NTAE Overview.
Publication Support.
Over the course of one year, project leaders and teams are coached to identify new possibilities for their work, enhance their team dynamics, strengthen their planned impact, and evaluate, document, and promote their accomplishments. CES teams rarely have access to these kinds of services—at least not simultaneous- ly—and with this kind of robust support, their projects are more likely to be better-resourced and more sustainable. Another segment of groups receiving NTAE support are the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy Program (ECOP) Action Teams (PATs). PATs focus their attention on pressing societal matters with potential for advantageous outcomes through organized, sys- tem-level leadership within Extension programming. Learn more about the PATs and their work here.
The Extension Foundation loves to help Extension professionals tell their stories. NTAE has provided funding for our editors and content creators to partner with teams to produce more than 50 digital publications, including how- to and process guides, toolkits, and project reports. The topics explored are as varied as Extension work. These publications share knowledge gained, best practices, and information about models that Extension professionals can replicate in their work. Publications can be viewed online in a Flipping Book or downloaded as a PDF. Each one is registered in a national CES registry and shared via “Connect” and social media. The Foundation surveyed publication users in 2022 and found that • 60% of respondents indicated that publications increased their awareness of new projects, processes, or program delivery models a lot; • 68% of respondents came away with new ideas for their Extension work; and • 41% of respondents shared the publication with others.
NTAE Scope. Land-grant universities from 20 states were represented in this year’s NTAE grant projects.
ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The goal of the New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE) grant is to incubate, accelerate, and expand promising work that will increase the impact of the Cooperative Exten- sion System (CES) in the communities it serves, and provide models that can be adopted or adapted by Extension teams across the nation. In 2019, EXF received a subaward from Oklahoma State University to fund a wide range of CES activities, includ- ing projects that address environmental protection issues; broadband access and equity; diversity, equity and inclu- sion; rural and urban economic development; and more. EXF has delivered funding to and worked with nearly 75 teams since 2019, through a comprehensive, competitive annual grant cycle that includes the following: • application mechanisms and support • pre-award informational and consultative webinars • application review panels • award distribution • post-award mentorship from experienced Extension directors and administrators (Catalysts) and subject matter and technical support experts (Key Informants)
With this NTAE subaward, EXF has also supported work beyond team projects, using its technological expertise to do the following: • Create an online public-facing question-and-answer system. • Develop a first- and second-generation AI Chatbot, “ExtensionBot,” to rapidly connect the public to CES resources across the nation. • Build “Connect,” a closed social media network for land-grant university (LGU) professionals, bolstering col- laboration and enabling members to access resources and participate in communities of practices (subgroups). • Launch a national repository of CES programs and re- sources, in an effort to reduce the duplication of work system-wide. • Stand up and provide support for nearly 100 websites. NTAE projects are led by CES staff or faculty who are embedded in local communities. They receive one of three levels of funding: incubation, acceleration, or expansion. (For details about each project level, see pages 10, 20, and 62.)
The Extension Foundation (EXF) was formed in 2006 by Extension directors and administrators. EXF partners with the Cooperative Extension System (CES) through liaison roles and a formal plan of work with ECOP to increase system capacity while providing pro- grammatic services, and helping Extension programs scale and investigate new methods and models for implementing programs. EXF provides professional development to CES professionals and offers exclusive services to its members.
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EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE | 2022-2023 YEARBOOK
2022-2023 YEARBOOK | EXTENSION FOUNDATION/NTAE
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