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2024 ESP Webinar Series
The 2024 Webinar Series, brought to you by the National ESP Professional Development Committee, will include six webinars from October through March. Webinars are selected through a blind peer review process.
Webinars will be offered at the times listed below. Each webinar is described below and contains a link to register when registration is available. You will receive virtual connection information after registering.
Webinar: Expanding Your Leadership Potential Utilizing a Cultural Intelligence ApproachOctober 14, 2024, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Understanding the Needs and Priorities of Elected Officials in relation to Extension
Andreé Walker Bravo, Utah – Iota Chapter, and team member, Lendel Narine
Extension relies on the support from, and partnership of, the counties within which they work. Surveying the elected officials is instrumental in understanding needs and creating a mechanism for conversations around priorities and alignment. This webinar will walk you through the methodology and results of one such study, providing you with the tools to implement it in your own state.
Register Here
November 11, 2024, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Expanding Your Leadership Potential Utilizing a Cultural Intelligence Approach
Stephen Brady, Ohio – Alpha Eta Chapter
Research indicates that educators who can effectively understand and work with others who are different greatly increase their chances of connecting and positively impacting their audiences. The concept of Cultural Intelligence, one's capability to function effectively in situations characterized by cultural diversity, will be explored. This session is designed to help participants increase their effectiveness in working with others, regardless of their cultural background. The variety of interactive online activities will challenge individuals on a personal and group level.
Register Here
December 9, 2024, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Community Health Coalitions: Extension as an Integrated System for Health & Wellness
Jenna Daniel, Georgia – Alpha Beta Chapter and team members Courtney Brown, Shanda Ashley, Luke Crosson, Georgeanne Cook, and Cindy Sheram
Community coalition-led efforts to promote health are increasingly recognized as the ideal way to promote systems change and long-term community health. This webinar will share the stories of three communities approaching community health in an integrated effort from all Extension program areas. We will discuss best practices adopted (for replication), impact and outreach, lessons learned, and future efforts.
Register Here
January 13, 2025, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Extension Agent Retention Research Study: Practices that Improve Job Satisfaction and Agent Longevity
Kaitlyn Peine, Kansas – Alpha Rho Chapter
While employee turnover is inevitable in today's workforce, an opportunity exists for Extension to identify and promote best practices to improve Extension agent retention. In 2023, an Extension agent retention study was conducted among agents. The focus of the study was agent job satisfaction, and the field experience of agents was collected through a collective case study. The study examined the role of local unit agents and experiences regarding professional development, organizational and office culture, and relationships with supervisors. Webinar participants will learn about the study's results, including practices that result in agent longevity and higher job satisfaction.
February 10, 2025, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Get the Dish!: Collaboration to Extend Extension’s Educational Reach
Surine Greenway, Idaho - Theta Chapter and team members Amy Robertson, Joey Peutz, Katie Hickok, Katie McFarland, Jennifer Brown, Elizabeth Renfro, Keishon Thomas, and Jessie Parker
Across the nation, Extension professionals encounter similar clientele needs that must be addressed through educational programming opportunities. They often get tasked with multiple topics and needs that can be difficult for one professional to cover with the necessary knowledge and expertise. In addition, transportation, cost, and time are common barriers to program participation (Vargas & Klish, 2022; Case, Clusky & Hino, 2011). This continued desire and need to prepare food in the home leads to the demand for Extension to provide up-to-date proper food handling, food safety, and food preparation method educational opportunities and information for clientele. When funding is limited, and travel and personnel dollars cannot accommodate the need to reach multiple locations, partnering with colleagues to deliver virtual programs can expand Extension’s reach without increasing costs (Zimbroff, 2023).
Presenters of this session are eight Extension Educators from four states who will share their experiences in structuring this educational program. They will share how this program is designed to accommodate multiple learning styles, including hands-on activities and visual demonstrations, throughout this multiple-week virtual program series. This program model will be shared as it relates to participants’ content comprehension, retention, and ability to immediately implement within their home.
Session participants will be able to:
• Identify how to structure an effective virtual program series to educate clientele.
• Identify successful practices for offering this program for their content area.
• Identify strategies to recruit and retain new and returning Extension clientele to the series.
Presentation content will include evidence-based practical resources and multiple supplemental publications provided to program participants.
The idea may seem simple when considering the “How To” method of offering a virtual program series to clientele; however, the reality of building a quality program series can be very complex. Presenters will share barriers encountered in rural and urban communities when offering this program as a University-based Extension partnership. They will also include the many successes that have been encountered through implementation, evaluation, and continued adaptation. This team’s experiences in this series development can be applied to a variety of Family & Consumer Sciences professionals and Extension programs.
March 10, 2025, at 1 PM (EST)/ 10 AM (PST)
Book Clubs as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy
Jenny Lobb, Ohio – Alpha Eta Chapter and team members Laura Stanton and Stephen Brady
In 2021 a group of members from our college’s DEI Task Force offered a virtual, yearlong book club to college faculty and staff, including Extension professionals. At the same time, two Extension professionals replicated the book club in their suburban county. We read Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. A post-survey was distributed to participants at the end of each book club. Survey results indicated a substantial gain in knowledge as a result of book club participation. In addition, participant feedback indicated that the book club was an ideal setting to learn about and reflect on historical and contemporary racial events and topics. This webinar will share results from the book club evaluations, lessons learned, and considerations for those interested in trying a similar approach in their state or county.