational understanding of the practice of dialogue, create an opportunity to host a (virtual) session in your community, and return to reflect on what you heard and learned.

  • Youth-Adult Volunteer Leadership Team Office Hours – Building and Maintaining Your CV (Cohort of Volunteers)

July 20, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 PM ET

Your Cohort of Volunteers is very important to this work, but don’t forget about your other CV in the process! Trained volunteers can not only help advance Extension education in your communities but they can also help advance your Extension career. In addition to answering your questions about master health volunteers, youth involvement, youth-adult partnerships, and other WCC matters, we will also discuss incorporating your work with and through volunteers into your professional documents. Although the main theme of the 90-minute ZOOM session will be “Building and Maintaining Your CV (Cohort of Volunteers)” questions of any kind related to Youth Leadership, Youth-Adult Partnerships andthe Master Volunteer Program are welcomed. 

Register Here

  • Community Health Needs Assessment Webinar

August 6, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the community health needs assessment process, demonstrate the WCC CHNA tool, and learn about best practices, youth engagement, and common pitfalls. This webinar is open to all communities. Those communities who do not have a CHNA or are in the early stages of the process are strongly encouraged to attend.

Webinar Outline:

  • Introductions & Housekeeping
  • Overview of the CHNA Process
  • WCC CHNA Tool Demonstration
  • Discussion of Best Practices, Youth Engagement, and Common Pitfalls
  • Q&A/Closing

Register Here

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • Youth-Adult Partnership Self-Assessment Rubric for Out-of-School Time 

Does your WCC Community need to assess the strength of its Youth-Adult Partnerships (YAP)?  Maybe YAP has been around for a while in theory, but are the relationships within your community authentic?  YAP fosters youth leadership and engagement, requirements of the Wave 2 WCC.  Attached is a rubric from Michigan State University that will help your community see where it stands with YAP.  It is based on the work of Dr. Shep Zeldin who stands as an international authority in YAP.  This rubric is designed to do the following:

  1. To formalize the concepts of youth-adult partnership in youth settings
  2. To be used as a low-stake peer/self-assessment tool for strengthening youth-adult partnership practices
  3. To be used as a formative or summative evaluation tool for assessing the structures and processes of youth-adult partnership in youth settings

It captures the four critical elements of YAP:  (1) authentic decision-making, (2) natural mentors, (3) reciprocity, and (4) community connectedness.

  • Other Youth-Adult Partnership Resources

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

·       NEW From eXtension

 

o   All Cooperative Extension professionals are invited to join Connect Extension. To register your free account, click here. 

 

o   ECOP/eXtension to Host Extension Futures National Action Dialogues 

July 13th or 14th, 1:00 – 3:00 PM ET

The purpose of the Action Dialogue is to imagine near-future possibilities for how Extension can better serve individuals and communities in the face of evolving needs and capabilities. The outcome of this dialogue will support transitional aspects of more digital engagement and community platforms, and inform the need for funding of infrastructure/equipment needed for the envisioned futures. More info & registration available here. 

  • Investing in Community Resilience: Evaluating Trauma-Informed Practice
    July 15th, 2020, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

  • Understand the role of evaluation in building organizational and community capacity to implement a trauma-informed, healing centered approach
  • Identify methods and tools for evaluating the impact of ACEs and trauma…Learn More

USA Today, June 30, 2020, by Dr. Richard E. Besser, Opinion contributor

As COVID-19 cases rise across many states, some groups and places are being hit harder than others. Recovery and reopening efforts must be guided by public health, not politics. Data will be the key to safely and equitably managing this pandemic. President and CEO Rich Besser makes the case in USA Today as to why public health experts and other state and local leaders need to be equipped with local testing data—broken down by age, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and other sociodemographic characteristics—in order to make decisions that will not continue to exacerbate the health and economic disparities in America.  

  • NEW From Community Health Rankings and Roadmaps
  • Special Webinar Series: COVID-19 Response and Recovery
  • COVID-19: Disproportionate Impact on Navajo Nation and Tribal Communities

Thursday, July 9 at 3pm ET

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps’ special webinar series, Health Equity and Social Solidarity in the Time of Pandemic: Strategies for COVID-19 Response and Recovery, highlights the challenges communities are facing as they respond to COVID-19 and its impacts, and serves as an opportunity for community leaders across the nation to learn from lead researchers, policymakers and each other.

