Month: May 2019

MyExtension is our connection

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John Lawrence’s message from May 28, 2019

With my smartphone in my pocket and my computer on my lap, it’s hard to remember a time when I wasn’t so fully-connected as an extension professional. We’ve all come to rely on our ability to find what we need online as we serve Iowans every day. One of the tools that helps us do our work and maintain our connection is MyExtension. Did you know?

  • MyExtension was developed about four years ago. It is our intranet, a place for our internal “stuff” – resources that we need to access, but that the public doesn’t have to see.
  • MyExtension is for extension staff only; you must have a net ID and password to log in. (Resources that council members need are available through our public County Services site.)
  • Sometimes you may receive an email message (like this message from me) or newsletter with a link to MyExtension resources. For the link to open, be sure you are logged in to MyExtension before clicking on the link.
  • Our public ISU Extension and Outreach websites have red headers, while MyExtension pages have gold headers – so you can easily tell where you are.
  • You can make some choices about what appears on your MyExtension homepage. Every employee has the ability to add widgets – such as a particular department or favorites or frequently viewed pages. (The photo gallery widget is a great way to share local photos with the rest of the state.)

Since technology keeps changing, our intranet is never “done.” We always are looking for ways to make MyExtension better. For example, a landing page for all eAccessibility resources and tutorials will be coming soon. If you have comments or suggestions, contact the MyExtension content editors.

More notes

  • Four candidates will be interviewing for the 4-H Youth Development Program Leader position on May 29 and May 30. Information about the candidates and links to their webinars are available online.
  • You can review the May 22 meeting summary notes and video from the Structured for Success committee, as well as an archive of summaries from previous meetings.
  • Dates and locations for our first-quarter area-wide meetings have been set: Southwest, Aug. 28, Cass County Community Center, Atlantic; Northeast, Aug. 29, Waverly City Hall-Civic Center; Central, Aug 29 , Christy Hall, Story County ISU Extension Office, Nevada; Southeast, Sept. 10, Washington County Extension office, Washington; Northwest, Sept. 20, Clay County Event Center (Clay County Fairgrounds), Spencer. You can review the overall plans and expectations for these meetings.
  • ISU Rural Development Symposium: Research, Practice and Success is Aug. 15 in Ames. Save the date for this opportunity to engage with the researchers who study the issues and the people who put the research into practice. Hear about current research and success for economic development and quality of life in rural America. Registration will be available soon. For more information, contact Gary Taylor, gtaylor@iastate.edu.
  • From now through the end of June, the ISU Alumni Association is running a membership campaign tracking membership growth by county. They are telling Cyclones throughout the state how county extension offices are hard at work every day building even more Iowa State loyalty in our communities through programs and services that build a strong Iowa. This partnership with the ISU Alumni Association could help drive traffic to our county offices over the next few weeks, raising visibility for local programs and building our network of Cyclones everywhere.

— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach

Announcements, Programs ,

Guiding tourism for success

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John Lawrence’s message from May 20, 2019

With a trained tour guide, a community tourism attraction has a better chance for success. That’s why some of our Community and Economic Development staff used Excellence in Extension funding to develop a new curriculum. With their Herb Howell Creative and Innovative Program Grant, Diane Van Wyngarden, Himar Hernández, Jane Goeken, Abigail Gaffey, Steve Adams and Victor Oyervides created Professional Guide Training and Certification. The new program is the first of its kind in Iowa: It is designed for staff and volunteers who lead guided programs at community tourism attractions, such as museums, parks, conservation areas, historic sites, nature centers and agritourism venues. Did you know?

  • The one-day Guide Training workshop features interactive methods and techniques for creating and delivering dynamic guided programs, with a focus on guiding adult visitors.
  • Everyone who completes the workshop has the option to receive Professional Guide Certification from Iowa State University for an additional fee. Certification is completed at the individual’s workplace or tourism location.
  • In April, 85 people attended the first Guide Training workshop. The next statewide workshop is June 13 in Mason City and is open to the public. The fee is $10 per person and includes the course workbook, workshop activities, lunch and refreshments. This low fee is made possible through the team’s additional funding partnership with Iowa Economic Development Authority/Iowa Tourism Office and the Central Iowa Tourism Region.
  • This month Diane has conducted certification sessions with the Iowa Arboretum near Madrid, the Iowa Railroad History Museum in Boone, the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the Mahanay Bell Tower and Thomas Jefferson Gardens of Greene County in Jefferson, the State Theatre in Washington, the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City, and the Botanical Center and Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines.

Tourism guidance is one of the ways our CED unit strengthens communities and their local economies. All Iowans benefit when local people join together to make their communities better places to live and work. For more information or to pre-register (by June 5) for the June workshop, contact Diane Van Wyngarden at dvw@iastate.edu.

Tuition Assistance Program

ISU Extension and Outreach is a knowledge-based organization and our people are our greatest asset. The Vice President for Extension and Outreach Tuition Assistance Program is designed to help our people move forward with their extension careers. The program will reimburse tuition costs up to one-half of 4 credits per term, once each term (Fall, Spring and Summer) – up to one-half of 12 credits per year. County-paid and ISU-paid extension employees may apply for the program, whether taking credit courses from Iowa State, a community college, a private institution or other accredited public institution. Check the Professional Development website for eligibility and participation requirements, and other information.

