CD Wire - April 6, 2020

Mission Statement:
Ohio State University Extension
Community Development
helps communities enhance
their well-being.

AD Update:

-David Civittolo, Interim Assistant Director

New Normal

As we start our third week working from home, I hope you are settling into a new routine. I want to commend you for ably shifting gears and determining new ways to reach out and work with our colleagues, as well as our external partners. Your improvisation skills are extraordinary. In this current climate, Community Development professionals are needed more than ever.

I understand it is difficult, but I want to encourage you to balance your schedule with all our Zoom meetings. Make sure you protect blocks of time to focus on tasks that need your 100% commitment. Now is a great time to focus on those projects that you never had time to start. Perhaps it a fact sheet, or curriculum, or a new PowerPoint.

Also, make sure you schedule time for yourself and your loved ones. Self-care is critical right now. For me, I’ve walked my dog so much that he runs away from me when I pick up his leash!

Please make an effort to check in on others. Perhaps it is a colleague that you no longer work with, or an old friend that you no longer talk to. Maybe it is someone that was once important in your life but for some reason you have lost touch.

We will get through this. And when we do, we will be positioned to help communities grow and prosper. For we are community developers.

Meet Meghan Thoreau, Pickaway County CD Educator

Interested in a 3D printer? Or how to create a STEM program? If so, let Meghan help you! She is this issue's featured CD professional.

Facebook = Increase Your Reach to Ohio Communities

Facebook

Are you looking to engage with a larger audience without creating more programming? If you have a published news article, an updated fact sheet, a published academic journal, a video, or photos from an event - share it with us!

We want to share the great work that you do across the state on our Facebook page. Since January, we have published 11 social media posts that have had 2043 unique views. As we look to the future, we want to increase our social media presence, and this cannot be done without you! If you send content that you want posted to Facebook, Gage will track the reach, post clicks, reactions, shares, and any feedback that we receive from your posts – this is to help you with your dossier and your quality indicators to support your work. Contact Gage Smith (smith.10766@osu.edu) to share any information that you would like posted on Facebook.

Have a great week and remember: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” -Muhammad Ali

CD Professional FEATURE:

Getting to know Meghan Thoreau
Extension Educator, CD
Pickaway County

Meghan Thoreau
Located at:

OSU Extension - Pickaway County
110 Island Road, Suite B
P.O. Box 9
Circleville, OH 43113

Program focus:

STEM Education
Youth Workforce Development

BLOGS: Mind Stretched (Research Capabilities) |  STEM Club  | Scholastic Drone Racing
 

About Meghan:

Community Development in Pickaway County has a unique programming focus geared towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education and STEM careers exploration. Meghan's work as an Education educator is informed by a collaborative team of Extension professionals, volunteers, campus collaborators, and community partners that provide leadership for the development, production, and evaluation of educational programs and applied research to foster informal STEM educational opportunities that increase career attainment in STEM fields. Her Extension outreach and programming integrates new technologies, hands-on learning experiences, career exploration, and emphasis on the 21st Century skill set.

More specifically she provides leadership and programming to meet current and future needs related to STEM education with Pickaway County schools. She works in conjunction with the Pickaway County Educational Service Center, Pickaway WORKS, school district curriculum directors, teachers, economic development organizations, local businesses, and OSU collaborators. Learn more from her professional blog, Mind Stretched.

Meghan grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is an avid traveler and has lived in a number of places, including western Wyoming, Upstate New York, and eastern South Dakota, before moving with her family to central Ohio. She’s worked with communities both at the municipal and grassroots levels and has always strived to strengthen communities and increase the quality of life for residents.

She strongly believes in Extension and the purpose of linking current knowledge and research into our daily lives and works to solve today's educational challenges and secure a vibrant future for our communities and residents.

Meghan received a BS in Construction Management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and a Master of City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.