Register Here

  • US COVID Atlas: Exploring Data to Move to Action

Series: COVID-19, July 21, 2020 3pm EDT

As the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the nation, an endless stream of data has flooded our inboxes, news outlets, and social media. But as communities navigate the crisis, response, and recovery, it’s more crucial than ever to connect this data with our own community contexts. The US COVID Atlas, developed by the Center for Spatial Data Science at the University of Chicago and coalition partners, is a helpful tool to assess your county’s past, current, and projected COVID-19 data and social and economic data. Layering these data points can provide additional context about a community’s conditions and can help guide services, resources, and policies to where the need is greatest.

During this webinar, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps will be joined by Marynia Kolak, Assistant Director for Health Informatics at the Center for Spatial Data Science, as we:

  • Explore the features of this unique mapping tool, including county-level COVID-19 data over time
  • Examine the County Health Rankings social and economic measures included in the Atlas, which provide a more complete picture about overall community health
  • Share tools and strategies to better understand data and find ways to take action locally

Register Here

NPR, June 24, 2020

National 4-H Council – 17 June 2020

A new survey commissioned by National 4‑H Council, and conducted by the Harris Poll, finds that 7 in 10 teens are struggling with their mental health in the wake of COVID-19. More than half of those surveyed shared that the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness, with 64 percent believing it will have a lasting impact on their mental health. The survey, conducted in May 2020, is among the first to examine the impact this unprecedented public health crisis has had on U.S. teens. The results were recently featured in an article in the Huffington Post.

RWJF “Culture of Health Blog” – 23 June 2020, by William H. Dietz

In the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak—New York City—obesity emerged as a powerful predictor of hospitalizations and critical care, second only to older age (over 65). We know childhood obesity is a powerful predictor of obesity in adulthood. If we want to better prepare our children for future pandemics, let’s start by applying the lessons we’re learning from COVID-19—and that starts with addressing health disparities that contribute to obesity. Could preventing and treating obesity in today’s kids make a difference when we find ourselves facing the next pandemic? We think so.

  • New Farm Stress Training Course Available
    Roger Rennekamp, Extension Health Director
    Cooperative Extension/ECOP

    Extension practitioners wishing to learn more about how they can support farmers and ranchers experiencing high levels of stress  brought on by the economic turmoil associated with  COVID-19 are encouraged to participate in a new online training course supported…Learn More
31 Aug 2020

Weekly Bulletin 7/27

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of July 27, 2020:

In this Edition

  • ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Resolution and Commitment to the Deconstruction of Systemic Racism within the 4-H Program
  • WCC Health Action Plans
  • Quarterly PI Call Friday, August 21, 2020
  • PD Calendar
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • Just in Time Equity Dialogues for Youth
  • 2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize
  • From National 4-H Council
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Resolution and Commitment to the Deconstruction of Systemic Racism within the 4-H Program

  • Please see the attached ECOP 4-H Leadership Committee Resolution and Commitment to the Deconstruction of Systemic Racism within the 4-H Program letter that was affirmed by the ECOP Executive Committee last week and shared in today’s ECOP Monday Minute.

WCC Health Action Plans

  • We are currently reviewing the Community Health Action Plans we have received thus far. If your community has not yet submitted one, please let us know ASAP how we can help and support you. The Community Health Action Plan is a grant deliverable and will also inform your budget so it is important each community works to complete and submit a plan. If you need coaching and/or technical assistance with your action plans, please reach out to Shay (smcneil@fourhcouncil.edu) to schedule a time to meet.

Quarterly PI Call Friday, August 21, 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, August 21, 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:

  • August 21, 2020
  • November 20, 2020
  • February 19, 2021
  • May 21, 2021
  • August 20, 2021

PD Calendar

  • Community Health Needs Assessment Webinar

August 6, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the community health needs assessment process, demonstrate the WCC CHNA tool, and learn about best practices, youth engagement, and common pitfalls. This webinar is open to all communities. Those communities who do not have a CHNA or are in the early stages of the process are strongly encouraged to attend.

