Extension Update: March 2007 Archives

The UNH Cooperative Extension Strategic Plan 2007-2012 has been printed and is ready for distribution.

Copies are being distributed to UNH administration, USNH Board of Trustees, extension staff, advisory council members and other key partners and organizations.

I have named to the Strategic Plan Implementation Team the following individuals: Charlene Baxter, Darrel Covell, Charlie French, Jim Grady (chair), Mike Koski, Amy Ouellette, Julia Peterson and Lisa Townson.

The charge to the implementation team is to take the next step of actualizing the strategic plan with assignment of responsibilities, resources, time frames for each action, and tracking/reporting of the plan's progress. Building on our past efforts, the implementation of our new five year strategic plan describing the organization we intend to become is a formidable charge.

A special thanks to Val Long for her superb facilitation of the strategic planning process and to each of the committee members - Juli Brussell, Amy Ouellette, Matt Tarr, Thom Linehan, Julia Peterson, Nancy Evans, Charlie French and Lisa Townson - for their commitment and effort in working with staff and stakeholders to create this excellent plan that will direct our organization in the coming years.

Please take a moment to review the Extension Educator Promotion Procedures. Nominations for promotion are due in July.

Two successful County Conversations II have taken place in the last month, in Cheshire and Strafford counties.

In Strafford County March 5, legislators, partnering organizations and others heard from a panel that featured participants from UNH and Cooperative Extension, as well as local collaborators. Panelists showcased how UNH and Cooperative Extension, along with local organizations, work with families in a very unique way "through the generations" to bolster land conservation in a multi-generational approach.

UNH Provost Bruce Mallory welcomed the more than 50 who attended the event, held in the Strafford County Court House, while UNH Interim President Bonnie Newman provided ending remarks.

Frank Mitchell, Extension Professor/Specialist, Land & Water Conservation, facilitated the panel, which included Phil Auger, Extension Educator, Land and Water Conservation, Anna Boudreau, Executive Director, Strafford Rivers Conservancy, Dr. Paul C. Johnson, Associate Professor, UNH Dept. of Natural Resources, Mike Sciabarrasi, Extension Professor/Specialist, Agricultural Business Management and Ruth Scruton, Strafford County 4-H Leader & owner/operator of The Travelin Barnyard, an interactive educational agricultural display.

On February 5, Cheshire County legislators, partnering organizations and others heard from a panel that looked at the variety, and value, of Cooperative Extension's local programs that impact youth in Cheshire County. UNH Interim President Bonnie Newman provided welcoming remarks.

Paula Gregory, Extension Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, facilitated the panel, which included Joe Boggio, Hinsdale Middle/High School Assist. Principal, Community Health Coalition, Tom Walsh, Monadnock Regional School District, Nutrition Services Director, Kathy Weibel, UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, Jennifer Kozaczek, Southwestern Community Services Manager, Head Start and Nicolette Shelley, UNH student and former 4-H member.

The next County Conversation II is scheduled April 16 in Sullivan County.

UNH Cooperative Extension is collaborating with several UNH departments and programs in an effort to recognize local community leaders and organizations who have done great work and who have supported members of the UNH community.

Nominations for four awards, to be given out at the University of New Hampshire Community Leadership Celebration April 12, 6-8 pm at the Elliot Alumni Center, are as follows: Community Leader, Community Organization, Student Service and Student Activist.

The mission of the Community Leadership Celebration is to provide students, faculty, staff and alumni with an opportunity to recognize community leaders and organizations that have supported the University's mission of public service, and to strengthen the bond between the university and people who are civically engaged in the Seacoast area. This free event will feature a guest keynote speaker, networking opportunities and awards ceremony.

The criteria for the awards include an affiliation with the University, and individuals or organizations must serve New Hampshire Seacoast communities. Community members are welcome to nominate any qualified UNH or Seacoast community member or organization for any of the awards. Nomination and criteria are available on-line in both downloadable and electronic form and due by March 22, for full consideration.

The UNH Community Leadership Celebration is a collaborative project of the Thompson School of Applied Science Community Leadership Program, UNH Cooperative Extension, Community Development Program, Office of Community Service and Learning, and the Carsey Institute.

eXtension's professional development opportunities are open to all Cooperative Extension faculty, staff and employees.

This month, eXtension is offering "30 Minute Sessions" on topics related to the collaborative work tools such as the wiki and FAQ, and also a new topic, Blogging. Give eXtension 30 minutes and they will teach you something new.

These sessions will be held via Breeze and your telephone. Plan to join the session 5 minutes before the starting time. Each session will be held at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Sessions include:
* March 6, a "30 Minute Session" Wikimedia Bare Essentials - what you need to get started working in a wiki.

* March 7, a "30 Minute Session" Google Juice -- Help search engines find your information and ours! The basics of search engine optimization.

* March 13, a "30 Minute Session" MediaWiki Finishing Touches, ­using templates for final stylistic touches in the Community of Practice (CoP) wiki.

* March 14, a "30 Minute Session" Categories in the Wiki. Categories are the primary mechanism for navigation that lets you find what you're looking for at the right time in a wiki.

* March 22 a "30 Minute Session" Blogging -- So you think you want to be a blogger? How you can use blogging to enhance your educational programming? What's involved, how it's done, and how to get started. Participants will be exposed to several blogging tools with an emphasis on Blogger.com, Google's newly revamped blog hosting site.

* March 27, a "30 Minute Session" MediaWiki Finishing Touches ­using templates for final stylistic touches in the CoP wiki.

* March 28, a "30 Minute Session" Frequently Asked Question (FAQ session - An orientation for agents/educators to find answers to your clients' questions and how everyone can contribute to enhancing the quality of the FAQ System to make it a more valuable resource.

To participate in any of the 30 Minute session:

Five minutes before the start time, go to the Breeze .

You will be presented with a login screen that has an "Enter as Guest" option.

Enter your first name, your last name, and your institution/university, then click the "Enter Room" button to join the conference.

To hear the audio of the workshop and participate in the Q&A portion of the workshop we will be using a built-in teleconferencing capability of Macromedia's Breeze conferencing software. Once you log into the meeting, you will be presented with the option to enter your call-back number and your phone will automatically be called. You can then join in the audio portion of the Web conference on your phone.

Mark Wiley, Extension Specialist for marine science education, Ann Reid, Extension Associate who directs the Great Bay Coast Watch and the UNH Marine Docents are working hard with their colleagues of the Gulf of Maine Marine Educators Association to host the 2007 National Marine Educator Association annual conference this summer.

The conference, entitled "Downeast 2007" is coming to Portland, July 23 -27. This is a chance for teachers, other educators and researchers interested in the "world of water, both fresh and salt" to come together to share inspiration, innovative ideas and programs.

"We anticipate over 400 marine educators from around the country and around the world to descend on Portland this summer." Wiley commented. "Most importantly, we hope that many New England teachers will take advantage of the conference's convenient location to attend for the day, or for the whole week."

The highlight of the conference will be keynote presentations on marine and freshwater subjects from researchers and activists such as Dr. Robert Steneck of the University of Maine, National Geographic underwater photographer Bill Curtsinger, ocean advocates Joan Benoit Samuelson and Casco Baykeeper Joe Payne, and noted author and former swordfish boat captain Linda Greenlaw.

Wiley, Reid, and the Docents role will be to keep the conference running smoothly, help direct conferees around Portland, and provide an interesting and enlightening experience for all participants. "We are really looking forward to sharing the best of the Gulf of Maine with our colleagues from away." Wiley remarked.

For more information about the conference, visit the conference web site or call Mark Wiley at (603) 749-1565.