Meghan's Work:

Meghan's programs, research, and scholarly interest focus on the following:

  • 21st Century STEM Outreach and Teaching Program - Targets in-school outreach and teaching events that focus on STEM careers/education, 21st Century Skills, life skills, and youth workforce development
  • Business, Education, and Community Engagement Program - Involves an array of events that include school tours, business tours, workforce connection breakfast meetings, and STEM strategic planning community workshops
  • Scholastic Drone Racing Program - Integrates drone technology and accelerates STEM learning and technology career pathways
  • 4-H Tech Camp Program - Introduces youth in grades six through eight to a variety of activities that include: coding, robotics, engineering design, electricity, VR, and more
  • Elementary STEM Camps Program - Summer exploration and engagement camp for K-12 that explores and builds critical 21st Century STEM Skills through interactive hands-on activities
  • Elementary STEM Club Program - Teays Valley School District's first after-school elementary-wide STEM Club promotes student engagement and interest in STEM fields
  • Real Money, Real World Program - Financial literacy program for youth
You can reach Meghan at thoreau.1@osu.edu or 740-474-7534 (W) / 607-351-5896 (C).
Our next feature will spotlight
Gage Smith, program assistant, CD.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

LOD Training: Qualtrics and Excel: Program Registration and Data Management - April 6-10:

As we rapidly move our work into an online world, there is an increasing need to be able to collect and manage information about our clientele with tools such as Qualtrics and Excel. Qualtrics can be a powerful platform for gathering data on community stakeholders, registering participants for a program or collecting program evaluation data. Excel is a fantastic compliment to Qualtrics, allowing users to organize the information collected through a registration or to quickly summarize data from an online program evaluation. LOD members will be leading a four-part training, organized into two mini-tracks: Monday and Thursday will focus on registration topics, while Tuesday and Friday will cover evaluation and reporting basics. Read more. Link to Zoom into any session.

Update for Rural Partners, Stakeholders, and Communities on COVID-19 from the CDC - April 8:

CDC On April 8 at 4 P.M., Dr. Jay Butler, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, CDC, will be sharing guidance with partners, public health practitioners, healthcare providers, and others working to protect the health of rural communities. 

He will describe what CDC knows and what CDC is doing in response to this outbreak since the previous COVID-19 Update for Rural Health Partners that aired on March 23. To submit questions in advance, e-mail ruralhealth@cdc.gov with "Rural Health Update 4/8" in the subject line. The meeting will also be recorded and can be found hereRegister for the live update.

Investing in Community Resilience Web Series - April 15:

Investing in Community Resilience web series The spread of COVID-19 has created myriad challenges for communities around the globe. The science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma, toxic stress as well as healing and resilience, can provide helpful tools for supporting communities through this time of crisis. Take the pre-test. Register.

On Wednesday, April 15 from 3-4 p.m., eXtension and Scattergood will be hosting the second webinar of the Investing in Community Resilience web series, "What is Trauma-Informed Practice?" The webinar will explore trauma-informed principles and frameworks and what they mean for practice at the organizational, community, and systems level. By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

  • Describe why trauma-informed practice is a critical element of effectiveness
  • Identify core elements of trauma-informed practice
  • Plan strategies for applying a trauma-informed lens

EPN Zoom Webinar: Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day - April 15:

Earth Day Ohio State's 2020 Environmental Professionals Network and Sustainability Institute’s Signature Event highlights the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day, which occurs on April 22, 2020. 

This will be done via an EPN Zoom Webinar on April 15 from 4-5 p.m. The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is an opportunity to look back at the challenges faced in 1970, to evaluate where we are and what has been accomplished, and to look ahead as we confront the precarious situation we face with climate change. While we have much to be proud of with respect to environmental advances, our greatest challenges may lie ahead. Read more. Register.

Telling the Farm Story - April 22

ACEL to Extension On April 22 at 9 a.m., Emily Buck, PhD and Joy Rumble, PhD will be hosting the "Telling the Farm Story" webinar. Register.

