NACDEP Newsletter

Fall Edition

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2020 Fall NACDEP Newsletter

The Future of Extension Climate Education

Submitted by Paul Lachapelle

The National Extension Climate Initiative (NECI) continues to meet monthly to network, discuss current trends and share relevant information and resources about extension climate education.

Please join the next meeting on Thur. Oct. 8 (3:30pm ET) featuring Dr. Debra Rowe, President of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, Founder and Facilitator of the Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability, and Co-founder and Program Director of the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium who will discuss her programs and engage NECI subscribers in an Futuring exercise related to Extension and Climate Education.  During this session, Dr. Rowe will lead the group through 5 questions of:

1. What Possible futures can we imagine for Extension and Climate Education?
2. What Probable futures can we imagine for Extension and Climate Education?
3. What Preferabilities do we want to see regarding Extension and Climate Education? 
4. What Prioritizations can we imagine for Extension and Climate Education?
5. What Preparations do we need moving forward to make it happen?

The group and meetings are open to all and free.  For more information, contact Paul Lachapelle at [email protected]

Host a Virtual Global Climate Change Presentation

Submitted by Thomas Blaine, Ohio State University

I have been teaching about global climate change for over 30 years.  My latest fact sheet on the topic (Update 2020) is here: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/cdfs-203  Feel free to download and read this fact sheet, and to circulate it to your colleagues and clientele.

I have lectured on climate change in diverse parts of the world including the former Soviet Union, South America, and to the US Navy while at sea returning from surge deployment.  Until recently, all of these presentations involved me being personally present with the audience.  That all changed recently with the advent of COVID-19.  An Extension educator in Ohio who had scheduled me for an in person presentation in her county on a date this past August got in touch with me to tell me the presentation was still on!  It was just that we were shifting to Zoom.

It was a great experience for me.  We had over 60 people attend, with lots of audience participation. Someone in the audience raises a hand virtually, we unmute their mic and there they are asking detailed and very relevant questions.  Follow ups are welcome.  It's a wonderful platform.  We are very fortunate to have this technology.  The evaluations we collected showed the audience believed that the program was excellent to outstanding.

This experience led me to decide to take this opportunity to the nation.  As a result, I am offering it to all NACDEP members for delivery to your clientele or colleagues.  For the most part, my typical presentation follows the outline of the fact sheet I have linked above.

Some commonly asked questions I answer are:

1. Isn't it true that Earth has been much warmer in the past?  So why are few degrees now such a big deal?
   
   
2.  Earth's climate always changes, so again, why is climate change now so important?
   
   
3.  How do we know that the climate change we are seeing now is man-made, since climate change has always occurred?
   
   
4.  What can we do about man-made climate change?
   
   
5.  What is El Nino, and what role does it play in global climate?
   
   
6.  How is agriculture/gardening affected by warming/climate change?
   
   
   Not so commonly questions include:
   
   

1. Who came up with the idea of global warming/climate change in the first place?
   
   
2.  Who was it that first put the concept out there that human activity, by changing the atmospheric chemistry even minutely, could cause Earth's climate to change so radically?
    
3.  Is this a new concept, or a not so new concept?
   
   Even if you do not plan to host a presentation, I urge you to read my fact sheet.  It is current and offers the best overview of the topic of global climate change you can get in a  reading of thirty minutes or less.  And remember, since the presentations I am offering are virtual, there is no cost for the presentation.
   
   Feel free to email me at [email protected] or phone me at 330-466-7877.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Fall Leadership Refresher Series at University of Minnesota Extension

Submitted by Lori Rothstein, University of Minnesota Extension

Start your mornings with us by refreshing your leadership skills. Join us October 19-23. Learn more and register today. 

Kansas Association of Community Development Extension Professionals Offers "Essential Strategies for Building Racial Justice and Inclusion - A Six Week Webinar Series"

Submitted by Marlin Bates, Professional Development Committee Chair, Kansas Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, [email protected]

The KS Assoc. of Community Development Extension Professionals invites you to join them in their upcoming series of six one-hour webinars exploring core competencies of diversity, equity and inclusion in Extension work. We are once again proud to partner with the University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development to bring you lessons from their Community Toolbox. This offering will focus on lessons from their chapter on "Working Together for Racial Justice and Inclusion."

