On behalf of the State Extension Administration Office:

• 2016 Extension Forum Next Week
• WELD IX Intern Applications Now Open – Judy Barth
• Congratulations
• Online Directory Information – Ruth Willson
• FLTI Information to Share – Kyle Christensen
• Changes to Ask an Expert – Ruth Willson
• Professional Development Funds – Judy Barth

2016 Extension Forum Next Week

Watch for an email to come out early next week with the final details on Forum (Nov. 7-10).

WELD IX Intern Applications Now Open – Judy Barth

The Western Extension Leadership Development Program (WELD) is now accepting applications for WELD IX.  The WELD Program coaches and assists participants in learning and applying leadership skills. Participants will  develop:

• An awareness and appreciation of their own and others’ leadership styles and learn to apply appropriate techniques in working with diverse individuals.
• Skills to enable themselves and others to develop, articulate, and implement organization/group direction.
• Skills to enable the organization/group to effectively implement planned change.
• Skills to enable others to work together effectively.

The WELD VIII Program contains four sequential learning experiences:

• A self-analysis activity and leadership inventory exercise to illustrate the dimensions of organizational leadership and the roles played by all of its members. Participants begin thinking about and articulating elements of a personal plan for developing leadership skills.  Pre-assessments begin in early 2017.
• An active WELD IX Seminar 1 will be held in Spokane, WA, March 20-23, 2017. The seminar will include topics such as:  discussion and application of leadership inventory work,  articulating vision and defining direction, motivating others to take action and facilitate change, working together through teams, effective communication, and initiation of an individual innovative project, working with a mentor, for skill application.
• WELD VIII Seminar 2 will be held in May 2018 at a location to be determined. During Seminar 2, WELD participants present their innovative projects.  Also during this seminar, continued training sessions occur encompassing such topical areas as empowered leadership, essential facilitation skills, ethical decision making, conflict management, and other topics as identified as useful by the WELD VIII participants themselves.

If you are selected to participate in WELD IX, all costs will be covered by Extension Administration.  Once the selection process is complete, all applicants will be notified of the results.

If you would like additional, first-hand information on the WELD program, visit with one of Colorado’s previous WELD interns:  Dean Oatman, Janice Dixon, Bill Nobles, Irene Shonle,  Wendy Rice, Kurt Jones, Joanne Littlefield, Trent Hollister, Mark Platten, Gisele Jefferson, Connie Cecil, Deb Lester, or Kim Morrison.

If you are interested in participating as one of Colorado’s interns in WELD IX, please review the attached announcement and complete the attached application.  Applications are due to Yvonne Bridgeman no later than COB November 8.

Congratulations

Allan Andales, Troy Bauder and others on the WISE Team will receive the American Society of Agronomy’s Education Materials Award (Digital Decision Aids Category) for the WISE website and cloud based/smartphone apps. The award will be presented at the ASA meeting on November 8.

Susan Baker won the 2015 Best Article Award from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, along with colleagues Garry Auld and Kathryn McGirr in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. The article reported on an evaluation of Eating Smart · Being Active, a curriculum that has been adopted by 40 states and is the most widely used in the field. Susan led the team that developed ESBA.

Online Directory Information – Ruth Willson

Please take some time to review the information in the Online Directory at http://extension.colostate.edu/staff-directory/ .  Check the information for yourself as well as the county. To see the information in the directory, search for your name in the search box on the right.  To view county or area information, use the search box on the left.  When information is displayed, there is a notes section under the photo if you have one (otherwise it is just a gray box). Make sure the information in the notes section reflects your job responsibilities and areas of expertise.  If you do not have a photo, feel free to send one so we can upload it into the system.  Joanne Littlefield’s staff will be taking pictures at Forum if you would prefer to use their expertise.  If there are changes or additions, please send those to Darrin Goodman at Darrin.goodman@colostate.edu .

When staff changes occur in your county, please be sure and let Darrin know so the changes can be reflected in the directory.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask Darrin or myself.  Thanks for your help in keeping the Online Directory as useful as possible to everyone.

FLTI Information to Share – Kyle Christensen

The Family Leadership Training Institute (FLTI) is now at home at CSU Extension.  Please help us recruit for the next cohort of Family Leaders, by sharing this information with your networks/contacts in Denver, Eagle, Larimer, and Prowers counties. Each cohort will include about 25 adults and 15–20 youth in Denver and Larimer counties.

Want to make a Difference?  Apply to be a part of 2017’s Family Leadership Training Institute starting in January in Denver, Eagle, Larimer, and Prowers counties. The Family Leadership Training Institute is a free community 20-week leadership class for adults and youth (in Larimer and Denver counties; 11 – 18 years old) that focuses on training individuals with the civic skills they need to step forward as leaders to make a positive difference in their communities. The intensive 20-week course meets one evening each week and runs from January through May. FLTI discusses things like: community problem solving, leadership styles, public speaking, building networks, how to work with the media, how government works, facets of good policy, and so much more. Explore leadership in a fun learning environment and see what you can do to make change in our world. Space is limited. Apply online at www.coloradofamilyleadership.com

Changes to Ask an Expert – Ruth Willson

eXtension has been reviewing statistics from the Ask an Expert system and are planning on making some changes in November.  The volume of questions coming from International as well as non-participating states have become overwhelming to those routing and answering questions.  As a way to alleviate the increased traffic, the national portal will no longer be available and will instead direct questions to the appropriate state.  You can view a webinar that was presented on October 12 discussing the decision: https://learn.extension.org/events/2853  If you are active in Ask an Expert, please view this webinar for more details.

Previous links pointed to the national portal, which need to be changed.  I have created a Colorado Extension group for routing Colorado questions.  Please change your Ask an Expert links to:  https://ask.extension.org/groups/1955/ask  Nothing really changes on your end and I will still be assigning questions as they come through the new group.  I’ll be sending more correspondence as the changes to the national portal occur.  If you have any concerns or questions, be sure and contact me.

Professional Development Funds – Judy Barth

As of today all $50,000 in  Professional Development Funds have been allocated. Unless some individuals do not use their full approved amount, we will be unable to accept any more requests for PD Funds until the next fiscal year.   If we determine later this year that some funds have not been spent, we will notify the system that requests will be taken for the un-used funds.