Storytelling is an honest and powerful tool that can connect people to one another and serve as an effective communication tool. Participants will be able to:

  • Discuss the benefits to storytelling
  • Identify the parts of a story
  • Frame your story to match your audience
  • Tell others your farm story

2020 Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit - April 28-29:

Impact Collaborative The Virtual Impact Collaborative Summit will continue as scheduled for eXtension members, but the focus has been shifted to helping Extension professionals co-create solutions to deliver programs virtually.  

It will be held virtually from 2-4 p.m. on April 28-29. For this Summit, there is no requirement to participate as part of a team, all individuals from eXtension's member institutions can be a part of this event. Register.

Connect Extension Upcoming Sessions:

eXtension The eXtension Foundation is pleased to announce a new platform for all Cooperative Extension professionals, Connect Extension.

Connect Extension provides an interactive social space designed for this specific community of educators and professionals. All Cooperative Extension professionals can access their national calendar to share webinars and events system-wide and with the public. Register for a free account.

Below is a free, upcoming virtual opportunity for those with an account.

  • eXtension Social Café - Every Thursday until April 30 from 1-2 p.m., all Extension professionals are invited to this informal virtual meeting about the effective use of social media and communications in Extension work. Each Social Café will open with a 5-15 minute “tutorial” of a tool or feature on commonly used social platforms, or a brief showcase of a Cooperative Extension employee who is using digital communications in innovative and effective ways. The remainder of the time will be devoted to sharing, discussion, and Q&A.

Provost's Discovery Themes Lecturer Program and Patterson Lecture Nomination:

Nominations are now open for both the Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture and the Provost’s Discovery Themes Lecturer Program. Nomination form.

The Patterson Lecture brings to campus annually a prominent figure to speak to the range of challenges facing land-grant institutions in the 21st century and beyond. The lecture challenges the university and community audience to continue to use their knowledge and resources and work together to solve world issues.

The Provost's Discovery Themes Lecturer Program brings eminent authorities to Ohio State to address topics related to the Discovery Themes and to engage students, faculty, staff, and members of the community in thoughtful examination of major issues of public concern.

Women in Ag Monthly Zoom Calls:

The Ohio Women in Ag Learning Network offers a monthly Zoom conference call to discuss upcoming programs and ideas to educate women of all ages interested in multiple facets of agriculture across the state. All program areas and demographics are welcome to share with this clientele. Maybe it's tractor safety, sun safety, STEM activities to do with kids, lady landowner information… the list is endless. The meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. here.

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COVID-19 RELATED INFORMATION / RESOURCES:

Knowledge Exchange COVID-19 Hub Launch: 

KX COVID-19 Hub The new COVID-19 Hub has been developed by the Knowledge Exchange in partnership with OSU Extension and CFAES researchers to share the world-class research and knowledge from Ohio State directly with Ohioans.

The COVID-19 Hub will become the college’s primary connection to fact-based, science-backed information about COVID-19 for CFAES public audiences. A direct link to the COVID-19 Hub has now been posted at the top of each CFAES-owned website, including all county websites, as of today.

Update on University-sponsored Travel:

To clarify and expand on previous decisions, the university has suspended all university-sponsored international and non-essential domestic travel until further notice. All travel that has been scheduled through June 30 must be cancelled, and no new travel may be booked until further notified. Complete information here.

Workday Timeline Extended:

Due to impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on the university community, Ohio State leaders have extended the initial Workday implementation timeline by six months. The university community must be focused at this time on patient care, online course delivery and other critical services. Enterprise Project leaders are developing a plan to accommodate new deployment dates in December 2020 and January 2021. Ohio State’s Workday Student implementation, slated to begin in 2023, remains unchanged. Read more.

Update 9-1-1 Location Info for Skype:

While working from home and not using the university network, be sure to update the Skype for Business “Set My Location” setting with your home address. Your location information within Skype for Business can be used to feed the Emergency 9-1-1 system so that emergency services know how to find you. Updated location information may need to be re-entered each time your computer is rebooted. Read more.