This professional development opportunity is for any Extension Professional - regardless of your role within the Cooperative Extension System, so feel free to invite your colleagues and officemates. Through this approachable format to strengthening your cultural competence, you'll gain exposure to new ways of viewing the world, strategies to employ in your Extension work and we'll engage your connection between the lessons and your work.

Each webinar will cover one or more of the lessons listed below:

• Understanding Culture and Diversity in Building Communities
• Building Relationships with People from Different Cultures
• Healing from the Effects of Internalized Oppression
• Strategies and Activities for Reducing Racial Prejudice and Racism
• Learning to be an Ally for People from Diverse Groups and Backgrounds
• Creating Opportunities for Members of Groups to Identify Their Similarities, Differences, and Assets
• Building Culturally Competent Organizations
• Multicultural Collaboration
• Transforming Conflicts in Diverse Communities
• Understanding Culture, Social Organization and Leadership to Enhance Engagement
• Building Inclusive Communities

Registrants will have access to all six one-hour webinars which will be held on Thursdays from January 28, 2021 - March 4, 2021 at 1:00 PM Central. The registration fee is $20. You can visit this site to register: https://tinyurl.com/y3d5kgfw.

JCEP Extension Leadership Conference

The NACDEP Member Services Committee Announces its Schedule of Monthly Webinars for 2020-2021

Submitted by Michael Dougherty, Chair Member Services Committee
([email protected])

These "Webinar Wednesdays" cover subjects that members identified as ones of interest in a recent survey. They feature expanded versions of presentations that had been accepted for the 2020 conference but could not be fit into the virtual schedule.

Each webinar will take place on the third Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. ET. The schedule of webinars is below with title and lead presenter:

• October 21, 2020: "Promotion and Preservation: Best Practices in Rural Destination Management." Daniel Eades, West Virginia University.

• November 18, 2020: "Tribal Nations Lead! Leadership Development in the Great Lakes." Lead presenter: Emily Proctor, Michigan State University.

• December 16, 2020: "Arts Extension Toolkit: Combining Placemaking, Arts, and Community Design in Extension Programming." Lead presenter: Melissa Bond, University of Kentucky.

• January 20, 2021: "Best Practices in Land Use and Economic Development - A Program for Municipal Accreditation." Lead presenter: Laura Brown, University of Connecticut.

• February 17, 2021: "Communicating our Message to Stakeholders." Lead presenter: Kenzie Johnston, Ohio State University.

• March 17, 2021: "Seizing Opportunities for Community Readiness." Lead presenter: Eric Walcott, Michigan State University.

• April 21, 2021: "Agritourism Success Factors for Entrepreneurship and Community Development." Lead presenter: Lisa Chase, University of Vermont

More details, including the full list of each presenter and the Zoom link, will be shared via email blasts leading up to each scheduled webinar.

Additional webinars may be added to this schedule later.

These webinars are one part of an effort to add value to the NACDEP membership.

International  Workshop on Agritourism Postponed Until 2021

Submitted by Lisa Chase, University of Vermont Extension

As a result of the pandemic, the International Workshop on Agritourism scheduled for October 2020 in Vermont was postponed until 2021. To continue to build the global network and share research, resources and best practices, we have been hosting a series of virtual agritourism gatherings.  This is a description of the ongoing 2020 program.

MONTHLY SERIES FEATURES VIRTUAL CONVERSATIONS ON AGRITOURISM

Agritourism Gatherings: A virtual series for farm, food and travel communities will address issues of interest to agricultural producers, farm stay operators and other agritourism industry professionals although anyone is welcome to participate. Sessions are free to attend, but advance registration is required for each session.

For program details or to register, visit http://go.uvm.edu/agtourism-gatherings. To request a disability-related accommodation to participate, contact Becky Bartlett at (802) 257-7967, ext. 301, or [email protected].

The fall program includes:

Sept. 22--Welcoming Guests Back on Our Farms and Ranches During COVID-19; 12-1 p.m. Farm stay owners from India, Italy and the United States will share what they are doing to prepare for overnight guests to offer them a safe experience during the pandemic.

Oct. 8--Regenerative Tourism and Agriculture; 1-2 p.m. The session will focus on the global regenerative tourism movement and how regenerative agricultural practices have helped shape this movement. Speakers are from a Costa Rican sustainable rainforest ecolodge, a California meat company, a New York farm-based hospitality business and Vancouver Island University.