Internal Communications: Update

During our leadership team retreat on May 31, we will focus on prioritizing the recommendations from the Internal Communications Task Force. I counted 25 recommendations in the executive summary. We need to set priorities so we can begin taking action.

— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach

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A wonder league for Iowa’s future

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John Lawrence’s message from May 14, 2019

Teach kids to code today – and make it fun – and before you know it, they’ll be the computer programmers, scientists and engineers of tomorrow. That’s the premise supporting Wonder League, a global robotics program that 4-H Youth Development offers for youth in grades K-3. The youth develop problem-solving and creativity skills while they build meaningful relationships with their peers. Did you know?

  • Over the past year, 21 Iowa Clover Kids teams participated in Wonder League. The theme was oceanography, leading teams through five, story-based missions under the sea.
  • In April, 17 Clover Kids from four counties participated in the Iowa 4-H Wonder League Robotics Exposition on campus. Teams programmed robots to return a sea creature to its natural habitat and launch sea turtle eggs into a nest.
  • Mahaska County has nine Wonder League teams and held its own expo last week. Additional expos will be held throughout the state.
  • Youth teams also may participate in a Clover Kids robotics experience Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Iowa State Fair.

Providing 4-H STEM activities for K-3 youth builds their school and career readiness skills, such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking. 4-H is creating a wonder league of learners and leaders for Iowa’s future.

Goodbye … and welcome

In April, we said goodbye to the following individuals who left ISU Extension and Outreach:

  • Brianne Johnson, Clinton County youth coordinator.
  • Margaret Murphy, Lyon County horticulture educator/regional food coordinator.
  • Sherry McGill, Region 5 director.

We welcome the following new staff:

  • Hilary Lanman, Wapello County program coordinator.
  • Kyler Waddle, Louisa County office manager.
  • Ashtyn Danker, East Pottawattamie County office assistant.
  • Kelli Anders, Wapello County local foods program coordinator.
  • Emily Belvel, Keokuk County program coordinator.
  • Jenna Koenigsfeld, Hardin County office assistant.
  • Erin Parker, Johnson County program coordinator.
  • Abby Boysen, Louisa County program assistant.
  • Alycne Boban, Mills County youth coordinator.
  • Chris Kick, communications specialist II, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
  • Jill Goldsmith, clerk III, Extension Information Technology.
  • Prashant Jha, associate professor, Agriculture and Natural Resources/Agronomy.

Award recipients

Congratulations to the following ISU Extension and Outreach faculty and staff who will be honored during the university’s annual awards ceremony in September:

  • Regents Award for Staff Excellence: Malisa Rader, human sciences specialist, family life.
  • Inclusive Excellence: Angela Shaw, associate professor of food science and human nutrition.
  • Inclusive Excellence: Barbara Woods, special projects manager, Human Sciences Extension and Outreach.
  • Achievement in Economic Development in Iowa: Mark Edelman, professor of economics.
  • Professional and Scientific Outstanding New Professional Award: Mackenzie Johnson, human sciences specialist, family life.
  • Distinguished Service in Extension and Outreach: Kim Brantner, human sciences specialist, family life.
  • Outstanding Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice: Anna Johnson, professor of animal science.
  • Early Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice: Shelley Oltmans, community development specialist.
  • R.K. Bliss Extension Award: Gene Mohling, Region 15 director.

One more note: The Office Professionals Conference is set for Oct. 8 on campus. Save the date!

— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach

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Community Council develops leaders

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John Lawrence’s message from May 6, 2019

If it’s 10 a.m. on the first Friday of the month, then Human Sciences Extension and Outreach faculty and staff from across the state are gathering virtually for their Community Council meeting. During the first hour, the council members, who represent field staff, hotline staff and campus, discuss complex issues that affect everyone in Human Sciences Extension and Outreach. After they listen to the council’s conversation, other Human Sciences folks add their voices – asking questions, sharing perspectives and suggesting issues for future agendas. Did you know?

  • The Community Council has been contributing to shared decision-making in Human Sciences ever since it was founded in February 2014. Meetings include honest dialogue, which enhances communication and offers opportunities for self-determined results.
  • During these open meetings, everyone is welcome to listen in during the first hour and contribute during the last 30 minutes. However, sometimes these rules are suspended and the entire meeting is a joint discussion.
  • The council has helped revise Human Science’s staff supervisory model; developed guiding principles for revenue generation and resource stewardship; compiled a 70, 20, 10 guide for allocating time and resources; and wrote a process for developing, implementing and evaluating educational offerings.

Human Sciences Extension and Outreach empowers people and grows lives. Community Council applies these same ideals through leadership development of extension faculty and staff.