Webinar Outline:

  • Introductions & Housekeeping
  • Overview of the CHNA Process
  • WCC CHNA Tool Demonstration
  • Discussion of Best Practices, Youth Engagement, and Common Pitfalls
  • Q&A/Closing

Register Here

  • Food Security Webinar

August 20, 2020, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET

Presenter: Rich Pirog

Mr. Pirog is the Director for Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU). Pirog has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable food systems research and outreach. His research and collaborative work on food value chains, food hubs, economic impacts of local foods, food networks and communities of practice has been cited in magazines and media outlets across the globe, used by local food practitioners and are often referenced in books and college courses.

Communities around the country are working every day to see that no child, elder, or family goes hungry. This webinar on food security will: 

  • Offer an overview of equity and food systems along with data metrics to build and monitor food access and security.
  • Point to programs and policies being adapted to meet the changing needs.
  • Share community and youth led solutions to bring the programs/policies to life.
  • Look forward, identify opportunities to leverage the disruption to the status quo to strengthen food systems and reduce food insecurity.

Register Here

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • Youth LGU Introductions

On Wednesday, August 26. 2020 at 7:00 PM ET, there will be a WCC-wide ZOOM meeting for youth to introduce themselves and their communities to each other.  The meeting will last no more than 90 minutes depending on how many LGUs are represented and how much the youth want to share.

Several WCC PI’s have indicated that they would like to see the youth connect across communities and LGUs especially in light of the COVID effects on our program.  It may help youth to feel more connected by chatting and sharing about their communities and their issues.  There have also been requests for youth professional development since so many communities are working on similar topics (food insecurity and nutrition, and mental health are major ones), so we are looking at additional bi-weekly dates throughout September and October where youth and their adult community mentors can participate depending on the issues of their communities.

For the 26th, the youth from your LGU will be asked to prepare 1-2 slides about their communities to share with everyone.  I thought that may be better than asking for a slide per community as not all communities have youth engaged yet due to COVID and it could take a lot more time with 30+ communities than 17 LGUs.  The slide(s) should reflect their answers to the questions:

  • What excites you about your community?
  • What are your health concerns affecting your peers and families?
  • What can youth do about those health issues?

Slides are due to Hayat Essa (hessa@fourhcouncil.edu) by August 19, 2020.

The registration link to attend this session is:  https://extension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEldOGvqzMiGNdCS7GfnfHII9AQuBvuLVcj. The registration is organized by LGU so one adult will register youth and adults (so we will ask that this registration person also share back the ZOOM link closer to time.)   This information will be in next Monday’s e-newsletter to PI’s and others.

Please direct any questions to JoAnne Leather (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu)  

Just in Time Equity Dialogues for Youth

  • Thanks to leadership of National 4-H Council’s Equity Director, Dorothy Freeman, and the Program Leaders Work Group, we have two amazing resources to share with you to support equity dialogues, Just in Time Dialogues for Youth: A timely and relevant resource for youth development workers. Attached you will find a resource guide for youth development educators with lessons designed to foster honest conversations with youth about social justice issues, as well as a supplemental guide of resources, readings, and other relevant content. 

2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize

  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is officially accepting applications for the 2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize. An annual award, the RWJF Culture of Health Prize elevates and honors communities that are at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all. Winners receive a $25,000 prize and the chance to share their accomplishments with the nation. The application deadline is October 15, 2020. Visit https://rwjf.ws/3gpC5G3 to learn more. 

Prize communities continue to inspire the nation with real-life examples of local leaders and community members bringing partners together to transform neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and more so that better health flourishes for everyone. 

From National 4-H Council

  • Sharing of 4-H Resources

How is your 4-H program meeting the learning needs of children and families during COVID-19? National 4-H Council is curating a list of free 4-H resources offered by 4-H programs across the country. Explore and share these activities found at 4-H at Home and then submit your efforts for an opportunity to be featured.

  • Collecting Youth Stories

Tell us how your 4-H’er(s) are doing amazing things to make the world a better place during this time of COVID-19. We’ll bring these incredible stories to the forefront, inspiring kids everywhere to make a difference too. As you come across the stories of young people doing something positive to help their communities, making a difference, or even just making people smile, tell us their story via this quick form. It can be completed by an Extension professional, parent or 4-H’er. 