Nov. 19--Indigenous and Tribal Perspectives on Agritourism; 12-1 p.m. Presenters from the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association, La Paz on Foot (Bolivia), the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (Guatemala) and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin will discuss indigenous-led agritourism initiatives, best practices for integrating agro-biodiversity conservation in tribal communities and how ancient culture and history can apply to contemporary travel company design and marketing.

Future programs in the series are Experiential Education/Experience Economy (January), Social Justice in Agriculture and Tourism (February), Virtual Farm and Food Experiences (March), African Perspectives on Agri/Eco Tourism (also in March), Culinary Lens on Agritourism (April) and the Future of Nature-Based Tourism (May).

Drive In Wi-Fi Hot Spots in Washington

Submitted by Michael Gaffney - [email protected]Monica Babine - [email protected] Christina Sanders - [email protected]  Brian Anderson - [email protected]

Among its myriad other impacts, COVID-19 has elevated the importance of access to broadband internet. Where available, access to the internet has enabled adaptations to the realities of the global pandemic such as online school, remote work, telemedicine, and connection with friends and family at a distance. However, those without adequate access to broadband internet do not have these options. The pandemic has highlighted these inequities, and the need to increase the availability of publicly available, and safe, broadband internet access. This is especially true in areas without broadband infrastructure, such as rural communities.

An idea to provide WiFi access to WSU students at Extension sites across Washington quickly grew to include a host of public and private entities, all working to bridge the "digital divide" more broadly by providing free community drive-in WiFi hotspot parking lots. Through this effort, spearheaded by the Washington State Broadband Office with collaboration from WSU, over 260 new sites have been added, and a like number of existing sites made available for public use at no charge. These sites allow access, while still supporting the social distancing made necessary by COVID.  Using a Drive-In WiFi location finder web portal supported by the Washington State Broadband Office, the public can find the nearest available site. Partners contributing to this project include Washington State University Extension, Microsoft, Avista Foundation, the Washington Department of Commerce, the Washington State Library, a division of the Secretary of State, the NoaNet, Information Technology Disaster Resource Center,  the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, as well as telecommunications providers, local schools, county governments, businesses and nonprofits.

            Evaluating the impact of the sites has also been an important aspect of this work. Evaluation efforts include a user survey and a dashboard of usage data. Users are asked to indicate the reason for utilizing the hotspot, such as K-12 education, entertainment, small business activities, etc. In addition, the number of users and total amount of data transferred is recorded. Evaluation of the usage of drive-in WiFi hotspots has underscored the value of providing public broadband access, especially in rural areas. This evaluation, along with other data gathered during the project, has already helped focus efforts on long-term, permanent broadband solutions in the state.

            If you have questions about the Drive-In WiFi efforts in Washington, please contact Mike Gaffney ([email protected]) or Brian Anderson ([email protected]). 

Awards

Submitted by Tamara Ogle, University of Purdue Extension

This year we will be featuring a few of our National Award winners in each of the newsletters.  This is another opportunity to share some of the great work of NACDEP members in community development.  We want to congratulate all of National and Regional Award winners for 2020!

2020 NACDEP Cross Program Award Individual Winner
Building Community through Climate Change
Dr. Paul Lachapelle, Montana State University

The 4-H Weather and Climate Youth Learning Lab is a youth (grades 3-5) climate curriculum, developed under the direction of Dr. Paul Lachapelle of Montana State University (MSU) with assistance from Extension faculty at 4 Land Grant Universities (Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado) with expertise spanning 5 programs areas.   This hands-on learning experience allows a community leader to guide youth participants through 9 activities to explore and understand weather and climate connections and impacts in communities.  The curriculum was funded by the USDA Climate Hub Office (Northern Plains) based in Ft. Collins, CO and was awarded national peer-reviewed status by the National 4-H Council.  The curriculum can be downloaded free at the National 4-H website and additional information including details on the laboratory kits, evaluation forms, and additional resources can be downloaded here.  For each activity, the curriculum shows the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Climate Literacy Framework associated with the topic.   Each activity is meant to take approximately 1-hour, and the complete learning labs can be completed in approximately twelve hours.   Dr. Lachapelle now works through the Department of Political Science at MSU where he is a tenured professor and continues to provide research and education assistance to colleagues interested in promoting climate education including the new National Extension Climate Initiative.  He is also continuing his LGBTQ+ outreach work through the annual youth Rainbows Over the Rockies LGBTQ+ Virtual Conference involving extension colleagues from across the United States.  For more information about his work, please contact Dr. Lachapelle at [email protected]. 

