In the book “Where Good Ideas Come From”, author Steven Johnson explores innovation through the lens of the ‘adjacent possible’. To put it simply, innovation does not necessarily occur in huge steps. Often, it is the result of noticing something and trying to apply that idea in a slightly different way or in a slightly different context. This month’s news roundup is filled with talk of innovation. As you read, think about the “adjacent possible” for your programs. What new angle do you see or what small step can you take?
What are your thoughts on ‘the adjacent possible’ and Cooperative Extension? Share your comments by tweeting @eXtension4u and using the #coopext hashtag.
News Roundup
Impact Collaborative Job Postings. eXtension Foundation is hiring two full-time people to serve the Impact Collaborative. One position is the Program Manager, who is responsible for the formation and success of the Collaborative. The other position is an Instructional Technologist, who will be responsible for all aspects of professional development for the Collaborative. Applications are due July 10, 2017. View the job descriptions: Program Manager | Instructional Technologist
JOE special issue. The Journal of Extension Board of Directors, in partnership with eXtension, is pleased to announce a Call for Paper Abstracts for the Journal of Extension Special Issue on Innovation. A 200-word abstract is due June 30, 2017. To see the key areas being emphasized for this issue visit the Call for Submissions.
Technology & Innovation Committee. There are only a few days left to nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the ECOP Committee on Technology and Innovation. Twelve people throughout the Cooperative Extension System will be selected to examine ways to implement findings in the Horizon Report and examine the technology aspects of innovation. Read more or nominate someone…
Extension’s Data Imperative. Telling the story of Extension impact often involves analyzing data that is qualitative. Enabling Extension to analyze large amounts of qualitative data will greatly enhance the evaluation capacity of the system. University of Wisconsin Extension Specialist and eXtension fellow, Christian Schmieder has published his final report examining this topic “Responding To the Data Imperative In Extension: Developing a National Online Qualitative Analysis and Analysis Software Learning Platform”. Read more about Christian’s fellowship and download his final report…
eXtension Blog. If you are not following the eXtension blog, you are missing out on innovation, diversity, and lessons learned in programming on cutting edge topics. The topics of some recent additions to the blog include:
- A colorful activity to celebrate diversity and ways to handle difficult situations
- Can drones help small-scale agriculture?
- Studying the culture and food in South America
AFRI Support Letters. If you are submitting a proposal to an AFRI program this summer and wish to include the use of eXtension tools and services, you can download the appropriate letter for your submission by visiting this web page. [Proposal Support Requests]
Civil Dialogue Toolbox. Fostering Meaningful Civil Engagement is an important topic in today’s society. The investment of time and skill development is considerable in order to make meaningful progress. Is this a worthwhile effort for Extension, and what resources are available to those that engage in this area? Learn more about the risks and benefits of investing in this topic and about a newly published toolbox of resources. Visit the toolbox | Upcoming webinar
Sustainability Database. Utah State University has developed a national database of Extension sustainability programs. The database can be searched by state or by topic. Extension professionals with sustainability-focused programs or resources can fill out a submission form to have their program added to the database. Visit the database…
Upcoming Webinars
Writing About Research: Think Clarity!
The key to communication is clarity. Yet many authors struggle with clearly conveying methodologies, findings, and relevant implications when crafting research briefs or other types of scholarly manuscripts. This webinar focuses on strategies for avoiding common clarity-related issues in scholarly writing—from obvious problems such as inadequate organization to more subtle errors such as impreciseness of language and omitted punctuation. June 15, 2017, at 2 pm EDT. Learn more or register for the webinar…
Fostering Meaningful Civic Engagement
Engaging community members to help address important issues is both rewarding and impactful. But doing this well takes considerable time investments and skill development. Is the investment worth the return? What are the potential risks to engaging and also to not engaging? This webinar will explore these questions as well as showcase recent investments in civil dialogue by the first ECOP Rapid Response Team. June 30, 2017, at 2 pm EDT. Learn more or register for the webinar…
Don’t Miss These Recordings
Evaluating for Program Implementation and Integrity
This webinar examined informal and formal ways to evaluate programs during implementation. Using the Logic Model, program inputs and outputs were addressed. These evaluation efforts help in the assessment of how a program is delivered, and in the improvement of planned approaches and activities. Evaluation examples were presented. View the recording…
The Power of Online Maps for Outreach
Are you looking to add interactivity to your Esri Story Map? Or are you simply ready to use online maps to share information with your colleagues or your outreach audience? You can create maps using your own data in addition to using data posted online by people and organizations throughout the world. View the recording…
Webinar recordings and related resources are posted on the link for that webinar in Learn, often within 24 hours after the webinar ends.