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

A new commentary in The Journal of Rural Health examines the relationship between substance use and coronavirus in the Southern Mountains region of Appalachia.  Authors cite recent data showing greater and faster-increasing COVID-19 rates in Appalachia and the South and rural-specific challenges to programs for overdose prevention and infection control.

 

·       From eXtension

 

  • NEW ICYMI: Connect Extension Chat: Virtualizing and Social Distancing Horticulture & Master Gardener Volunteer Programs
    Stephanie Mathias, State Master Gardener Coordinator, University of Maryland

In case you missed it: We had an excellent live chat with 58 participants discussing all the innovative ways to move horticulture and Master Gardener volunteer programs to a virtual platform!…Learn More

  • NEW American Journal of Public Health Includes Commentary on Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension is the subject of an article in a forthcoming special issue of the American Journal of Public Health focused on rural health.  The commentary, co-authored by David Buys and Roger Rennekamp,  “advances the notion that Extension, by working hand-in-hand with public health professionals, has an important role to play in addressing the health needs of rural communities.” The article highlights five key steps that Extension can take with its public health partners to improve health and well-being across the nation. These include addressing the determinants of health through local coalitions, connecting communities to land grant resources, restoring public confidence in science, utilizing new technologies to support lifelong learning and collaboration, and capitalizing on youth voice and action. To read the abstract or obtain copies of the full text of the article visit https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305767

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law; this landmark civil rights law affirmed the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of disability. Learn more about this sweeping legislation that prohibits discrimination by local and state governments, provides standards for privately owned businesses and commercial facilities, against discrimination in the workplace, and ensures equal access to healthcare, social services, transportation, and telecommunications.

About 46 million Americans live in rural areas and are facing distinctive challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC updated its information on rural communities and their response to the crisis.

National Equity Atlas indicators track how communities are doing on key measures of inclusive prosperity. We define an equitable community as one where all residents — regardless of their race, nativity, gender, or zip code — are fully able to participate in the community’s economic vitality, contribute to its readiness for the future, and connect to its assets and resources. Our indicators track change over time, are comparable across geographies, and are disaggregated by race and other demographics as much as possible.

The Journal of Youth Development has just published its latest issue at http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd. We invite you to visit our website to review articles of interest. This special issue is dedicated to Volunteerism in Youth Development Programs serves as a companion to the special issue on the Youth Development Workforce that was published in March. Special thanks to JoLynn Miller and Kali Trzesniewski for their leadership as guest editors. Articles cover themes of understanding the impacts of volunteers, volunteer competencies and skill development, support and motivation of volunteers, and evaluation of programs. This special issue concludes with a book review and a thoughtful commentary by David DuBois.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are well positioned to partner with emergency management and public health entities to meet the needs of at-risk individuals during future public health emergencies. HHS released an e-guide to support the integration of these cross-sector partnerships into emergency public health strategies.  

31 Aug 2020

Weekly Bulletin 8/3

by | posted in: Weekly Bulletin | 0

The following bulletin includes information regarding the Well Connected Communities initiative for the week of August 3, 2020:

In this Edition

  • Quarterly PI Call Friday, August 21, 2020
  • PD Calendar
  • Youth Voice and Leadership
  • 2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize
  • From National 4-H Council
  • News, Research, and Resources from the Field

Quarterly PI Call Friday, August 21, 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, August 21, 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:

  • August 21, 2020
  • November 20, 2020
  • February 19, 2021
  • May 21, 2021
  • August 20, 2021

PD Calendar

  • THIS WEEKCommunity Health Needs Assessment Webinar

August 6, 2020, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET

This webinar will provide participants with an overview of the community health needs assessment process, demonstrate the WCC CHNA tool, and learn about best practices, youth engagement, and common pitfalls. This webinar is open to all communities. Those communities who do not have a CHNA or are in the early stages of the process are strongly encouraged to attend.