2020 NACDEP Diversity Award Winner
Purdue Extension Navigating Difference Partnership
Purdue Extension, South Bend Community Schools, and Indianapolis Public Library

Purdue Extension's Navigating Difference Team trained the entire staff (600+) of the Indianapolis Public Library System in cultural competency as part of an intentional investment in mission-related organizational change. All 108 managers and supervisors completed the 18-hour intensive training. 500 staff built Cultural Awareness skills in a half-day workshop. https://cdext.purdue.edu/signature-programs/leadership-civic-engagement/navigating-difference/

Special Section on Covid-19

Thoughts on the Post Pandemic Future

Michael Dougherty, WVU Extension Service and Long-time NACDEP Member

Trying to predict the future under normal circumstances is a fool's errand.  Trying to predict the long-term impacts of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on communities and community development is the definition of foolishness.

A year ago, the virus which had caused the pandemic was not known.  A year from now, we hope the virus is under control if not completely gone from our day-to-day life.  But we cannot say for certainty anything because we don't know what we don't know.

Still, the one thing that is certain is that there will be change. That is because change is sometimes the only constant in life. It is consistent and unrelenting, even if sometimes it is unnoticed.

The pandemic has already brought out the best and worst in communities. We have seen sacrifice and generosity to help neighbors and those in need.  We have also seen divisions in society many thought had been overcome - and their associated philosophies many thought been confined to the dust bins of history - return with a vengeance.

Nevertheless, those of us who are working in community development need to be prepared in order to do the best for the places and people we serve.  Below are some quick thoughts about the direction of change.

• People will return to group settings once they feel it is safe.  After all, people are social creates. The key is risk tolerance.  As younger people have higher risk tolerance - and statistically appear to have less adverse impacts from the virus - that age cohort will be among the first to resume these activities. And as the ability to treat (and eventually prevent) the virus increases, so too will social interaction.
  
  
• Government will focus on what it must do as opposed to what it would like to do. This will be particularly felt at the local and state level.  Revenues will be constrained by the reduction in economic activity.  Additionally, new expenditures because of the pandemic, such as extra cleaning or special services, will reduce monies available for discretionary spending.

• Education will return to the classroom setting.  Virtual schooling is less than optimal in a PK-12 setting, particularly for the primary grades.  Additionally, non-educational benefits to the students (socialization) and those who care for them (child care) make a return to the school building not only desirable but inevitable. As for college classes, the on-line option will continue to grow but will remain a supplement to in class learning in the vast majority of cases. Complaints about the conversion to and quality of on-line college classes (especially from those paying the tuition) will hasten that return to campus.
  
  
• Work will return to a more traditional setting, but not completely.  Some people will like the "freedom" of working at home. But this will not be the norm for everyone as the need to collaborate and the need to compartmentalize life.  What is more likely is that there will be an increase in "hybrid" workers who go to the office occasionally but still must go there sometimes. And many jobs that are location-dependent have and continue to be done. That will not change.

• Workers will tend to be younger.  Older workers who are in position to retire may be more likely to do because they want to enjoy life. Already anecdotal evidence suggests this is happening in some fields (e.g., education) as older workers who have that option decided to step away rather than risk their health.  The need to reduce expenses may also lead to organizations offering "buy outs" to older workers to remove their typically higher salaries from payrolls.

• Businesses and other entities that survive will be stronger. The pandemic has led to business failures which is not surprising.  In many cases, the current situation has just exacerbated existing trends as these failures these firms were either already in a precarious financial position or had business models that could not adapt well to situational changes. (There are certainly exceptions to this generalization, e.g., food and beverage establishments).  As a result, those firms that remain will have found a way to survive tough times and will be ready to flourish as things situation improves.

• Opportunities will abound for to provide new products and services.  This could be new businesses filling niches that were previously handled by firms that failed. This could be in the manufacturing or distribution of new products that make people feel more safe and secure. This could be in services that were being offered during the pandemic (e.g., curbside pickup, shopping services) which could be expanded and made widely available.