More notes

  • Please review the plans for our area-wide, all-staff quarterly meetings. As I mentioned during Annual Conference, we are dividing the state into five areas for quarterly meeting purposes only. This is not a reorganization, and it is not another administrative layer. The goals for these meetings are to improve internal communication, enhance interdisciplinary and multi-county programming, strengthen relationships with colleagues, and more closely align vision and mission throughout our organization.
  • We are finalizing the Vice President for Extension and Outreach Tuition Assistance Program requirements, guidelines, and application and reimbursement forms. I will let you know when the materials will be available.
  • Read the May program update from the leadership team for current examples of what is happening across our programs.

— John D. Lawrence
Iowa State University Vice President for Extension and Outreach

Programs

May 2019 program update

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Updates from the ISU Extension and Outreach leadership team

4-H Youth Development

  • Once a month, Cerro Gordo County 4-H news and photos are featured in one full page in the Globe Gazette. Ads from area businesses, arranged by the Globe Gazette, pay for the page. This innovative, new partnership has begun thanks to Kelsey Spotts, Cerro Gordo County youth coordinator, and it is working. For the first time in many years, spring break camps were full.
  • Norma Dorado-Robles, youth program specialist, developed a new partnership with the Marshalltown High School Mathematics’ Department. She engaged 50 freshman youth throughout the school day in sampling a 4-H STEM Lit-to-Go activity at the Math Center. At least 80% of the youth that day had little to no prior knowledge about 4-H. Many of these students were very interested in a follow-up session that will be part of the 4-H youth needs assessment facilitated by Norma and Ani Das, 4-H youth stakeholder and partnership coordinator.
  • 4-H Healthy Living and the SWITCH program were featured at the Iowa Department of Education’s School Wellness Conference on March 28. School staff in attendance learned about “Engaging Youth to Enhance School Wellness Initiatives.” 4-H SWITCH Ambassadors from Earlham Middle School co-presented about their involvement in boosting wellness opportunities for their peers. They taught the audience a brain break and led a taste test to demonstrate the Cafeteria Coaching program. Many schools were intrigued by SWITCH and the ISU Extension and Outreach partnership with schools; 4-H hopes this will help grow recruitment for the upcoming year.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

  • The ISU Extension and Outreach Master Conservationist program will be offered in four locations across Iowa in 2019. The program will take place in Region 7 (Humboldt, Wright, Webster and Hamilton counties), Region 14 (Jasper, Poweshiek, Marion and Mahaska counties), Story County and West Pottawattamie County. The program is designed to create a community of passionate conservationists and is led by local conservation professionals, state specialists and Iowa State experts.
  • The inaugural Iowa Equine Day will be held May 4 at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames. The event will feature presentations related to horse and rider care, safety and horse nutrition. A ranch riding and showmanship clinic presented by Doug Bogart also will be held.

Community and Economic Development

  • The 2019 Community Visioning Program completed community assessment work on April 6 and local steering committees are reviewing the assessment data provided by the ISU research team. In May, assessment reviews will be conducted in Walcott, Coggon and Durant. Following the assessment reviews, steering committees will conduct performance objectives meetings in Walcott (May 15) and Durant (May 22).
  • CED is working with Human Sciences on Early Childhood Iowa, a federal grant that focuses on identifying challenges and issues regarding childcare in Iowa for children ranging from infant to preschool age. During May, CED specialists will be conducting focus groups with parents, preschool providers, and daycare providers in Storm Lake, Creston, Marshalltown, Waterloo, Mount Pleasant, West Des Moines and Fort Dodge.
  • The Introduction to Planning and Zoning for Local Officials workshop is a three-hour session designed to introduce the basic principles of land use planning and development management to elected officials, planning and zoning officials, and board of adjustment members without formal training in the subjects. In May, workshops will be conducted in Dubuque, Fairfield and Davenport.
  • CED is now offering data literacy workshops to help Iowans learn the skills needed to understand, visualize, interpret and practice with data relevant to communities, organizations and counties. The data literacy workshops can include a wide variety of topics, reviews of the data included in the Data for Decision Makers profiles, or an in-depth look at selected measures, indicators and trends. The workshops also can provide participants with knowledge and skills to discuss data and bridge to applications and decision making with the data. Sandra Burke will be conducting health data literacy workshops in Boone, Davenport and Adel during May.

Human Sciences

  • Boone County will become the first Kids in the Kitchen rural site with a current staff member trained to deliver Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) curricula for youth as a regular aspect of programming. Boone County will begin service this summer. This approach should help expand youth EFNEP programming to rural areas in a way that is cost-effective and sustainable.
  • Nine human sciences specialists are trained to deliver “Growing Up Wild.” The four-hour workshop requires two facilitators – an outdoor educator and an early childhood specialist. Human sciences specialists have worked with 38 naturalists in the last five years at 35 training locations, reaching 560 participants representing 58 counties. Barb Gigar, Project WILD state coordinator from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, is the lead state partner for this effort. Human Sciences Extension and Outreach also is sharing the program beyond Iowa. On April 10, Kim Brantner, Cindy Thompson and Joy Rouse presented a national webinar for the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, reaching 22 participants representing 21 states. Their presentation helped participants understand the benefits of nature in early education, learn about Growing Up Wild and explore collaboration options for outdoor education.
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