Meets the second Tuesday of each month at 12:30 ET / 9:30 PT

All ESP members are invited to attend. Find the Zoom link in the ESP Calendar

Melinda Garcia
Oregon / Gamma Chapter
melinda.garcia@oregonstate.edu

Morgan Foster
Texas / Alpha Zeta Chapter
Morgan.foster@ag.tamy.edu

Brandi Berven
Tennessee / Omega Chapter
bb@utk.edu

Additional members of the Affinity Groups Leadership Team 

Co-Chair: Morgan Foster, Texas / Alpha Zeta Chapter

Co-Chair: Brandi Berven, Tennessee / Omega Chapter

Engagement Chair: Tamera Adjei, Tennessee / Omega Chapter

Secretary: Rebekah Greene Georgia / Alpha Beta Chapter

Advisor: Melinda Garcia, Oregon / Gamma Chapter

Any ESP member can view and edit documents. You must have a google account to add documents.

This page is reserved for sharing information within the membership of affinity groups.

Revised 4/24/20

Vision:

The Affinity Group is a collaborative space that connects and supports Extension professionals serving urban communities and/or culturally diverse audiences.

Mission:

The Affinity Group creates a network for Extension professionals in ESP who seek to extend the resources of our land-grant universities to address the needs of urban communities and/or culturally diverse or underserved audiences. The Affinity Group provides support, training, professional development, and other opportunities across all program areas and the Extension system to advance the mission of land-grant universities while ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion and engagement.

The Mission and Vision of the Affinity Groups will be achieved by:

1. Advocating for access, equity, and inclusion that advance the mission of Extension.
2. Promoting the participation and leadership of Extension professionals serving urban and/or culturally diverse audiences, being respectful of, and incorporating their values, expertise, and contributions.
3. Harnessing, incorporating, and mobilizing assets, knowledge and promising practices that Extension professionals serving urban and/or culturally diverse audiences bring to Extension for strengthening youth, families, and communities.
4. Learning and growing together to make change in our communities
5. Advancing academic, applied research, practical knowledge, and promising practices regarding urban and/or culturally diverse youth, families, and communities.
6. Recognizing and advancing excellence and innovation for professionals, relevant programming, approaches, and applied research related to serving urban, new and/or culturally diverse audiences.
7. Building and recognizing the competencies required for Extension professionals to work successfully in urban environments and/or with culturally diverse audiences, and supporting institutional changes and policies that allow Extension to best meet the needs of those audiences.
8. Supporting promotion and tenure, and other professional development opportunities available to Extension professionals, including opportunities within ESP for scholarships, posters, presentations, and awards.
9. Supporting and convening people with similar objectives to network, provide support and training, build partnerships and develop relationships.
10. Supporting and providing partnerships with other JCEP organizations and/or national initiatives seeking to improve Extension’s ability to serve urban and/or culturally diverse audiences.