• Travel will be both down and up from traditional levels.  Business travel will remain depressed. The cost-value proposition of making site visits, marketing calls, or conference trips will be reevaluated. The technology that enabled remote work and learning will be used much more extensively than it was previously. Conversely, the pent-up desire to go somewhere different will be met with through leisure travel.  This could lead to an increase in both day-trips and longer junkets.

• Settings for all activities will be somewhat different. Even as people reengage with social interactions, many will be cautious. So being in a packed, congested space, particularly inside, will be for everyone.  Outdoor spaces and more open inside places will be favored.  As a result, activities such as blocking off streets for dining and community gatherings to using an appointment system for transacting business as opposed to just accepting walk-ins will become more common (if not the norm).
  
  Community development will have to be flexible because of these new and different challenges. In this case, there is no real change for CD. 

Kansas State Pride Program and the Pandemic

Submitted by Jaime Menon

Kansas State

For many years the Kansas PRIDE Program has been the flagship Community Vitality program for Kansas State Research and Extension (KSRE). A partnership between K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Kansas Masons and Kansas PRIDE, Inc. the program has served communities in the areas of education, leadership and recognition. 2020 was supposed to be the program's 50^th Anniversary. Instead of a major celebration, the program's anniversary was overshadowed by the recent pandemic. But did this slow the program and communities down? Yes, it did...but it did not stop them. It only created opportunities for innovation!

Surveys and Support

Gaining an understanding of basic needs, staff helped develop and gather resources to guide communities in the areas of health and safety. Surveys were developed and distributed to measure economic impact and the loss of local fundraising efforts. Kansas State Research and Extension Community Vitality staff went to work addressing these needs.

What came of that?

Community Confidence in Extension   

Through our participating communities' social media traffic and e-mails, we can see they are exercising the remote work, meeting, and fundraising tactics we've researched, developed, delivered, and promoted. On being a research/fact-based source of information, one of our contacts stated: "It is such a relief getting your emails, especially the one about the COVID-19 resources. I know it is all fact based and I'm not going to be sold something."    

Impact of the Ask   

Concerning the COVID-19 Economic Impact Survey created jointly between Northwest Kansas Community Vitality Specialist Nadine Sigle and Kansas PRIDE Program Staff: 

From Cade Resnick, Director of Central Kansas District: "The Executive Director of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce caught wind of the effort and asked for my help in writing and submitting a CDBG-CV application.¿ We used direct data from the KSRE-CKD Economic Impact survey in preparing the application. ¿We were notified that Saline County and the City of Salina, together, was allocated $301,200 for economic development and meal programs!!!"   

New Business Speculation   

Another individual, from the River Valley District, reached out to Kansas PRIDE staff to learn how they might grow and promote their local beef cattle business. Using guidance from staff they worked on their branding, reached out to River Valley District Extension educators to learn how to price their product.  After creating an online presence, they were quickly invited to join the Shop Kansas Farms Facebook. Now their business is booming! Quote: "We are sold out through the end of August...and the phone won't stop ringing!" 

First Impressions

Communities still must assess needs...and still want to know what a visitor experiences coming into their community. Before the pandemic started, a grant was written by the Kansas PRIDE program to support the work of First Impressions. This grant has provided a drone to create an opportunity to assess communities from many angles and capture aerial footage for the community to use in what manner they might see fit for promotional efforts.

Grant Writing and Crowdfunding

When you are stuck inside what else do you have to do? One option is to put grant writing skills to use. Over 18 months communities took advantage of KSRE Grant Writing (often promoted by Kansas PRIDE, and many of the program communities participated) workshops to raise over $6 million in grants, and that went up to $11 million when measured again during the recent pandemic. Either way they were at home enough to either apply OR report their successes! The Kansas PRIDE Program also collaborated to produce an educational opportunity on crowdfunding for communities. Now many communities are taking their fundraising online!

Kansas communities more than do justice to the state motto "Ad Astra per Aspera" (to the stars through difficulties)! These examples are just the tip of the iceberg!

For more information, visit the complete report for Kansas PRIDE here. 

https://kansasprideprogram.k-state.edu/documents/PRIDE%20M.A.D.%202020.pdf