Cybersecurity - Working Remotely:

A new page has been designed to provide easy security tips for folks working remotely. Read more. Highlights include:

  • 5 things to do first to secure your home office/computer
  • Improved instructions on how to change a password while not on campus
  • How to secure your home internet
  • What data should be accessed but should not be saved on a personal device

LOD providing COVID-19 Telecommuting and Online Learning Support:

In an effort to respond to organizational needs related to COVID-19 and our transition to telework and online teaching and learning, the Extension Learning and Organizational Development unit will be creating and curating resources here. Check back for daily updates.

New Buckeye Learning Burst:

Buckeye Learning Burst Looking for more interaction in your virtual meetings or tips for virtual interviews? Need information about CarmenZoom?

The Virtual Meeting Buckeye Learning Burst includes brief resources to help you collaborate effectively no matter where you or your colleagues are located. Buckeye Learning Bursts are quick, curated resources on work-life, leadership and learning. Get the latest news provided by top sites and thought leaders. Read more.

USDA Rural Development COVID-19 Resource Page:

USDA Rural Development has launched a COVID-19 resource page to keep customers, partners, and stakeholders continuously updated on actions taken by the Agency to help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Read more.

Keep Current on COVID-19 Research Guidance:

The Office of Research has developed a website to help Ohio State's research and creative expression community stay current with COVID-19 related guidance. The site includes links for any messages sent from Office of Research units as well as links for guidance from federal and state agencies. Please check the site often as updates are being made multiple times a day. Read more.

Key Strategies for Relieving Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk

If you did not get a chance to see it live, the University Chief Wellness Officer Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, and her webinar, "Key Strategies for Relieving Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic," can be found here.

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SCHOLARLY / CREATIVE / OPPORTUNITIES:

Proposals for InFACT Linkage and Leverage Grants due April 24:

The Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT) invites you to submit proposals for their Linkage and Leverage seed grant program. Teams of faculty, staff, students and external partners may apply. Proposals for the final cycle are due April 24. Read more.

Office of Research Funds - Proposals due April 30:

The Office of Research is making funds available to seed projects that leverage the expertise and technical capabilities of our university's research community to contribute to Ohio’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This call is open to anyone with PI status, and projects must be ready to launch immediately upon notice of award. The office is accepting proposals on a rolling basis through Thursday, April 30, or until funds are depleted. Read more.

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REMINDERS / UPDATES / NEWS:

"It's All About Time" - OSU Extension Spring Wellness Challenge:

Sign up today for the OSU Extension Live Healthy Live Well spring email wellness challenge. From April 6 to May 18, you will receive two email messages a week related to the theme “It’s All About Time.” Messages will address priority time, quality time, screen time, me time, mealtime, and more! Register.

Community Connections – Everyone Will Be Counted in the 2020 Census:

The 2020 Census data collection began in mid-March. Data collected in the census will inform the distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds to states and communities each year for things like infrastructure, health care, and food assistance. It is important that everyone respond to the 2020 Census. If you are asked about how the census results are used, you can share that this information will be used to: direct federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services; help communities prepare to meet transportation and emergency readiness needs; and determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and political representation at all levels of government.

The census is so important that every household’s response is required by law, and answers are kept confidential. Every household will have the option to respond online, by mail, or by phone. Data will be collected face-to-face from those who do not or cannot respond in another way. More information is available here. It is appropriate to make some of the 2020 Census information available at our county offices so our clientele are aware of the census efforts.

OSU Extension Announces Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: 

OSU Extension Announces Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education OSU Extension will be hosting “Agriculture and Natural Resources Madness: A Tournament of Education,” which will include 64 educational events broken into daily brackets.

This tournament will continue until mid-May and is free. Each day, virtual educational sessions will be held at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. Read more and register.

Articles/Publications of Interest:

CFAES News:

Research News (March 2020) 

Ohio Sea Grant eNewsletter (March 2020)

The Drop - NCRWN eNewsletter (March 2020)


© 2020, OSU Extension Community Development, 3 Agricultural Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 / 614-292-6232

This page is maintained by: OSU Extension Community Development.

If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact extension-cd@osu.edu.

CFAES (College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information: www.go.osu.edu/cfaesdiversity.