Webinar Outline:

  • Introductions & Housekeeping
  • Overview of the CHNA Process
  • WCC CHNA Tool Demonstration
  • Discussion of Best Practices, Youth Engagement, and Common Pitfalls
  • Q&A/Closing

Register Here

  • Food Security Webinar

August 20, 2020, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET

Presenter: Rich Pirog

Mr. Pirog is the Director for Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University (MSU). Pirog has more than 25 years of experience in sustainable food systems research and outreach. His research and collaborative work on food value chains, food hubs, economic impacts of local foods, food networks and communities of practice has been cited in magazines and media outlets across the globe, used by local food practitioners and are often referenced in books and college courses.

Communities around the country are working every day to see that no child, elder, or family goes hungry. This webinar on food security will: 

  • Offer an overview of equity and food systems along with data metrics to build and monitor food access and security.
  • Point to programs and policies being adapted to meet the changing needs.
  • Share community and youth led solutions to bring the programs/policies to life.
  • Look forward, identify opportunities to leverage the disruption to the status quo to strengthen food systems and reduce food insecurity.

Register Here

  • Leading Together for Equity and Inclusion Webinar

September 17, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET

Presenter: Dorothy Freeman, PhD

Dr. Freeman is the Director of Equity at National 4-H Council whose role is to lead Council to strategically align its programmatic priorities and vision with the Equity, Access and Belonging Committee. Dr. Freeman has a distinctive career in 4-H Extension where she was Associate Dean and State 4-H Director with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development and 25years Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech University. 

Dr. Freeman will delve into the topics listed below and her presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with some Wave 2 grantees:

  • How are we defining equity and inclusion? Holding it as a value? [CES & 4-H]
  • What is Extension/4-H learning about equity during this time of multiple pandemics (COVID-19 and widespread calls for racial justice)
  • How are we adapting/moving to action?
  • What are the unique challenges and opportunities related to WCC? What is our unique role?
  • The Extension Model as a community engagement model.

Register Here

Youth Voice and Leadership

  • Youth LGU Introductions

August 26, 2020, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

On Wednesday, August 26. 2020 at 7:00 PM ET, there will be a WCC-wide ZOOM meeting for youth to introduce themselves and their communities to each other.  The meeting will last no more than 90 minutes depending on how many LGUs are represented and how much the youth want to share.

Several WCC PI’s have indicated that they would like to see the youth connect across communities and LGUs especially in light of the COVID effects on our program.  It may help youth to feel more connected by chatting and sharing about their communities and their issues.  There have also been requests for youth professional development since so many communities are working on similar topics (food insecurity and nutrition, and mental health are major ones), so we are looking at additional bi-weekly dates throughout September and October where youth and their adult community mentors can participate depending on the issues of their communities.

For the 26th, the youth from your LGU will be asked to prepare 1-2 slides about their communities to share with everyone.  I thought that may be better than asking for a slide per community as not all communities have youth engaged yet due to COVID and it could take a lot more time with 30+ communities than 17 LGUs.  The slide(s) should reflect their answers to the questions:

  • What excites you about your community?
  • What are your health concerns affecting your peers and families?
  • What can youth do about those health issues?

Slides are due to Hayat Essa (hessa@fourhcouncil.edu) by August 19, 2020.

Register Here: The registration is organized by LGU so one adult will register youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their LGU will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.) 

Please direct any questions to JoAnne Leather (jleatherman@fourhcouncil.edu)  

  • Youth Mental Health Peer Circle

September 2, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET

Mental health is important at every stage of life. This peer session on mental health will explore the impact of mental health from youth and adult perspectives. Beyond the examining the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of youth and adults alike, we will be learning from our peers their experience and opportunities available to lead people to mental well-being. We are inviting two youth leaders who are working in the area of mental health to co-present and co-facilitate this session. The following topics will be discussed:

  • What do youth have to say about mental health; learn about the results of a recent Youth Mental Health Survey that included the effects of COVID-19 on how youth see their own mental health during this time
  • Opportunities to engage community members to destigmatize public health crisis on the mental health of teens- from the perspective of teens themselves.  
  • What do WCC youth and adult community leaders have to say about this public health issue and what they can do within their own communities to open up dialogue about mental health.

Register Here for Part 1: The registration is organized by Community so one adult lead from the community will register all youth and adults (The adult that registers everyone from their community will need to share the ZOOM link with all participants.)

A second follow up session is planned for October 7, 2020, 7:00 – 8:00 PM ET. The session will be based on the September 2, 2020 discussion. Register for Part 2

2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize

  • The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is officially accepting applications for the 2021 RWJF Culture of Health Prize. An annual award, the RWJF Culture of Health Prize elevates and honors communities that are at the forefront of advancing health, opportunity, and equity for all. Winners receive a $25,000 prize and the chance to share their accomplishments with the nation. The application deadline is October 15, 2020. Visit https://rwjf.ws/3gpC5G3 to learn more. 

Prize communities continue to inspire the nation with real-life examples of local leaders and community members bringing partners together to transform neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and more so that better health flourishes for everyone. 

From National 4-H Council

  • Sharing of 4-H Resources

How is your 4-H program meeting the learning needs of children and families during COVID-19? National 4-H Council is curating a list of free 4-H resources offered by 4-H programs across the country. Explore and share these activities found at 4-H at Home and then submit your efforts for an opportunity to be featured.

  • Collecting Youth Stories

Tell us how your 4-H’er(s) are doing amazing things to make the world a better place during this time of COVID-19. We’ll bring these incredible stories to the forefront, inspiring kids everywhere to make a difference too. As you come across the stories of young people doing something positive to help their communities, making a difference, or even just making people smile, tell us their story via this quick form. It can be completed by an Extension professional, parent or 4-H’er. 

News, Research and Resources from the Field:

  • NEW Healthy People 2030 Launch

Healthy People 2030 is a set of science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving health and well-being in the United States. During the webcast, you’ll learn about the new Healthy People 2030 goals and objectives and the process of their development.  Guest speakers from HHS will also discuss Healthy People 2030 data, social determinants of health, and health equity.

No registration is necessary. Just visit hhs.gov/live on August 18 at 1 PM EDT.

Which neighborhoods in America offer children the best chance to rise out of poverty? The Opportunity Atlas answers this question using anonymous data following 20 million Americans from childhood to their mid-30s. Now you can trace the roots of today’s affluence and poverty back to the neighborhoods where people grew up. See where and for whom opportunity has been missing, and develop local solutions to help more children rise out of poverty.

National Equity Atlas indicators track how communities are doing on key measures of inclusive prosperity. We define an equitable community as one where all residents — regardless of their race, nativity, gender, or zip code — are fully able to participate in the community’s economic vitality, contribute to its readiness for the future, and connect to its assets and resources. Our indicators track change over time, are comparable across geographies, and are disaggregated by race and other demographics as much as possible.

A new commentary in The Journal of Rural Health examines the relationship between substance use and coronavirus in the Southern Mountains region of Appalachia.  Authors cite recent data showing greater and faster-increasing COVID-19 rates in Appalachia and the South and rural-specific challenges to programs for overdose prevention and infection control.

 

·       From eXtension

 

  • ICYMI: Connect Extension Chat: Virtualizing and Social Distancing Horticulture & Master Gardener Volunteer Programs
    Stephanie Mathias, State Master Gardener Coordinator, University of Maryland

In case you missed it: We had an excellent live chat with 58 participants discussing all the innovative ways to move horticulture and Master Gardener volunteer programs to a virtual platform!…Learn More

  • NEW Impact Collaborative Opportunities for eXtension Members. Next month, the Impact Collaborative will host an Innovation Facilitator Training. The Innovation Facilitator training is six sessions on August 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, & 28. It helps provide individuals with a new way of looking at program and project development to help new and existing programs across your states and institutions identify gaps in their planning, ensure they are most ready for implementation, and have explored all considerations to maximize local impact. Learn more and register here. 
  • American Journal of Public Health Includes Commentary on Cooperative Extension

Cooperative Extension is the subject of an article in a forthcoming special issue of the American Journal of Public Health focused on rural health.  The commentary, co-authored by David Buys and Roger Rennekamp,  “advances the notion that Extension, by working hand-in-hand with public health professionals, has an important role to play in addressing the health needs of rural communities.” The article highlights five key steps that Extension can take with its public health partners to improve health and well-being across the nation. These include addressing the determinants of health through local coalitions, connecting communities to land grant resources, restoring public confidence in science, utilizing new technologies to support lifelong learning and collaboration, and capitalizing on youth voice and action. To read the abstract or obtain copies of the full text of the article visit https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305767